1 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: This is Joseph Stalin giving a speech to Soviet citizens. 2 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: It's July third, nineteen forty one. In the months before 3 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: this speech, Hitler had lined up thousands of troops alongside 4 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: the Soviet border for some military exercises. Yet there's early 5 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: turns out they weren't just exercises. They were cover for 6 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. 7 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 2: June twenty first, nineteen forty one, with treacherous assault, Germany 8 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: declares war on Soviet Russia. 9 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: The invasion was called Operation Barbarossa. It was brutal. It 10 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: marked the beginning of the Soviet's four year long entanglement 11 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: in World War II. So great news the Nazis lost. 12 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if you heard, but the Soviet death 13 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: toll in World War two was staggering. Twenty five million 14 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: Soviet soldiers and civilians were lost. Stalin hadn't seen it coming. 15 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: Operation Barbarosa had caught him totally by surprise, and getting 16 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: caught unawares was utterly humiliating. His intelligence had failed him. 17 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: The embarrassment of Operation Barbarossa would plant a seed of 18 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: paranoia amongst the Soviets and decades later land them on 19 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: an inevitable crash course with NATO nuclear exercise able Archer 20 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: eighty three. If you go to therapy, as most of 21 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:44,199 Speaker 1: us probably should, especially if you're anything like Stalin, you'll 22 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: recognize that this German sneak attack qualifies as a traumatic event. 23 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: You think you know someone until they turn on you 24 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: and ravage your homeland. Textbook trauma, trauma that, if left unchecked, 25 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: could cause the Soviet Union to accuse the West of 26 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: treachery every time they did a military exercise, even though 27 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: it's it's really just an exercise. But you're too scared 28 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: to accept that because of your traumatic history with Germany, 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: who was totally a jeter. But no Soviet leaders to 30 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: my knowledge at least didn't go to therapy. Maybe their 31 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: insurance didn't cover it, I don't know. Instead, they stole 32 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: the sneak attack move for themselves. They began to use 33 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: military exercises as a cover for invasion. It's how they 34 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: invaded Czechoslovakia in the sixties, and the Russians would go 35 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: on to do the same thing in Crimea, Georgia and 36 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: even Ukraine in twenty twenty two. And they figured, if 37 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: it's something we would do, then of course the Americans 38 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: will do it too. You'd think the Americans would be all, hey, 39 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: maybe I'm not that guy. I know your last squeeze 40 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: did you wrong, but it's different between us. But instead 41 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: America is all. 42 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 3: They are the focus of evil in the modern world. 43 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: So let's just say when it comes to military exercises, 44 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: the Soviets didn't process their trauma, they didn't have healing. 45 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: They've got trust tissues and can you blame them? Now? 46 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: Fast forward to the Fall of eighty three, which, as 47 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: we all know, was a totally crazy year. 48 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 3: The aggressive impulses of an evil empire. 49 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,119 Speaker 4: Shut down the Korean Airlines plane that death straight into 50 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 4: Soviet airspace. 51 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: The army says that the Pershing two can fly up 52 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: to one thousand miles in under ten minutes. 53 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 5: Her name is Alex. 54 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: She works in a man's world. 55 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 3: She dances in a world of her dreams, flash dance. 56 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: Like I said, crazy year. I mean, who knew welders 57 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: could dance like that anyway. NATO is now preparing to 58 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: start a massive military exercise, culminating in Able Archer eighty three, 59 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: a rehearsal for nuclear war. What could go wrong? I'm 60 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: at helms and this is Snafu, a podcast about history's 61 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: greatest screw ups, on season one, telling you the story 62 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: of a snafo that is gigantic, terrifying, and absurd. It's 63 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: called Able Archer eighty three, the nineteen eighty three NATO 64 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: military exercise that may have almost triggered a real nuclear war. 65 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,559 Speaker 1: In this episode we get to it, the real deal, 66 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: the big Chabang Abel Archer itself, NATO practice is a 67 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: nuclear war. The Soviets reach their breaking point and one 68 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: man is faced with a cataclysmic decision. 69 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 6: We practiced who to shoot, when to shoot. 70 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: That was our job, was to practice going to war. 71 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: This is Brian Regal. He was a Cold War tank 72 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: driver and a former participant in NATO's massive annual military 73 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: wargame Autumn Forge, which can best be described as NATO's 74 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: dress rehearsal for World War three. And it would all 75 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: end with little old Able Archer eighty three. It was 76 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: all a coordinated effort. It's like, you know, the most 77 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: elaborate large scale production of West Side Story. 78 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 2: Ever. 79 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: Like West Side Story, Autumn Forge has two teams, but 80 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: instead of the Sharks and the Jets fighting over a 81 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: girl named Mario, Sorry, I just I love West Side 82 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: Story anyway. Instead of the Sharks and the Jets, Autumn 83 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: Forge has blue and orange. Blue team is NATO and 84 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: orange the Soviets. And just like a play, Autumn Forge 85 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: has a script. The script has different stages or acts, 86 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: if you will, as the drama of a fake war 87 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: plot unfolds. And let me be clear, NATO is very 88 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: serious about rehearsing this play. Opening day is tomorrow. The 89 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: actors are in full makeup and gas masks. I'm talking 90 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: tens of thousands of military men actively playing for tend 91 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: war in Western Germany. They're driving around in real tanks, 92 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: surveilling in real airplanes, setting up fake supply lines and 93 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: fake medical evacuations, because Brian says, it's essential that the 94 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: whole thing feels realistic so that NATO can find the 95 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: wrinkles in their war plan and fix it because next 96 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: time it might not be a rehearsal. 