Threads, TV

Sounds like it would be worth watching.

Armageddon 1983….

And of course, we apparently came closer to being wiped out in 1983 than we did during the Cuban Missile Crisis…all according to the TV documentary “Armageddon 1983”. Well worth a watch if you haven’t seen it, and quite an eye opener! It seems that a conspiracy of events coupled with NATO’s “Able Archer” exercise had the Russians convinced the US were about to launch an attack. I’ll let the description do the talking…

“An extremely powerful programme, this documentary focuses on 8 November 1983, a date now recognised as one of the most dangerous moments in the entire history of the Cold War.

On this near-fateful day, a series of accidents nearly unleashed the Third World War. Senior figures in the Soviet Union had convinced themselves that they were about to come under nuclear attack from the West, and the vast Soviet nuclear arsenal of missiles, bombers and submarines were put on maximum alert, ready to launch a full nuclear retaliatory attack on Western Europe and the US. Armageddon beckoned.

This documentary tells the dramatic story behind this sequence of events when Soviet fingers hovered perilously over the nuclear button. The intelligence communities in the US, Europe and the former USSR have never before admitted to the scale of this crisis.

1983 was a time of heightened tension in the Cold War. President Reagan began a huge military build-up, spending a trillion dollars a year on defence spending. In March of that year he openly called the Soviet Union an “evil empire” and a few weeks later he launched his Star Wars initiative. At the end of August, relations between East and West deteriorated even further when the Soviets shot down a civilian Korean airliner, flight KAL007, which had strayed over a sensitive military zone near the Kamchatka peninsula, with great loss of life.

To make matters worse, in November Nato began an exercise called Able Archer. This regular military war game rehearsed the process of how to launch nuclear weapons. For the Soviets, who always believed an attack from the West would come in the guise of a military exercise, this was the last straw. They convinced themselves this was not a military exercise but was the real thing. Fingers hovered over the nuclear button as the Soviets believed America was about to launch its missiles against them.

Among those interviewed in this documentary are Robert Gates, deputy head of the CIA in 1983 and now Secretary of Defense in the Bush administration; Vladimir Kryuchkov, head of the KGB; Oleg Gordievsky a senior KGB officer but a double agent also working for British intelligence; an East German spy with the code name Topaz who had penetrated the most senior levels of Nato; and senior US, Soviet and Nato military chiefs who were caught up in this remarkable drama that took the world to the brink of Apocalypse.

I was a teenager at the time all this happened, and along with watching programmes like “Threads” and “Protect and Survive”…the whole Cold War thing was a tad worrying to say the least! After all, what with acne, discovering girls and listening to too much Marrillion, it’s difficult enough being a teenager as it is, without the threat of being nuked on top to worry about as well…:)

Regards;
Steve

For those of you who enjoyed that film and also enjoy reading may I suggest you read “The Third World War” by General Sir John Hackett and others. I recently finished it and though it is a little bit of a military historian’s facts and figures story but a good read all the same. Some of the things pointed out as being 1985 problems weren’t then but are now and as such the book is strangely prophetic.

Nobody has mentioned ‘Jericho’, the current nuclear armaggedon tv series, being repeated on ITV something or other.
As Kev suggests, perhaps the powers that be are promoting this to remind us of what could happen, us old gits have obviously forgotten and the younger generation needing educating.
Quite frankly the whole thing is a bizarre American soap opera that goes nowhere, I started watching the first few episodes but it degenerated into such a ridiculous farce, that I gave up on it, I doubt whether any more series will be made, anybody else watched it?

Watched both series of Jericho thoroughly enjoyed it unfourtunatly there will not be any more, though a film has been mentioned as being a possibility.
“nuts”

Nobody has mentioned ‘Jericho’, the current nuclear armaggedon tv series, being repeated on ITV something or other.
As Kev suggests, perhaps the powers that be are promoting this to remind us of what could happen, us old gits have obviously forgotten and the younger generation needing educating.
Quite frankly the whole thing is a bizarre American soap opera that goes nowhere, I started watching the first few episodes but it degenerated into such a ridiculous farce, that I gave up on it, I doubt whether any more series will be made, anybody else watched it?

