1. how did the concept of mutually assured destruction influence the cold war? it stopped the united states from developing missiles to deliver the bombs. it proved that there was no safe place to test nuclear weapons. it showed that the soviets were unable to develop a nuclear weapon. it reminded people that a nuclear war would be devastating for everyone. 2. which of the following was a justification for the increase in us defense spending during the cold war? the united states needed to develop more and better weapons to prevent an attack. the united states wanted to purchase large amounts of land to conduct nuclear tests. the united states planned to launch an attack against the soviet union on russian soil. the united states wanted to become the world’s first example of a superpower.