Apologies if this is a stupid or frequently asked question - I did search the sub and FAQ for similar posts though! I studied the Cold War era back in high school so I'm reasonably familiar with the general gist of it but I just can't find what I'm looking for.
Maybe there is no word for that fear? All I am finding is the fear of Communism and McCarthyism etc, but I'm wondering specifically about the idea that at any moment the US or USSR could just launch their missiles. Fear of Doomsday?
I study this stuff for a living — there's no single term for it. "Nuclear fear" is often used as a generic term for a lot of things (Spencer Weart's books of the same title are great). But no single word for the existential anxiety that comes from looking down the barrel of an ICBM, that I know of.