Cold War Historian Rates 9 Cold War Clashes In Movies | How Real Is It? | Insider

James Hershberg, a Cold War historian, rates Cold War scenes in movies based on their realism.
He separates fact from fiction regarding the nuclear arms race and atomic secrets depicted in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" (2023), starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, and Emily Blunt; Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964), with Peter Sellers; and "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin. Hershberg also explains the details of the Cold War's proxy wars, shown in "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007), starring Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman; "Thirteen Days" (2000), with Kevin Costner; and "WarGames" (1983), with Matthew Broderick. Lastly, he discusses the tactics and realism of spying and spycraft portrayed in Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies" (2015), starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance; "The Lives of Others" (2006); and "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962).
Hershberg is a professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University in Washington, DC. He used to run the Cold War International History Project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
You can find his books here:
"Marigold: The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam": www.sup.org/books/title/?id=2...
"James B. Conant: Harvard to Hiroshima and the Making of the Nuclear Age":
www.sup.org/books/title/?id=2162
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Cold War Historian Rates 9 Cold War Clashes In Movies | How Real Is It? | Insider

[@brandoncarpenter7709]

Wow this is one of the best vids I've seen on this channel please bring him back for more.

[@Insider]

Thanks for watching!

[@tiananesbitt7156]

@@Insider❤Know the linguist accent guy?

[@RowleyPrecision]

❤​@@tiananesbitt7156

[@monotech20.14]

@@Insider Wonder why James didn't bring up how , Russia would have dismantled a vast majority of their ICBMS if Reagan would shut down his failed Star Wars program.

[@blake7587]

No it’s not this dude got half the stuff he said wrong by letting his radical left wing political beliefs influence his interpretation of history. Leftist revisionist history is not the same as factual history.

[@hoilst265]

I love how James understand the metaphors in film making - not taking everything absolutely literally, but understanding that they need to use these things to get the point across in films.

[@Burkaboi]

lol ya I love when they get experts on here for historical battles and it’s like “they didn’t just run at each other and charge into each other ranks there were this n that” well ya they aren’t gonna show the battle from an overhead position and have it be hours long with units moving strategically etc . lol it’s gotta be entertaining for the casual viewer not made for the history nerds like me

[@lampad4549]

I dont buy that, filmmakers and story tellers need to be more honest and less childish indulgence in regards to their work, meaning behind metaphors become more poignant the more true to life they are.

[@lampad4549]

​@@Burkaboiyou mean uneducated people.

[@jeffsirname]

​@@lampad4549I completely agree, I think that many studios who approach or accept historical dramas or war films are unfortunately almost always forced to dramatize or take artistic liberties so the movies are more appealing for a wider, drama focused audience. It's a shame, part of the reason many of us find the cold war so interesting is because of the tension, not the overt firefights.

[@TheMediaCrank-nb3gh]

When are we going to see, "Real Aliens review Alien Invasion movies"?

[@waspy88]

Sounds like something History channel would be into

[@randomlyfactual1943]

Here, have my like sir

[@isaacmartinez6904]

Stanley Kubrick did his homework on Dr. Stangelove. That's why he got a 10.

[@Nicksonian]

Kubrick went way beyond doing his homework. He was a genius and Dr. Strangelove is a masterpiece.

[@ranadheerarakshith784]

Looks like Stephen king

[@chrishaven1489]

"No fighting in the war room!" will always be my favourite joke from that movie

[@foreverpinkf.7603]

@@ranadheerarakshith784 ....with 100 kg overweight.

[@foreverpinkf.7603]

The most funny cold-war movies ever made. Kubrick sure made his homework for detailing the interior of a B 52, which was classified at that time. He did it so accurate that the Air Force wasn´t happy with the results, shown in the movie.

[@fosterfuchs]

East Germany indeed had excellent surveillance. I was born and raised in West Germany. My dad traveled to East Germany and other countries behind the Iron Curtain to bring assistance to members of the clergy who were being discriminated. Sometimes a friend of his would come along to have an extra vehicle. During one of these trips in 1977, my dad was able to leave East Germany. His friend was stopped at the border when he tried to cross back into West Germany. The border guards asked him why he drove this strange routing. They knew exactly where he was on what days. They also asked him if he knew my dad (showing him a copy of my dad's passport). They of course already knew the answer. They ended up detaining him in East Germany and confiscated everything he had with him, including his car. The West German government had to "bail him out", pending trial. Everyone on both sides knew of course that he would not return for his trial and the bond would be forfeited. This was just another way for the East German government to obtain hard currency. After the Wall came down, the East German government informants were being exposed. My dad was shocked when some of these informants were shown on the German news, and one of the very people he had met during his travels (an East German church official) was among them.

