Operation Able Archer-1983-Catastrophic game of Cat and Mouse

Here is a documentary I have recently viewed called "1983: The Brink of Apocalypse," and a throw back to the heightened tensions of the Cold War; when two Super Powers held the fate of the world in the palm of their hands.

Hopefully, you can view this as a piece to accompany, ATS user, Raud's thread: "Mandatory History Lesson on the Cold War (BBC)."

www.abovetopsecret.com...



Until seeing it a few years ago and recently viewing it again, I have always be under the conclusion that the closest both sides ever came to the brink was during the Cuban Missile Crisis which took place during those dark thirteen days of October in 1963.

Oh, was I wrong, and this documentary really opened my eyes to how a misunderstanding, failure in technology, or an ill-conceived exercise could have led the world to Armageddon. Thank goodness the Cold War remained cold and not hot, or we would be living in caves right now, chipping away at rocks. This documentary goes in great detail about a Nato military exercise called "Able Archer," which simulated a Soviet Invasion of Western Europe.

Now, to the people conducting the exercise, they deemed it as routine, but the leadership in the Soviet Union thought otherwise. With President Reagan's hard-line approach to the Soviet Union, Trillion dollar defense budgets, and the ever elusive "Star Wars project." All of that made the Soviets believe that the US was gearing toward aggression. These elements eventually built-up to a possible nuclear exchange between the two powers, and Mutually Assured Destruction. Very interesting and well crafted documentary. A must see for those interested in the Cold War.

Google Video Link

[edit on 6-2-2010 by Jakes51]

Thank you for sharing this video.

I just watched the whole thing and my reaction is this.

I thought I was paranoid, but it turns out I am not paranoid at all.

These military commanders were TRULY paranoid!!

Originally posted by muzzleflash
Thank you for sharing this video.

I just watched the whole thing and my reaction is this.

I thought I was paranoid, but it turns out I am not paranoid at all.

These military commanders were TRULY paranoid!!

We got by on that one just barely. I agree with you, and they were quite paranoid. I wouldn't mind the paranoia among the military commanders and politicians, but when they can feasible nuke the world 10 times over; it gives me the creeps! Thank goodness things got under control when they did, or instead of typing on computers we would be writing on cave walls right now.

Yes, we are all quite lucky that Jack Kennedy was at the helm of Spaceship Earth, and cooler heads prevailed. But from my own research, I have come to think there was more to the stand off than we are led to believe. I think the Americans had some alien technology, and the Russians wanted it.
I also happen to think the entire Cold War was instrumented to make money and fund secret projects for both the Russians and the Americans, and probably a few other countries too. Black projects garner up to one third of the GNP, and you never see where it goes.

Originally posted by autowrench
Yes, we are all quite lucky that Jack Kennedy was at the helm of Spaceship Earth, and cooler heads prevailed. But from my own research, I have come to think there was more to the stand off than we are led to believe. I think the Americans had some alien technology, and the Russians wanted it.
I also happen to think the entire Cold War was instrumented to make money and fund secret projects for both the Russians and the Americans, and probably a few other countries too. Black projects garner up to one third of the GNP, and you never see where it goes.

Yes, we were very lucky to have a patient President in Jack Kennedy. Who knows how that dark period in history would have turned out with Ronald Reagan at the helm? Now, the concept you bring up about extraterrestrial technology being in the hands of the Americans during the Cold War? Possibly, but I am a little shaky on that front.

However, I do believe something strange came down in that desert on that dark and stormy night July 3, 1947 outside Roswell, New Mexico. We may never find out what really happened with that? However, do I believe the Cold War was a cover to fund secret projects or Black Projects? Maybe, but we will never know, as we will never know about the Roswell Incident. However, 1983 came real close to zero hour and nuclear holocaust. It was just blind luck that it never happened with the incident shown in the documentary, because both sides had no idea what was going on at the time. It could have turned out to be the costliest accident in human history.

[edit on 6-2-2010 by Jakes51]

reply to post by Jakes51


Thanks for sharing

Cool film

Great material!
Talk about worst possible timing! We have alot to thank the Gods for... Better leave all kinds of "World endings" to Mother Nature herself. Humanity just mustn't have that honour.

In part 5, I got to hear "Cosmic Top Secret" (discussed here) for the first time.

An attack disguised as an exercise, ey? Like the World War II attacks on both Poland and Russia? Or like that on Pearl Harbour? Or, maybe like those on WTC and the London public transport system? I say the Soviets were paranoid alright, but not dead wrong in their assumptions...

Anyone heard of the Dead Hand a.k.a Perimeter? Might be an interesting read...

For more WWIII galore, such as "The Day After", "Countdown Through the Looking Glass", "World War III the Movie" and more, you can check out this thread (and yes, it contains some personal embaressment...please try do disregard it).

About that Korean Airliner that was shot down, there was a similar incident back in 1978. Some pictures can be found here at EnglishRussia.com. (Great site for casual browsing, btw.)

I know we have some ATS'ers from Belgium here. Hopefully you guys (and gal's) can tell us more about that NATO Bunker? Would be cool...

Thanks also for linking to the BBC Cold War thread!

reply to post by Jakes51


It was crazy times in those days....there is a book The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy. There was a thing called M.A.D. "Mutually Assured Destruction." The officials from Civil Defence would come to our school, and show us kids how to duck down under our desks, the "safe spot," to be in, in case of a nuclear attack. We would have air raid drills, in Indiana! This craziness is best summed up by my favorite comedian, Lewis Black. (warning, language may be offensive to some)
www.youtube.com...

reply to post by Raud


Maybe, the Soviets were a little paranoid. However, can you really blame them when you have an enemy with 15,000 or so nuclear warheads aimed at you and you have no idea what the leader's mindsets are at the time. Apparently, at the time, Reagan scared them immensely. With his plans for Stars Wars, tough anti-soviet rhetoric "Evil Empire Speech," and the scheduled deployment of those Pershing missiles to Western Europe. So, if I was on the outside looking in at the US at the time, I probably would have been paranoid as well.

However, the US really had know ideas what the Soviet leadership was thinking at the time either. So, the paranoia by the two powers could have resulted in one of the most catastrophic accidents in the history of the human race. It was a miracle that the world was incinerated during those years, because it was only by blind luck we were able to circumvent our destruction as a species. Very intriguing period of human history. Here is another incident that almost changed the world forever, and it was after the Cold War when Boris Yeltsin led the Russian Federation. Pretty creepy stuff!