Answer:
conflict never came to open warfare ('hot war'). Why? It was mainly because the existence of nuclear weapons made hot war MAD ('mutually assured destruction'). That was why the conflict stayed a 'cold war'; both sides tried to undermine and destroy each other, but they dared not let it go to actual fighting - that would have destroyed them. The reason why it would destroy them is obvious isn't it. Total destruction to both countries by nuclear warfare.