Honestly, very very disturbing…..but should be required watching by all Americans, and probably Brits. Ill get more into why later, but very very good in an “educational” way, even as it was disturbing on a level I can’t really describe.

No conspiracy was necessary to scare people about the possibilty of WWIII.
With the USSR, US, France, UK and China all having “the bomb” and the means to deliver them (remember, the Vulcan wasn’t designed and built as an airshow noisemaker) any rational person would/should have been scared.

Writers and film makers found it an easy way to make money, and some found it a handy way to make political or intellectual capital.

But the cold war was handy in one way…for the first time in several hundred years, Europe went for about 50 years without a major conflict.

Maybe because the fear of something worse than the life you are experiencing gives a Government an extra degree of control.

That’s my concern – 42 days detention, no protests near parliament, control even over what comics can joke about. Ok, I’m not saying they engineered the attacks on 9/11 to do these things, but by God they’ve seized the opportunity it presented.

In fact I’ve often wondered if films like Threads, The Day After, Armageddon, Plague, Supervolcano et al aren’t sponsored by Governments covertly to ‘educate’ mankind as to what possible futures may be.

If not covertly sponsored then encouraged – do the credits say if a film council (ie Quango) sponsored Threads?

Perhaps Governments know that in 250 years time a Comet or Meteor will hit the earth, or a Supervolcano will erupt.

Now that’s getting too far into conspiracy territory for my liking. The best the US Goverment-sponsored Earthquake scientists can say is a 99% chance of a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in California in the next 30 years. Actually, I think that maybe proves your argument.

I honestly don’t think Governments are clever enough either to create a huge conspiracies or even to keep them quiet – I’m a believer in the grand cockup theory where they do odd things because they get it wrong. But don’t playground bullies cover their inadequacies by making people frightened?

So what did the threat of Nuclear war allow them to get away with?

Allan

Maybe :(.

Allan.

Maybe because the fear of something worse than the life you are experiencing gives a Government an extra degree of control. A case of look how bad the bogeyman could be, therefore we’re not so bad after all. In fact I’ve often wondered if films like Threads, The Day After, Armageddon, Plague, Supervolcano et al aren’t sponsored by Governments covertly to ‘educate’ mankind as to what possible futures may be. Perhaps Governments know that in 250 years time a Comet or Meteor will hit the earth, or a Supervolcano will erupt.

Regards,

kev35

How better to weaken your enemy than have it done from within?
The whole unilateral disarmament movement must have been welcomed at the kremlin.

Perhaps.

But, a limited strike by terrorists or a ‘minor’ power influenced by Religious Fundamentalism appears ever more likely.

When you consider how our various Governments have done much to perpetuate fear of terrorist attacks today, it makes me question how much our fear of Nuclear War was real and how much was from our own Governments. Why do we need to be asked to live in fear of something?

Allan

Wow, that helicopter has those special bullets which don’t splinter brass.

I’m glad you enjoyed it, must have left you feeling a tad dull, so here is something to cheer you up, this is more cold war what if, stuff, it’s from a really bad american film red dawn, it is the sort of film you see at a car boot sale, all action rubbish plot, hollywood machine guns which never run out and plain stupid.

It’s funny how the Ak47’s are so stable;)

Don’t watch the entire film

object width=”425″ height=”344″>

Thanks for posting that. Not seen the film before so was good to experience, as I hesitate to say enjoy.

At 47 I grew up at the tail end of the Cold War. I think we knew what was possible and it was a time of uncertainty. I remember an ATC Summer Camp at Coningsby which saw one whole night taken up with the constant roar of departing and arriving phantoms, the noise of sirens and the sound of boots running, excited, maybe even nervous shouts and the constant comings and goings of lorries. We were forbidden to open the curtains or leave the dorm. Of course, we looked, and saw flight after flight of phantoms taking off leaving their bluey orange trail in their wake. Obviously it was an exercise, but it was scary enough for me at the age of 13.