97 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 7: It wasn't a question of would it happen, It was 98 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 7: a question of when was it going to happen. 99 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: We were preparing to fight armageddon. 100 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 6: That's what we were told, That's what we believed, you know, 101 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 6: that's what we trained for. 102 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: We were training to fight the end of the world. 103 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: The problem with Autumn Forge's realism, of course, is that 104 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: each year the Soviets watched becoming more and more fearful. 105 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: They wondered, is this one an exercise or is this 106 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: the year when the exercise turns into a surprise attack. 107 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,600 Speaker 1: So in nineteen eighty three, like every other year before, 108 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: the Soviets took their seats in the front row of 109 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: NATO's grand production of World War Three, and this year 110 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 1: they were in for one hell of a show. 111 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 2: Hello, I'm an Mulligan. Sergeant Richard real is standing by 112 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 2: at the AFN Autumn Forge News death. 113 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. So they even made a fake newscast about it, 114 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: which might seem really bizarre, but it just goes to 115 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: show you how committed they were in producing this thing. 116 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: They really wanted it to feel real. Right now, there 117 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: was a shift in the battle lines. For the past 118 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: two days. 119 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: Orange Forces after crossing the Donau River, I've made steady 120 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: advances against the Blue Forces to the west. 121 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: Act one, Autumn Forge Orange invades West Germany. Of course, 122 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: the Soviets are the aggressors in our little war scenario here. 123 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: I mean, they are the evil empire after all, and 124 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: then Blue approaches the Iron Curtain to try to hold 125 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: off the aggressors. Yes, the invasion isn't real, but there 126 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: are real NATO tanks and very real guns marching right 127 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: up to Soviet territory here, and the Soviets are watching. 128 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: The plot continues, Blue struggles against the might of the 129 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: Orange forces. 130 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 2: The Orange are and have been making penetration against the 131 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 2: Blue forces. 132 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: NATO is going to need some backup, which means now 133 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: it's time for act too. Sixteen thousand American troops board 134 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: planes in the United States flyover and are dropped right 135 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: into the Autumn Forge theater. These gis have flown twelve 136 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: hours from Fort Hood, Texas to take part in the 137 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: multinational maneuvers. Now, this phase of the exercise happened every year, 138 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: but this year NATO would make a change, a change 139 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: that would add just a dash of paranoia to what 140 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: was already a recipe for disaster. Over the course of 141 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: eight days, all these sixteen thousand troops were flown in 142 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: under total radio silence. This isn't the kind of silence 143 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: you get at a convention for mimes. I don't know, No, 144 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: this is radio silence, which is what the military does 145 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: when it's trying to avoid enemy's surveillance, and it made 146 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: the Soviets wonder what are they trying to hide. Meanwhile, 147 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 1: in the real world, the United States would make a 148 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: dramatic move, and the Soviets believed their worst fears were 149 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: being realized. 150 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 2: Corrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you an NBC 151 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 2: News report. 152 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: Good afternoon, emby one. 153 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 2: I'm Tom Broke, O NBC News in New York, and 154 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 2: here is the latest situation as we now know it 155 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 2: on the island of Grenada. It has been invaded by 156 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 2: a multi national force. The bulk of that force about 157 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: eighteen hundred American troops that includes Marie. 158 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: On October twenty third, nineteen eighty three, the United States 159 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: invaded the small island nation of Grenada, a tiny Caribbean 160 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: island but an important Soviet ally. Grenada had been ruled 161 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: by a communist government for years. It was going through 162 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: a violent power struggle when the United States invaded. Reagan 163 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: claimed he was just trying to help restore democracy, but 164 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: even US allies condemned the invasion, and the Soviets believed 165 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 1: it was proof of just how aggressive America could be. Meanwhile, 166 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 1: the autumn forged script continued to escalate. Orange attacks Blues 167 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: supply lines, Blue retaliates. Orange uses chemical weapons, not cool guys. 168 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: The invasion continues, and all of a sudden, according to 169 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: the script, there's nothing left to do but start launching 170 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: nuclear missiles. And that's what brings us to Act three, 171 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: Able Archer. You may wonder, like I did, where the 172 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,239 Speaker 1: name able Archer comes from. I'm so glad you asked. 173 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: I actually don't have an answer for you on that one. 174 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: But don't worry. I have something better because during our 175 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: research we discovered that while there is no known source 176 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: for the name Able Archer, there does exist a porn 177 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: actor named Abel Archer who stars in skin flicks such 178 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: as Reality Dudes and The Balls of Wall Street. 179 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 6: Any You girls, or to a large with extra cream? 180 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: This is true, and yeah, apparently he didn't even know 181 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: about the wargame. He just came up with it all 182 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: on his own. 183 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 8: Anyway, it was a week just like every other week. 184 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: This is Jane Gay, a participant in Able Archer eighty three. 185 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 8: NATO headquarters is located in a village called Mons, Belgium. 