SNAFU with Ed Helms

S1E5: A Script for Nuclear War

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Nov 2, 2022
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ANECDOTE

Autumn Forge War Game Realism

  • NATO's Autumn Forge was a massive rehearsal with tens of thousands of troops simulating World War III in West Germany.
  • The exercise included real tanks, planes, fake supply lines, and medical evacuations to ensure realism.
INSIGHT

Soviets Misread NATO Signals

  • Soviets intercepted NATO exercise communications but doubted the repeated 'exercise' code, leading to anxiety.
  • The altered protocol during Able Archer 83 seemed like preparing a real nuclear strike to them.
INSIGHT

Soviet Trauma Fuels Paranoia

  • The Soviet Union's historical trauma from Operation Barbarossa caused deep paranoia towards Western military exercises.
  • This trauma influenced their interpretation of exercises like Able Archer 83 as actual attack preparations.
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