1983 Soviet Union on the brink of World War III

[Lt. Campers]

A brilliant channel 4 documentary called 1983 - On the brink of the apocalypse has now appeared
on Youtube.
Of interest to many people like myself and Pompey-nik who reminisce about the days of the Cold War.
This program delves into the tensions and paranoia that developed between the US and the
Soviet Union in the 1980's. When Ronald Reagen became President of the USA in 1981 and adopted
a more confrontational approach towards the Soviet Union.
The tone of the White house moved away from detante, with Reagan's 'evil empire' speech
followed ( in March 1983 ) by the launch of the Strategic Defense Iniative SDI ( nicknamed 'Star
Wars' )
Expats living in the Soviet socialist republic of Ukraine, could feel the permafrost developing
in east / west relations as the KGB scruitenised their every move. 
The succesion of Yuri Andropov ( former head of the KGB ) as leader of the Soviet Union,
( following Brezhnev's death in 1982 ) only helped to alienate the USSR even further with the Soviet
war in Afganistan still rumbling away in the background.
Yuri Andropov and the ageing leadership within the Soviet politburo were becoming paraniod by
the new aggresive stance in US/Soviet relations and interpreted this as preperations for war, to
laumch a conventional or nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union.

Operation Ryan:
Therefore Andropov ordered the largest KGB intelligence gathering operation during the Cold
War ( codename Operation Ryan - russian acronym, Raketno-YAdernoe Napadenie )
Where as well as gathering evidence about any US or NATO first strike from KGB & East
German agents operating covertly in the west. KGB and GRU analysts were also asked
to consider any circumstantial evidence, that would point to NATO countries being put
on a war footing.
Therefore the construction ( in the 1980's ) of london's orbital motorway, the M25 was
deemed to have dual purpose capabilities of ensuring the rapid deployment of tanks and
troops to the south coast. Any new wings added to hospitals being seen as necessary
to deal with the high number of casualties arising from the country going to war.
Therefore the deployment of Pershing II cruise missiles to Greenham Common and West
Germany, only served to confirm the Soviet politburo's worst suspicions.

The jittereryness of the time is examined in this Channel 4 documentary which looks at
many disconnected but related incidents of 1983, such as the shooting down of
Korean Airlines flight KAL007 that strayed into Soviet airspace, the defection of
double agent Oleg Gordievsky and NATO exercise Able Archer.

1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part1


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/JkHtwemVsVk&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/JkHtwemVsVk&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part2       -  Note: skip the graphic WWII clip
 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/7S1lC9FezRI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/7S1lC9FezRI&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part3


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/3EF2C8eKyF4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/3EF2C8eKyF4&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part4


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/tFcX2AnwDvc&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/tFcX2AnwDvc&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part5


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/uJMHZPZznJw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/uJMHZPZznJw&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part6


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/xmIsYJzU0Vg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/xmIsYJzU0Vg&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part7


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RryoWkeamB0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/RryoWkeamB0&rel=1</a>


1983 - Soviet Union on the brink of World War III - part8


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DuMGkxgdLt0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/DuMGkxgdLt0&rel=1</a>

[Capt.Ted]

Yet another ace report on the Cold War, Campers  . I remember it well along with all the
pop music of the time.
Its pretty hair raising stuff to consider how different Europe would have been, if the train of
events, set in motion back in the 1980's had taken a different course. Almost parallel
universe stuff. 

To think Campers would still be in his ROC post bunker today - waiting for the 'all clear' from the BBC.   

Still comforting to know their are no more geriatrics running the Kremlin.
 

[Carlushika]

Hey, Camps and Cap'n, I reminisce too you know. Being rather aged, I also remember well the 60s, Cuba and The Bay of Pigs, Castro, Kruschev, U2 and Gary Powers, Martin Luther King, The Kennedy brothers and so on.

I would suggest that during the 60s, especially 1961, we were more on the brink of World War III than in the 80s.

The documentary on TV was superb, had me riveted!

[matlockk]

in my mid 20's I remember this time well.

Really great series. I'm up to series 5 but tired so will look forward to conclusion tomorrow.

[Lt. Campers]

Carlusha, Ted & Matlockk, glad you enjoyed the documentary. 
Of course your right Carl, we were far more on the brink of WWIII with the Cuban missle
crisis of 1962, than we ever were in 1983.
The scary thing about 1983, is the crisis occured behind closed doors with the true
extent of the danger not being revealed until well after the Cold war, with revelations
being made by the people involved in the west and former USSR.

As for waiting for the 'all clear' from the BBC - you will find an interesting new post at the bottom
of my Cold War from the ROC posts of England - about secret subterranean BBC studios setup
to broadcast to the nation in the event of WWIII

[P-N]

Carlusha, Ted & Matlockk, glad you enjoyed the documentary. 
Of course your right Carl, we were far more on the brink of WWIII with the Cuban missle
crisis of 1962, than we ever were in 1983.
The scary thing about 1983, is the crisis occured behind closed doors with the true
extent of the danger not being revealed until well after the Cold war, with revelations
being made by the people involved in the west and former USSR.

As for waiting for the 'all clear' from the BBC - you will find an interesting new post at the bottom
of my Cold War from the ROC posts of England - about secret subterranean BBC studios setup
to broadcast to the nation in the event of WWIII

Campers - is that nuclear bunker in the side of Worthy Down still for sale?

[Lt. Campers]

[Campers - is that nuclear bunker in the side of Worthy Down still for sale?

Was up for auction a few months ago and then withdrawn at the last minute, apparently
Southern Water think they have another use for it !

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