186 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: Monstown Center looked like every classic European city all cobblestone 187 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: and Gothic architecture. But a few miles out there's NATO's 188 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:40,880 Speaker 1: military headquarters, Stately Square Modern. That's where Gene and his 189 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: colleagues are as Act three, Able Archer kicks off in 190 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: early November. 191 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 9: The whole purpose of able Archer was the emphasis on 192 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 9: the practice of the nuclear weapons release for seizures. 193 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: Here's Colonel Spike Calendar, another VET who was also involved 194 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: in Able Archer that year. Now, a few different NATO 195 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: countries had nukes and they didn't need permission from their 196 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: pals to use them. But the whole idea of NATO 197 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 1: is that if the Soviets invaded one member, all NATO 198 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: countries would coordinate on a nuclear defense. You ever hear 199 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: the phrase big ships turn slowly. In nineteen eighty three, 200 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: there were sixteen NATO member nations, each with their own 201 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: languages and protocols. But when the fate of the world 202 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: hangs in the balance, NATO needed to be able to 203 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: turn that big ship fast. 204 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,319 Speaker 9: The whole idea was, if you ever had to do it, 205 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 9: you didn't want to do it for the first time. 206 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: Here's how the whole thing is supposed to go down. 207 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 8: They forced things to happen to make you react to 208 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 8: it as if it was the real world situation. 209 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: The planners came up with an escalating war scenario and 210 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: the players are given a challenge. As the scenario escalates, 211 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: when will you step in and recommend the use of 212 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: nuclear weapons? Which nuclear weapons should we use? How many? 213 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: And where is trusting use of twenty five years web? 214 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: The men reference their binders of war plans, come up 215 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: with a strategy, and rehearse the approval process for launching nukes. 216 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 9: When yeah, it reached a point where the yes that 217 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 9: the president of the Prime Minister agreed that these weapons 218 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 9: were required and then would give the in effect the 219 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 9: official release to it. 220 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: During the wargame, once our pretend president approves the fictional 221 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: nuclear launch, the Able Archer communications ricochet backed down the 222 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: chain of command, finally reaching the folks who launch the 223 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: fake nukes, which is exactly what it's like in the movies. 224 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: Two men sitting at opposite ends of a nuclear control room, 225 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: confirming the codes and simultaneously turning the launch keys. Now 226 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 1: Able Archer, compared to the rest of bottomn Forge, is 227 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: extremely pared down. No more helicopters and tanks, just men 228 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: in a bunker with phones. But even though there are 229 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,839 Speaker 1: fewer players and the stage is largely empty, this is 230 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: where the stakes are highest. I guess that's the thing 231 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: about nuclear wars. When it gets to that point, all 232 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: the thousands of troops and tanks and infrastructure just don't matter. 233 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: It all comes down to a few people in a 234 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: room letting the nukes do all the work. And this 235 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: year the Able Archer players had a few new weapons 236 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: on their nuclear menu, the Pershing twos and the ground 237 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: cruise missiles. The nukes that were scheduled for installation eminently, 238 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: the nukes that could obliterate Moscow in seven minutes. Now, 239 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: it's important to say that even though jene was practicing 240 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: nuclear war with the new euro missiles, they had not 241 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: yet been installed in Western Europe. That deployment date was 242 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: still a couple of weeks away. But the Soviets saw 243 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: deception everywhere, and as Able Archer kicked off, they feared 244 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: those missiles may already be in place. So the first 245 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: week of November nineteen eighty three, a few miles outside 246 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: the lovely town of Mons, Belgium, Gene Spike and their 247 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: colleagues filed into a bunker carrying binders full of nuclear 248 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: plans to hear their Able Archer war game challenge. Earlier 249 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: this year, communist hard liners in Moscow took over the Kremlin. 250 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: Since then the group has expanded their influence in Eastern 251 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: Europe and the Middle East. Now they have officially invaded 252 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: Western Europe. 253 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 8: So that was the kickoff, and that was my work 254 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 8: as I started out that week. 255 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: Which brings us to November fourth, nineteen eighty three. The 256 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: bunker deep inside NATO headquarters in Belgium is buzzing to life. 257 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:53,359 Speaker 1: The communications machines are switched on the lines tested. 258 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 4: Exercise exercise exercise testing communications over. 259 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: And the Able Archer planners begin performing the wargame script 260 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: over the airwaves. The script's plot is getting more and 261 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: more dire. Remember they're trying to lead the able larger 262 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: players towards a fake nuclear war, So the planners keep 263 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: escalating the narrative. 264 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 4: Exercise exercise exercise Orange has invaded Germany over. 265 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: And relaying all this drama on NATO's secure communications line. 266 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: But of course they had company. The Soviets had picked 267 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: up the signal. 268 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 10: Now all this time the communications are going backwards and forwards, 269 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 10: being listened into by the Soviets, who knew this was 270 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 10: an intended exercise. 271 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: Here's historian Taylor Downing. 272 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 10: And each signal was begun with the sort of three 273 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 10: words exercise, exercise, exercise, exercise. But the Soviet analyzes analyzing 274 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 10: the radio signals that are being picked up are starting 275 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 10: at this point to get really quite anxious, and they're 276 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 10: now starting to think, is this actually a real NATO exercise? 