During the Cold War era, what was the main reason why were the United States and the Soviet Union reluctant to engage in direct military conflict?

Question

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During the Cold War era, the main reason why the United States and the Soviet Union were reluctant to engage in direct military conflict because there was a great potential for global nuclear destruction.
Key Takeaway: For the first four and a half decades after World War II, much of the world was divided into two hostile camps, led by the Soviet Union and the United States. This gigantic global struggle was known as the Cold War. During this time, the superpowers engaged in a nuclear arms race, which was the most expensive and largest buildup of weapons in history. The Soviet Union and the United States were reluctant to engage with each other precisely because of this nuclear arms race and the devastating effect it could have upon the world. Although they themselves never warred against each other, they instead used other nations as proxies to do so.

During the Cold War Era, What Was the Main Reason