<P> Brinkmanship is the ostensible escalation of threats to achieve one 's aims . The word was probably coined by Adlai Stevenson in his criticism of the philosophy described as `` going to the brink '' in an interview with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles under the Eisenhower administration , during the Cold War . In an article written in Life Magazine , John Foster Dulles then defined his policy of brinkmanship as `` The ability to get to the verge without getting into the war is the necessary art . '' During the Cold War , this was used as a policy by the United States to coerce the Soviet Union into backing down militarily . Eventually , the threats involved might become so huge as to be unmanageable at which point both sides are likely to back down . This was the case during the Cold War ; the escalation of threats of nuclear war , if carried out , are likely to lead to mutually assured destruction . </P>
who was known for his policy of massive retaliation and his approach to war called brinkmanship
Adlai Stevenson