277 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 10: Is this genuine or is it what they feared was 278 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,919 Speaker 10: the Russian wood his Maskrovka deception? Is all this a 279 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 10: deception to delude us to the fact that NATO is 280 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 10: actually amassing its resources to prepare a nuclear assault. 281 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: Now, as you and I both know, NATO is absolutely 282 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: not planning a nuclear assault upon the Soviet Union. They 283 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: want to play the war game, learn their lessons, then 284 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: go catch flash dance or risky business. But the Soviets 285 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: don't know that. All they know is that under Operation Ryan, 286 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: intelligence from Soviet spies seems to keep supporting their assumption 287 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: that the West is definitely planning a nuclear attack. Also 288 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: this year, strangely, autumn forged troops flew in under total 289 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: radio silence, and the US just invaded Grenada. And now 290 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: what they're overhearing from the able archer war game is 291 00:17:56,320 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: feeling kind of intense. So the Soviets were left one ring. 292 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: What is that Wiley Reagan really up to? Well, actually, 293 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: I would fucking love to tell you what Reagan was 294 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: up to on November fourth. I know because we checked 295 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: the presidential photo archives. While the Soviets were imagining Ronald 296 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: Reagan sitting in the Oval Office with a maniacal grin 297 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 1: on his face and nuclear plans spread across the resolute desk, 298 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 1: he was actually quite literally feeding acorns to squirrels on 299 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 1: the White House lawn. 300 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 7: Here you go, a little guy, here's a big one 301 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 7: for you. 302 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: God damn it, you're cute. 303 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 7: You seem like you've got it all together up in 304 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 7: your little tree. I've got a whole stash of these 305 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 7: in my desk, little buddy. Don't you worry, adorable presidential 306 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 7: respite or an insidious ruse. I'll say this for Reagan. 307 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 7: The guy contains multitudes. 308 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, in London, it becomes clear to one double agent 309 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: that the KGB is convinced a nuclear war is imminent, 310 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 1: so that there was. 311 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 5: A cable in the beginning warning the stations as the 312 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 5: American status and a very important exercise which can develop 313 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 5: to something sinister. 314 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 1: Here's our old pal, Oleg Gordievski. Remember he's a Western 315 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: spy pretending to be a loyal KGB spy who is 316 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: pretending to be a Russian diplomat. I mean, the guy's 317 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:29,640 Speaker 1: a human nesting dog. Anyway. It's November fifth, nineteen eighty three. 318 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: Gordievski is sitting in the Soviet embassy in London when 319 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:37,119 Speaker 1: he receives a telegram from Moscow. The telegram tells the 320 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: spies to keep close watch on the movements of British politicians. 321 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: It says, since the US and the UK are such 322 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,480 Speaker 1: close allies, surely the British will be involved in any 323 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: sudden nuclear attack, and so it literally tells them to 324 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: go hang out outside Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher's house and 325 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: watch for any indication that the West has decided to attack, 326 00:19:58,359 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 1: because the telegram said once that decision was made, the 327 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: attack would be coming in seven to ten days. 328 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 5: I knew it was a dramatic moment. I knew Moscow 329 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 5: was nervous. 330 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: November sixth is quiet. It's Sunday. The Lord rests and 331 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,200 Speaker 1: all that, Ronald and Nancy Reagan wake up at Camp 332 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: David and head back to DC. The night before, they 333 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: stayed up late watching The Wicked Lady starring Faye Dunaway. 334 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: The Wicked Later. 335 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 2: I'd like a dangerous entity. 336 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 1: You make a dangerous patna, Reagan writes about it in 337 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 1: this journal. Naturally, it was embarrassing, damn near pornographic. He 338 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: doesn't even write out the word damn. He literally writes 339 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: d dash dash in Oh my God, what a dork. 340 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: But while Reagan is writing rotten tomatoes reviews in his 341 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: diary and feeding the squirrels, and Dropov isn't having such 342 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: a good time. 343 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 10: The seventh eighth and November is the anniversary of the 344 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 10: revolution in Russia back in nineteen seventeen, and this is 345 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 10: a big public holiday in the Soviet Union. There was 346 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 10: always a big parade in Red Square. 347 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: But Yuri and drop Off doesn't give a speech at 348 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: the parade in Red Square as he ordinarily would. Instead, 349 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: he lays in a hospital bed in a secure clinic 350 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: twenty kilometers outside of Moscow, dying of kidney failure. 351 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 10: All the roads to it were very heavily guarded. Nobody 352 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 10: could get into it. You know, it was far away 353 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 10: from prying eyes of reporters or dissidents or anybody else. 354 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 10: It was completely surrounded by a ring of KGB security. 355 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 10: All the other members of the Politbureau would come out 356 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 10: in their limousines to visit him. 357 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: And never leaving. A drop Off side was the aid 358 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: who carries the Cheggott, the Soviets version of the nuclear football. 359 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: It's named after a mountain in Russia. I assume because 360 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: they don't play football. 361 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 10: There was a feeling in Russia that if the West 362 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 10: is going to attack, they'll probably attack while we're sort 363 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 10: of off our guard, while we're relaxing, while we're on holiday. 