+2 votes
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in Politics & Government ✌ by

In 1983, according to this author, the Soviets were on high alert, thinking a nuclear first-strike by the US was imminent.

https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21741529-new-history-terrifyingly-close-shave-nuclear-armageddon-world-almost-ended

2 Answers

+2 votes
by

Yes, I was aware of this. Reagan almost helped unleash the nuclear genie. Luckily for both side, Andropov was in failing health and it just simmered down after a while. Reagan was good at stirring the pot when he wanted too. But Reagan was one of those Presidents who actually had good advisors and the situation simmered down. Hence our little excursion into Grenada to show the world we were not afraid of their threats. Reagan kept those Russkies on their toes until Gorbachev came along and real peace talks began.

The Soviet Empire was well on it's way to being broke and a total collapse. Which it finally did.

We would have never made the first strike but we let them know that we would if provoked.

Now we have a puppet Khrushchev in office and how long things will stay peaceful? I couldn't really guess. Just hope I'm not around to see it.

by

The article mentions that Soviet spies in NATO told the Russians that nothing unusual was going on.

Maybe it's a good thing to have a few spies in your midst.  :)

+4 votes
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I did not know.

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