How were the policies of massive retaliation and brinkmanship different from previous military policies?

Previous military policies had created massive killings throughout long years on a war of aggression. Brinkmanship, as showed in history was used to let another country stop its war through massive retaliation. It is a more dangerous option to use nuclear weapons as a sign of power and capability to kill more people including civilians in a fast mode.

The answer to How were the policies of massive retaliation and brinkmanship different from previous military policies? is that
-Nuclear weapons
-Eisenhower used brinkmanship (nearly going to the point of war to scare enemy)
-no President has never been so "bravely stupid"