364 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: Now we don't know what happened in that hospital room, 365 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: but here's what we do know. We know that and 366 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,959 Speaker 1: drop Off was dragged into World War II as a 367 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: young man when Operation Barbarossa traumatized the Soviet Union with 368 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: a surprise attack under the ruse of military exercises. We 369 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,439 Speaker 1: know that he conceived of Operation Ryan to preempt a 370 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: surprise nuclear attack from the West. We know Russians believed 371 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: a surprise attack would come during a holiday, and we 372 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 1: know that now during a holiday, and drop Off was 373 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: dying in a hospital bed with nuclear codes within reach, 374 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:43,880 Speaker 1: all while NATO rehearsed a nuclear war. 375 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 10: It's impossible to know what thoughts go through a person 376 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 10: when they're in that physical state, but it's difficult to 377 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 10: imagine that it didn't have some effect upon his mental outlook. 378 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: Oh and one other thing. We all also know that 379 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: if the Soviet leaders believed an attack was eminent, they 380 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:08,120 Speaker 1: had a policy to launch a preemptive strike to take 381 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: out enemy weapons before they were even launched. One can 382 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: only wonder if what was really going on in that 383 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: hospital room on November seventh was the Soviet leadership preparing 384 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,359 Speaker 1: a nuclear attack of their own. 385 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 5: So obviously, as there was a lot of activity on 386 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 5: the JERU. 387 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: Say, this is Oleg Gordievski again back in London during 388 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 1: able archer. He's talking about the GRU, the Soviet military's 389 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 1: intelligence department. Now this is a little technical, but it's important, 390 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,640 Speaker 1: so let me break it down for you. The KGB, 391 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,720 Speaker 1: Oleg's employer, is the official intelligence organization for the Soviet Union, 392 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: But the Soviet military had their own intelligence department called 393 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 1: the GRU. 394 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 5: It was their responsibility. It was their department which was 395 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 5: responsible for their countermeageres and for monitoring what was happening 396 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 5: in the nights of countries. 397 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: So like, I don't know, oh, concerns that NATO is 398 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: about to launch a bunch of nukes, that would be 399 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:08,120 Speaker 1: the primary concern of the GRU, not necessarily the KGB. 400 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: The GRU also had a bunch of spies in London, 401 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,439 Speaker 1: also posing in the embassy as Russian diplomats, and Gordiovski 402 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: remembers that during Able Archer eighty three, those GRU guys 403 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 1: were looking pretty stressed out. 404 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 5: I remember that we were sitting on the loft of 405 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 5: the embassy and they were sitting in the basement, and 406 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 5: they were sitting like mice day and night during the 407 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 5: able Archer exercise. 408 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:35,919 Speaker 1: One reason Grdiovsky could tell the GRU was busier than 409 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: usual is because all of them were skipping the mandatory 410 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: morning meetings with the Russian ambassador. 411 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,399 Speaker 5: In those days of able arch none of them, to 412 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 5: the irritation of the ambassador, was present. 413 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: For example, the head of the GRU station in London 414 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: was a man by the name of Yezhov. 415 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 5: People after the because Yezov Heitchhock, as he looks like. 416 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: Heitchcock, always with the sick burn. Here's Gordo, He cracks 417 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: me up. Anyway, She was sitting in a city all 418 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 1: the time, as the papers, Gordievsky says it was unusual 419 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: for the hedgehog to be head down buried in papers. 420 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: It was clear to him that something was happening that 421 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,959 Speaker 1: was very important to the GRU. Gordievski also says that 422 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: the GRU had a signal station in a building opposite 423 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: the embassy across Kensington Palace gardens. There a GRU radio 424 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: communicator would intercept signals like military communications. 425 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 5: And he was coming from that building, crossing the roads quickly, 426 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 5: and in the embassy and down to the basement. 427 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: Gordievski watched this poor guy run back and forth all 428 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 1: week long, and listen, when you're a top secret GRU spy, 429 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 1: you don't leave yourself vulnerable to being seen or followed. 430 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 1: So whatever was happening, it must have been urgent. And 431 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 1: back in Belgium, well, the temperature was going up there too. 432 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 10: The Warsaw Pact started to use chemical weapons. 433 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,120 Speaker 1: That's Tailor Downing again, talking about the Able Archer script. 434 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: It's November seventh. 435 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 10: And the planners decided they had no alternative but to 436 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:11,120 Speaker 10: respond by NATO forces using chemical weapons. 437 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: Remember we're talking fake chemical weapons here. 438 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 10: Then on Monday, the seventh of November, in the script, 439 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 10: the warsaw pac to taking out various NATO command posts. 440 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 10: For instance, the US Air Force Command Center at Ramstein 441 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 10: in West Germany is in the script destroyed. 442 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 4: Exercise Exercise Exercise Orange is undeterred by Blues use of 443 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 4: chemical weapons. Oranges attack Ramstem with chemical weapons. Boo, what's 444 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 4: your move? 445 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 10: The planners, sitting around their tables and looking at the 446 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 10: maps on the wall, have to decide how to respond. 447 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 10: Then at this point they begin to think about a 448 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 10: nuclear execution plan, and on Tuesday, the eighth of November, 449 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 10: NATO decides that the only way it can respond is 450 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 10: with a nuclear response, and the planners start working out 451 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 10: how many megatons of bombs they need to request the 452 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 10: un of which key targets across the Soviet Union will 453 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 10: be targeted. 454 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 8: Part of my role during this time was to integrate 455 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:12,119 Speaker 8: the new weapons into the NATO arsenal and operational plans. 456 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: That'd be our man Gene. 457 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 8: And then these new weapons include the ground launched cruise 458 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 8: missile which were being deployed into a NATO military basis 459 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 8: across Europe as well as the improved US Army pershing 460 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 8: two missiles. 