Arctofire
Banned
I know this scenario has been done to death already, and has spouted quite possibly the best online AH timeline ever written, but is still continues to fascinate me. Whilst the 1961 Berlin and 1962 Cuban Missile Crises's seem to have just been heavy handed rhetoric, 1983 does genuinely terrify me, as it does seem we were at a knifes edge to a nuclear war, that there is no denying.
Looking back with hindsight, I would say that I would have done the same as Petrov if in his situation. It wouldn't be easy to just say US missiles had been fired if you knew the result was going to be Mutually Assured Destruction. Also, the incident doesn't quite line up with events. Despite the Korean Airline Fight 007 being shot down, and the Pershing II's scheduled to be deployed, they had not been deployed at the time of the alarm, which was in September. Nevertheless, the paranoia gripping the Soviet leaders was unquestionable, and Petrov seems to believe they would have fired a response.
Now, given that the alarm only picked up a total of five missiles, would it be possible that even if the USSR would have made a decision to retaliate, it would not send it's entire arsenal, destroying civilisation in the northern hemisphere, but only five back? Knowing the USA's retaliatory anti missile systems, why would they want to send hundreds and guarantee the destruction of civilisation. Of course the result would still be utterly horrific, and millions of people would be killed in an instant, but I like to think after such destruction has swept the earth, the two powers would be smart enough to immediately end the conflict after a few major European cities had been destroyed.
What do you think? Do you think I'm being overly optimistic here, do you think the Soviet leadership would have responded with a retaliatory strike? Please leave your thoughts.
Looking back with hindsight, I would say that I would have done the same as Petrov if in his situation. It wouldn't be easy to just say US missiles had been fired if you knew the result was going to be Mutually Assured Destruction. Also, the incident doesn't quite line up with events. Despite the Korean Airline Fight 007 being shot down, and the Pershing II's scheduled to be deployed, they had not been deployed at the time of the alarm, which was in September. Nevertheless, the paranoia gripping the Soviet leaders was unquestionable, and Petrov seems to believe they would have fired a response.
Now, given that the alarm only picked up a total of five missiles, would it be possible that even if the USSR would have made a decision to retaliate, it would not send it's entire arsenal, destroying civilisation in the northern hemisphere, but only five back? Knowing the USA's retaliatory anti missile systems, why would they want to send hundreds and guarantee the destruction of civilisation. Of course the result would still be utterly horrific, and millions of people would be killed in an instant, but I like to think after such destruction has swept the earth, the two powers would be smart enough to immediately end the conflict after a few major European cities had been destroyed.
What do you think? Do you think I'm being overly optimistic here, do you think the Soviet leadership would have responded with a retaliatory strike? Please leave your thoughts.