In 1983 there were acctually two times when the USSR thought they were attacked by NATO. The first critical situation was on September 26th 1983 when Russian Air Defence Liuetenant- Colonel Stanislav Petrov pick up a missile attack warning on the Soviet satellites. He decided to deviate from standard Soviet doctrine, and instead of immidiate retaliation he check up on the system and realize it's malfunctioning.
The second critical situation is the so called Able Archer 83 NATO command post exercise, starting on November 2, that spanned all of Western Europe. The exercise simulated a period of conflict escalation, culminating in a coordinated nuclear release.It incorporated a new, unique format of coded communication, radio silences, participation by heads of state, and a simulated DEFCON 1 nuclear alert. The anticipated arrival of Pershing II nuclear misslies in Europe lead some in the USSR to believe they were acctual war preparations. In response, the Soviets readied their nuclear forces and placed air units in East Germany and Poland on alert. The Soviets were already preparing a first strike when the exercise enden on November 11.
So what if things ended up differently? What if someone else than Stanislav Petrov was on duty on September 26? Or what if the USSR did not realize Able Archer 83 was an exercise in time?
The second critical situation is the so called Able Archer 83 NATO command post exercise, starting on November 2, that spanned all of Western Europe. The exercise simulated a period of conflict escalation, culminating in a coordinated nuclear release.It incorporated a new, unique format of coded communication, radio silences, participation by heads of state, and a simulated DEFCON 1 nuclear alert. The anticipated arrival of Pershing II nuclear misslies in Europe lead some in the USSR to believe they were acctual war preparations. In response, the Soviets readied their nuclear forces and placed air units in East Germany and Poland on alert. The Soviets were already preparing a first strike when the exercise enden on November 11.
So what if things ended up differently? What if someone else than Stanislav Petrov was on duty on September 26? Or what if the USSR did not realize Able Archer 83 was an exercise in time?