461 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: Over in London. Some poor gru bastard is listening closely 462 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: to able Archer communications prepared to spreads across Kensington Gardens 463 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: to the Russian embassy and deliver messages to Soviet military intelligence. 464 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 1: And then within able Archer Blue comes up with their 465 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: next move. They're going to hit Orange with a nuclear strike. 466 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 10: And now they do something that nature had never done 467 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 10: before in this regular exercise. They change the codes that 468 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 10: they're using. 469 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 4: Diable Archer Able Archer Blue is requesting use of twenty 470 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 4: five nuclear missiles for use on Orange targets. Please look 471 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 4: for presidential approval. 472 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 1: The Soviet guy listening must have been like, they didn't 473 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:09,679 Speaker 1: say exercise, exercise, exercise. They didn't say it. They didn't 474 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: say exercise. 475 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 10: And suddenly this change of code now is the final straw. 476 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 10: The fact they're changing the codes, which they hadn't done before, 477 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 10: clearly signified to the Soviets that this wasn't just a wargame, 478 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 10: wasn't just an exercise, but this was a real preparation 479 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 10: for the launch of nuclear weapons. And the KGB Center 480 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 10: hearing these reports of NATO mobilizing to prepare to defend itself, 481 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 10: starts sending out increasingly urgent messages to its residencies abroad 482 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 10: to tell its agents to look for imminent signs of 483 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 10: nuclear warfare. You must look for even the slightest hints 484 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 10: that missiles are being readied. 485 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: Let's check back in with Comrade Gordievski. 486 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 5: Well, it was a flash telegram. It was an super 487 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 5: urgent telegram. 488 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: On November eighth or ninth, he can't remember which ole, 489 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: Gordievski received a flash telegram from the KGB center. 490 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,680 Speaker 5: Saying the Americans so now in the middle of their exercise, 491 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 5: so be ready for everything and watch thorodly because they 492 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 5: know what may happen. 493 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: Next, the telegram claimed that American bases had been placed 494 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 1: on high alert. Now that was not true. American bases 495 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 1: were not on high alert. They had just tightened up 496 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: security in reaction to a recent bombing in Lebanon, but 497 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: the KGB does not know this. The telegram states that 498 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: one explanation for this high alert is that quote the 499 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: countdown to a nuclear first strike had begun under the 500 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: cover of able archer their allies. 501 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 5: It was more panic and he stated than Emma. 502 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, President Reagan and the First Lady packed their bags 503 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: at the White House, preparing to leave DC for a 504 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: little trip. 505 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 3: Well in a few moments. As you know, Nancy and 506 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,960 Speaker 3: I'll be bored, Marine want to begin the first leg 507 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 3: of our trip to Japan and Korea. 508 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: Naturally, their cameras pointed at him, so of course he 509 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: can't leave without a little Soviet jab. 510 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 3: The Soviet shooting down of Kamla seven, their continued military 511 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 3: build up in Asia are grim reminders to us that 512 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 3: we live in a dangerous world. I will reaffirm America's 513 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 3: commitment to remain a reliable partner for peace and stability 514 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 3: in the region and in the world. And that's the 515 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 3: spirit of our trip. 516 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: Moments later, Reagan boarded the helicopter, his aid a few 517 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: paces by behind him, carrying the nuclear football and what's 518 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: in drop off supposed to make of all? This was 519 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: Reagan priming the public, reminding them how evil the Soviets are, 520 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: before he cracked open that briefcase and blew them all 521 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: to smithereens Now a little while later, over in Belgium, 522 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: the able Archer players receive a pretend message that the 523 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 1: pretend President has approved the use of pretend nuclear missiles 524 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: not real ones. Guys. I know you get it by now. 525 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:31,000 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to be perfectly clear, and to be fair, 526 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: the Soviets don't get it. They're on the able archer 527 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: line and all they hear is able. 528 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 4: Archer, able archer use of nuclear weapons is approved, and. 529 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 10: It's around this time that the Soviets start mobilizing their 530 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 10: entire nuclear arsenal. 531 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: Soviet leaders had a fateful decision to make, and they 532 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: needed to make it fast. If NATO is in fact 533 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:55,320 Speaker 1: launching nuclear weapons, the Soviets would need to launch their 534 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: own urgently. If they didn't, their missiles could be taken 535 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: out in the first wave of the American attack. But 536 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: if they hit the button and they're wrong, then they've 537 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: started a war and ended the world as we know it. 538 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 10: The whole crisis comes to a head really on the 539 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 10: evening of Wednesday, the ninth of November nineteen eighty three. 540 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,160 Speaker 1: That night, in the middle of holiday celebrations across the 541 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: Soviet Union, military officials received phone calls party time is over. 542 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,120 Speaker 1: They were needed back at work urgently. 543 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 10: A lot of the Soviets who were mobilized in this 544 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 10: nuclear operation, they remember that twenty four hour shift that 545 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 10: they were on, very very clearly as being the most 546 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:37,719 Speaker 10: anxious point of their career. 547 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: The Soviet military went on a state of nuclear alert 548 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: unlike anything before. And this this is not a rehearsal, 549 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 1: my friends, this was real. 550 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 10: Thousands of warheads were mobilized and prepared to launch nuclear weapons. 