[@javierzayas8345]

You’re welcome Bridge of Spies 0:33 The Hunt for Red October 3:36 Dr. Strangelove 6:23 Charlie Wilson’s War 10:15 Wargames 12:42 Oppenheimer 14:32 Thirteen Days 16:31 The Lives of Others 17:33 The Manchurian Candidate 19:13

[@Kwisatz_HaderachXIII]

No thank you

[@HaiLe-jq5go]

Such a shame that "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" isn't here. One of the best Cold War and Spies movie ever.

[@hoilst265]

The BBC TV series with Sir Alec Guinness is even better. If you haven't seen it, what you absolutely SHOULDN'T do is search for it in KZbin. :)

[@user-pb4xt4rg3z]

really, not a patch on the classic BBC series with Alec Guiness.

[@KasumiRINA]

If you like the movie, watch the old series with Obi-Wan Kenobi and its sequel, Smiley's People.

[@vaclav_fejt]

My 1st time watching TTSS movie: "complicated, but great" 1st of TTSS series: "not as cinematic and very slow, but great" 2nd watch of TTSS movie: "Beautiful camera, but everything is so rushed! And the cast looks like pantomime" 2nd watch of TTSS series: "Now we're talking." 1st watch of Smiley's People: "It's even better than TTSS..."

[@bradenbarnett1574]

Currently a student in Prof. Hershberg’s class! Great video and great professor

[@Joze1090]

Do his sleeves always look so funky :(

[@spaghettitime1124]

Love Professor Hershberger, he's a professor here and frequently does Cold War events on campus. Always amazing insights!

[@a1exsand]

Favorite cold war movie? Easy.. Rocky 4

[@tomaskadlec9534]

16:27 I love this. The only thing wrong about Oppenheimer is that it's too short :D :D :D

[@Sigma_Male_Anti_Female]

It's already a 3 hour movie.

[@HiroJJ94]

​@@Sigma_Male_Anti_Female Didn't feel like it and I watched it 4 times during its run

[@grgfrais1866]

My only gripe with the film

[@liamregan4975]

its probably the only 3 hour film I've ever watched in theatres that I really could have watched another hour of, but I'd say it was just long enough@@Sigma_Male_Anti_Female

[@connorhart7597]

​@@HiroJJ94 thats how the irishman is for me. Its a huge time commitment, but with a really well paced and written movie with just enough action, it really draws you in and bam now its 2am and your dogs are yelling at you cause its time for bed lmfao

[@foreverpinkf.7603]

Love this guy for rating Dr.Strangelove 10/10.

[@TheReubenShow]

Thank you for doing this video, James Hershberg

[@jeniafru]

Thanks, great selection, and most films are of a pretty high quality. I'd point out as a Russian speaker that "13 days", despite some over dramatization, is pretty precise showing the Soviet approach, and gives a good impression of Soviet figures such as KGB resident (station chief) Alexander Fomin (real name Aleksandr Feklisov), who was the "back channel" between the White House and the Kremlin in the Cuba missile crisis and actually discussed it in his book years later (he died in 2007), and also Soviet ambassador Dobrynin, who served in Washington for 24 years and also wrote interesting memoirs (he died in 2010). One point about "Charlie Wilson's War" though: it's a pretty good film but it hypes up the Stinger thing too much. Soviet helicopter pilots were not going on missions speaking about their girlfriends, because the Mujahideen had heavy AA machine guns that were very dangerous to helis, and the introduction of the Stinger (in late 1986, 7 years after the start of the war) was not such a big game changer. I have someone in my family who served in the War in Afghanistan, and he noted the Stingers were an issue, but in some months, flares, beacons etc were placed on the helis to disorient the missiles, and the sorties being conducted at night limited the Mujahideen's capabilities. Eventually the Soviets adapted. By 1988 the supply of the missiles ended because reports came in the Mujahideen were selling them to Iran, and the Stingers didn't play a significant role in the Soviet decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

[@gunsandcommissions]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@KasumiRINA]

We still name cats after them in Ukraine because it's common to glorify weapons that help destroy the invaders. My cat is named Javelinka. If I adopt a boy he will be Carl Gustaf or Stinger. Basically anything that goodens russians works. A Tajik?

[@starkparker16]

I give his coat sleeves a 1.4, everybody knows the rules.

[@aaronloach]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had something to say about this.

[@HistorysRaven]

For all of the historical inaccuracies with Thirteen Days, it's still one of my favorite historical movies.

[@grimnartusk265]

i very much enjoyed this one, Mr. Hershberg in particular was an exceptional Host. Obviously extremely knowledgeable, and clearly very interested in the topic. He's got nice way of conveying information in a funny almost conversation manner, it felt less like a lecture and more like just two people discussing something, which i enjoyed. Hope to see the Professor again, he's got some great insight into a particularly interesting topic/s!

