The term is usually used for rhetorical purposes, and was probably coined by Lester Pearson in June 1955 at the 10th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter: "the balance of terror has replaced the balance of power".
Istilah ini biasanya dipakai untuk keperluan retorika semata, dan mungkin dicetuskan oleh Lester Pearson pada peringatan ke-10 penandatanganan Piagam PBB bulan Juni 1955: "keseimbangan teror telah menggantikan keseimbangan kekuasaan".