551 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 10: That is, ascent to their battle stations. Each of these 552 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 10: ICBMs has well the average was about six warheads, each 553 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:04,360 Speaker 10: war head with something like forty times the destructive capability 554 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 10: of a Hiroshima bomb. 555 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: Commanders who manned the Soviet's nuclear missiles were told to 556 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: stand by and await launch instructions that could be coming 557 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: any time in the next few hours. 558 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 10: The Soviet leadership stayed up anxiously waiting for signs that 559 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 10: the Americans had in fact launched an attack and prepared 560 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 10: to retaliate in a full scale nuclear assault upon Western 561 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 10: Europe and North America. And they sent out a message 562 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:35,239 Speaker 10: effectively saying, you know, are these guys about to attack us? 563 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 10: Are they about to launch nuclear weapons? 564 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 11: The courier at first brought me the message. 565 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: This is ryaner Rup again aka Agent Topaz. He's in 566 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: Brussels at his job in NATO, where he's working undercover 567 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: for the East German Stazi, a close partner of the KGB. 568 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,239 Speaker 1: It's November ninth, nineteen eighty three when he receives an 569 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: urgent message from a Stazi. 570 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 11: Courier Hilers, the Russians are really scared. Day one and 571 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 11: away everything any NATO is preparing for war and son. 572 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 10: As far as Rainer grew Up is concerned, it's just 573 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 10: another day in the office. There's absolutely nothing going on. No, no, no, 574 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 10: we're not preparing any sort of assault at all. It's 575 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 10: just another regular day at work. 576 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: That NATO headquarters, Yiner Rupp is instructed to respond urgently. 577 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: He reaches into his pocket and takes out his spy calculator. 578 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,000 Speaker 1: It's pouring rain. Reiner runs to the designated phone booth. 579 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,840 Speaker 1: He's out of breath, He's paranoid. He looks over his shoulder. 580 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: Has he been followed? He puts two francs in the 581 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: coin slot and dials the number. An elderly woman answers 582 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: the phone. 583 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:39,319 Speaker 8: Hello. 584 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: Reiner says the code phrase, hello Grandma, I'd like to 585 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: come visit you this weekend. There's a pause and then 586 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: a click. Now he knows quote unquote, grandmother is recording 587 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: the call. He raises the calculator to the receiver, presses 588 00:34:57,120 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 1: a button and it makes a noise. Yeah. Encoded in 589 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: the crackle is his urgent message. NATO is not preparing 590 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 1: an attack. There are no plans for a secret surprise attack. 591 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:16,239 Speaker 1: Stand down. He hangs up the phone. 592 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 5: No be armed. 593 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 11: I mean, I don't see anything of that happening in NATO. 594 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 1: Now. Somewhere in East Germany, Stazi agents rushed to the 595 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 1: home of the elderly woman, retrieved the recording and decode 596 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: the bleepity, bluepity message that could save the entire world 597 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,160 Speaker 1: as we know it. They'd send an urgent telegram back 598 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: to the KGB in Moscow. NATO is not preparing an attack, 599 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,040 Speaker 1: and when the KGB receives this message, the panic will 600 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: all die down. Ryan or Rupp will have single handedly 601 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:50,839 Speaker 1: ended the nuclear scare, popped the champagne. The world is saved, right, 602 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: of course not. 603 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 10: They might well have just been another form of deception. 604 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:02,320 Speaker 10: And these supremely paranoid KGB officials are seeing Maskarovka everywhere. 605 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 10: You know, they're all out to get us. That Rynner 606 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 10: Up had been taken over and been told to send 607 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 10: this message. 608 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,359 Speaker 1: I mean it sounds paranoid, but at the same time, like, 609 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:13,879 Speaker 1: how are you supposed to trust a spy? 610 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,799 Speaker 11: Of course I was only one agent's and they had 611 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 11: their other views. 612 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:24,120 Speaker 1: Sorry, Ryner, we know you tried your best. The KGB 613 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: doesn't trust him. The one man who could solidly confirm 614 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 1: that NATO was not preparing an attack on the Soviet Union. 615 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: And even at this moment where it seems like things 616 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 1: could not get any worse, they do. 617 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 6: It was extraordinarily tense time. 618 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:50,920 Speaker 1: This is John Perutz. 619 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 6: Lieutenant General Lennarprutz was my father and he was in 620 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 6: Germany while I was in high school when the events 621 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:00,880 Speaker 6: of the Soviet War took place. 622 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:05,280 Speaker 1: John's father, Lieutenant General Leonard Perutz, was a high ranking 623 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: intelligence officer for the US Air Force stationed in Germany, 624 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: and it was during Exercise Able Archer when a memo 625 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: from the NSSA landed on Lyonard Perut's desk about some 626 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 1: concerning Soviet military movements. 627 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 6: The first thing, it's the first thing they noted were 628 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:26,840 Speaker 6: some heightened activities by some Soviet aircraft across the border 629 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 6: in Germany. 630 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 1: The memo said that as of nineteen hundred hours on November, 631 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:34,640 Speaker 1: two Soviet fighter bomber planes in East Germany were on 632 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:39,320 Speaker 1: high alert. By itself, it wasn't enough to be extremely alarming. 633 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: But then a few days later he got an update 634 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 1: and the picture got a lot scarier. 635 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 6: We found out that some Soviet Air Force unit got 636 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:57,440 Speaker 6: approval to arm their aircraft without their jamming pods. Now, 637 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:01,240 Speaker 6: the electronic jamming pods are pretty standard piece of equipment 638 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 6: on a military aircraft. 639 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,480 Speaker 1: They're actually an essential piece of equipment on a military aircraft. 640 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:10,480 Speaker 1: They can jam a radar, letting the flight go undetected 641 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: by enemy surveillance. 642 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 6: And there was speculation as to why would they be 643 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:17,799 Speaker 6: allowed to get ready, to be on alert and get 644 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:20,839 Speaker 6: ready to fly without that, And there were speculation that, well, 645 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:22,720 Speaker 6: maybe they had a different payload. 