Some things really struck me with this film. The symbolism was very striking. During the build up to the attack there was the attitude displayed in which things went on as normal, everyday routine but with the little flashes which showed the concern, anxiety and apprehension. The Standard Life ad, the meal in the Churchyard and the change in demeanour of the dog when Ruth’s screams turned to a baby’s cry, and the corollary of that with the birth of Ruth’s Granddaughter, showed how fragile our present and future are.

It may be that we are less likely now to escalate to a nuclear catastrophe but the potential is there. That anxiety must remain and reinforce the obvious in that it must not be allowed to happen. But, a limited strike by terrorists or a ‘minor’ power influenced by Religious Fundamentalism appears ever more likely.

Worth watching but it just reinforced for me that if a global nuclear war does occur, I want to be at a distance of two to three miles from the airburst. Quick, clean and as painless as possible.

Regards,

kev35

I remember watching the threads film when it first aired in 1984 i think and then going to school following day and everyone talking about it.
It was a very dramatic piece of film.
I also remember watching the american film the day after and wasnt quite in the same league as threads.
Also the protect and survive public information film really scared the living daylights out of me and still sends a chill through me when i watch vid clips of it on the net

When Reagan was elected in 1980 and started his modernization program for the U.S. military (and nuke forces, too) doomsday films became in vogue again (like the early 60s when Fail Safe, Dr Strangelove (but remember, it’s a comedy not a documentary…as some here seem to forget), the Bedford Incident, were released.

Many were made for TV, some for theaters.
Most were American with a few UK or European productions.
(Did the USSR ever make an anti-war/nuke film?).

I wonder if they were just playing on fears or was there some other reson for their popularity?

Does anyone habve any facts on whether the USSR/KGB praised these films and the political fear and political opinions they generated?
How better to weaken your enemy than have it done from within?
The whole unilateral disarmament movement must have been welcomed at the kremlin.

Fluttering and dancing with the (nuclear) breeze? 😉

Well if I remember correctly, there were plenty of scenarios which would have triggered an exchange. One involved an assault by the Warsaw Pact forces which, with Nato losing, would trigger battlefield nukes. USSR responds with medium range weapons widening the battlefield and taking out most of Europe. USA and USSR look at what they’ve done and stop. Not much good for us but that was one of the scenarios used to justify the UK having its own independent Nuclear weapons.

I think the difference between then and now is that there “might” be a possible threat of a dirty bomb in a European capital, a Middle East exchange or Pakistan/India’s dispute getting very hot but which of those would lead to Mutually Assured Destruction?

You say “it could be anywhere” but it is very unlikely to be everywhere.

Allan

It could be beside the lake beneath the trees.

Well if I remember correctly, there were plenty of scenarios which would have triggered an exchange. One involved an assault by the Warsaw Pact forces which, with Nato losing, would trigger battlefield nukes. USSR responds with medium range weapons widening the battlefield and taking out most of Europe. USA and USSR look at what they’ve done and stop. Not much good for us but that was one of the scenarios used to justify the UK having its own independent Nuclear weapons.

I think the difference between then and now is that there “might” be a possible threat of a dirty bomb in a European capital, a Middle East exchange or Pakistan/India’s dispute getting very hot but which of those would lead to Mutually Assured Destruction?

You say “it could be anywhere” but it is very unlikely to be everywhere.

Allan

Unfortunately the threat of nuclear obliteration is probably worse than it was in those days.
I always thought that it was a savage game between the 2 super powers, there was no way that anything was really going to happen, neither side was that stupid, and don’t tell me that they were, they knew it would be pointless global destruction, I never thought that the brink would ever be crossed by either side, even during the Cuban Crisis.
Trouble is, the scumbags trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons now don’t give a damn, you know who I mean, it’s a worry, I’m quite convinced that something involving nuclear weapons will happen eventually, and it could be anywhere, we are all at risk, and I hate to say that, but what do we do about it, watch News at Ten for instructions!!!