Escalation

Escalation is the phenomenon of something getting worse step by step, for example a quarrel, or, notably, military presence and nuclear armament during the Cold War. (Compare to escalator, a device that lifts something to a higher level.)

The term was coined by Herman Kahn in 1965, when he published a book called On Escalation.

Links

• Herman Kahns escalation ladder (http://www.texaschapbookpress.com/magellanslog41/escalation.htm)