646 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 1: Than they were used to. Let me do just some 647 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:28,240 Speaker 1: military translating for you. The electronic jamming pods are heavy. 648 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: Linard Perots analysts told him the planes are experiencing weight issues. 649 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,880 Speaker 1: They're trying to rebalance the aircraft because the weight distribution 650 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 1: is changing. It's our theory that they're taking off the 651 00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:42,880 Speaker 1: jamming pods because whatever they're loading onto those planes is 652 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 1: too heavy. And we think they're loading real nuclear weapons. 653 00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:51,319 Speaker 6: Interesting, anomalous. 654 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:54,360 Speaker 1: Something you should know about Leonard Peruts. He was a 655 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:58,560 Speaker 1: military man his whole life. Procedures, chain of command, I mean, 656 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:03,000 Speaker 1: protocol was practically middle name. Actually it was Harry, but 657 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,279 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So when he got that 658 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:09,160 Speaker 1: frightening report from his analysts, Lynyrd Perutz immediately called his 659 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:11,840 Speaker 1: superior four star General Billy Minter. 660 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 6: And he had to report to him, Hey, sir, there's 661 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:19,239 Speaker 6: some anomalies Soviet forces seemed if air forces have gone 662 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:20,720 Speaker 6: on a heightened alert. 663 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 1: Heightened alert with bombs and tow General Billy Mintor asks 664 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: Peruts what he thinks. 665 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 6: They said, you know, Lenny, should we heighten our alert level? 666 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:35,200 Speaker 1: Should we put our air force on alert? In that moment, 667 00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: Leonard Perutz was completely unaware that his next move might 668 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:43,400 Speaker 1: determine the fate of humanity. He had no clue that 669 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 1: the Soviets had intercepted able archer radio communications in which 670 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:50,400 Speaker 1: NATO ordered the pretend launch of twenty five nuclear weapons 671 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,880 Speaker 1: upon Soviet targets, and that the Soviet leaders were awake 672 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,680 Speaker 1: that night waiting for those missiles to appear on their 673 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:00,959 Speaker 1: radar screens. All he saw was real Soviet bombs being 674 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: loaded onto real Soviet planes, and he had a decision 675 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:09,120 Speaker 1: to make Option one, put the air force on alert, 676 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 1: pass the intel up the chain of command. But what 677 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,040 Speaker 1: would Reagan do with this information? Would he start a war? 678 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 1: And what would the Soviets do if they saw us reacting? 679 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:23,160 Speaker 1: Option two? Wait and watch, risk getting it wrong, risk 680 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:25,839 Speaker 1: the fate of the world. If he waited while the 681 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:29,279 Speaker 1: Soviets launched nuclear bombs from their planes, the world would 682 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,839 Speaker 1: be forever changed, possibly destroyed, and it would be all 683 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 1: his fault. All right, my nerves are totally fried. So 684 00:40:40,239 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: let's recap where we are in a fun way. Let's 685 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 1: do it in song. 686 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 12: With The Soviets were paranoid that any military exercises might 687 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 12: just be cover for an actual attack, and so they 688 00:40:57,840 --> 00:40:58,880 Speaker 12: had all of their. 689 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:03,200 Speaker 1: Spies looking signs of an attack. And basically we're swimming 690 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: in a stew of confirmation bias. And then NATO begins 691 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:13,359 Speaker 1: Able Archer. It's a giant exercise and it fulfills all 692 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:18,800 Speaker 1: the soviets worst nightmares. They loaded up all their planes 693 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,960 Speaker 1: with bombs, and all the leaders retreated to the bunkers, 694 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:25,160 Speaker 1: and now their fingers are hovering over the buttons, and 695 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:28,759 Speaker 1: they're gonna launch missiles at each other and start a 696 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:33,840 Speaker 1: huge jugar war. And it's down to good old Leonard Peruts, 697 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:36,319 Speaker 1: who has no idea what's actually going on, but has 698 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: to make a crazy decision next week. Oh no, we 699 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:53,839 Speaker 1: have to wait until next week. Yep, sorry everybody. This 700 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 1: is how we did things before Netflix gave you bingeables. 701 00:41:57,600 --> 00:41:59,080 Speaker 1: Next week on SNAFU. 702 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 5: And General Pots makes a really critical decision at this time. 703 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,319 Speaker 5: He's not making this decision based on any knowledge about 704 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 5: what's happening. 705 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 6: That decision made is attributed to out of misinformation. It's 706 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:13,120 Speaker 6: even described as that of ignorance. 707 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:15,560 Speaker 1: So there are two versions of this. 708 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 11: There's the version the CIA initially put out, and then 709 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 11: Ilfoya the State Department and got its version, and its 710 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:24,280 Speaker 11: version is pretty interesting. 711 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:27,120 Speaker 6: Speak truth to power even when it hurts. 712 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: Snapfoo is a production of iHeartRadio, Film, Nation Entertainment, and 713 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:38,279 Speaker 1: Pacific Electric Picture Company in association with Gilded Audio. Our 714 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:42,040 Speaker 1: lead producers are Sarah Joyner and Alyssa Martino. Our producer 715 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:46,280 Speaker 1: is Carl Nellis, Associate producer Tory Smith. It's executive produced 716 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:50,440 Speaker 1: by me Ed Helms Milan Papelka, Mike Falbo, Andy Chug, 717 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:54,360 Speaker 1: and Whitney Donaldson. This episode was written by Sarah Joyner, 718 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:57,600 Speaker 1: with additional writing from me Elliot Kalen, and Whitney Donaldson. 719 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,799 Speaker 1: Our senior editor is Jeffrey Lewis. How upset are you 720 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:04,120 Speaker 1: about this fact? Olivia Kenny is our production assistant. Our 721 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:07,279 Speaker 1: creative executive is Brett Harris. Additional research and fact checking 722 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 1: by Charles Richter, Engineering and technical direction by Nick Dooley. 723 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:14,560 Speaker 1: Original music and sound design by Dan Rosatto. Additional editing 724 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:18,480 Speaker 1: from Ben Chugg. Some archival audio from this episode originally 725 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:22,400 Speaker 1: appeared in Taylor Downing's fantastic film nineteen eighty three, The 726 00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,360 Speaker 1: Brink of Apocalypse. Thank you, mister Downing for permission to 727 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,839 Speaker 1: use it. Special thanks to Alison Cohen and Matt Aisenstadt.