[@jaketheauroran]

"The Fog of War" with Robert McNamara isn't exactly a "movie," but it's one of the best Cold War videos that's ever been made

[@uphillwalrus5164]

Documentaries are movies

[@JamesMiller-lb3sk]

These videos will always be entertaining

[@AC-ih7jc]

I would love to see a Part 2 to this video. Possible other titles could include: Missiles of October Ladybug, Ladybug Ice Station Zebra Fail Safe When the Wind Blows On the Beach For All Mankind

[@travisinthetrunk]

16:27 I agree. I think they skimmed over a lot and it should have been a mini series.

[@baneberardi9419]

Gillie and keeves would kill an Insider skit 😂

[@gwynn2528]

Well, this also needs to be 3 hours long. I would love to take his class.

[@lloywilliams8149]

Oppenheimer is too short XD XD but seriously, it was a 3 hour movie with a 3 hour plot. So, valid point.

[@Ganiscol]

Truth is, a good film can be as long as it needs to be. Unfortunately, this is a concept that wont find a majority to agree with it in the day and age of short attention span.

[@nothingman7163]

Ain’t no way someone named their kid “Jack D” when their last name is “Ripper” and that man had high ranking military command 😂 real life is the greatest satire of itself

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

8:25 "True power resides in making your enemy realize they were wrong to oppose you in the first place. To force them, to acknowledge your greatness." ".....then you kill them?" "Eh. Only if it's necessary." Dukat and Weyoun, Star Trek Deep Space Nine.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

In 1989, the United States Library of Congress included Dr. Strangelove as one of the first 25 films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

[@sunflowerbadger]

Fantastic expert dude ❤

[@hollowice999]

Imagine watching a movie for 3 hours with color sequences, and black and white sequences, and only paying attention when “oohh shiny colors”

[@Paladin1873]

Dr. Strangelove was a very popular movie among SAC crews. A good friend of mine was a SAC missile crew commander when War Games came out. He was royally pissed at the movie premise that launch crews would refuse to engage their keys. These Airmen were carefully selected and highly motivated, plus they knew their loved ones were being incinerated so they very much would want revenge. But without such a premise, there would be no reason to make the movie.

[@Kackpuh]

For Bridge of Spies, when my father watched it and Tom Hanks gets out of Bahnhof Friedrichstraße (I think) and gets told the way, he called out "that is the correct way". We all live in Berlin.

[@deckardcanine]

Gosh, I've seen almost all of these. Kinda wish he included "Fail-Safe."

[@napiersh1]

NOTICING a lot about events and names.

[@SemperFi_EDC_Guy]

Did bro take a hit of helium around 17:18 😂? The sound editing got wonky for a few clips after. Pretty funny 😁

[@MrSweepTheLeg]

Ha

[@gamersilviogg9664]

There is an amazing 9 episode docu series out on Netflix about the cold war. "Turning Point , The Bomb and The Cold War". I loved it. 10 hrs of Cold War Doc.

[@gerbmcnuggets5466]

I’m glad to see that the bad guy from Indiana Jones unmelted his face and became a history buff.

[@stormtempterf8058]

Its Professor Turgidson from Back to School! but nice! :D

[@williamblakehall5566]

Dr. Hershberg has excellent taste, steering us clear of the weeds of ice Station Zebra and No Way Out, although I do get some kicks from those. However, I would be interested in his takes on The Courier and Fail-Safe.

[@atroposz]

While it's not really a "cold war" movies as there is no interaction with 'the other side', *The Death of Stalin* is freaking hilarious while being insanely historically accurate (for a movie, ie they condense some time periods of months to days, that sort of thing). For anyone interested, the History Buffs channel has a review & the movie is easily available on various streaming.

[@Dlf212]

"You can't fight in here!! This is the war room" - Dr. Strangelove (film) .....

[@siechamontillado]

The thumbnail makes me think I'm going to have to make a saving throw in a sec cause this guy is about to cast a spell on me.

[@OrangeCounty-zq1qs]

General Turgidson I thought I was the only one authorized to order the use of nuclear weapons. Yes Sir, you are the only one authorized to do so, and while I hate to judge before all the facts are in, it appears General Ripper exceeded his authority

[@mr.e2962]

Igor Gouzenko is the most underestimated character for sparking the cold war.

[@mikesherrard8871]

It’s 5:30 est, I’m stuck in traffic and this just popped up. Thank you algorithm

[@Warszawski_Modernizm]

Regarding HumInt in the 1950s: as a Polish historian, I've read declassified CIA reports from 1950s stalinist Poland, published online few years back: The whole country, the state, diplomats, foreigners, officials were under almost constant surveillance. Any diplomat working in Warsaw had assigned agents following him any time he left the embassy, polish and soviet secret police often recruited low-level workers and servants in embassies, polish counterintelligence run surveillance of the embassies, phonetaps on outgoing land lines, eavesdropping in hotel rooms with certain rooms dedicated to foreigners only, every foreing guest, visitor, businessman, diplomat was thoroughly checked. CIA stated that in around 1953-55 the had only ONE active and reliable human asset in Poland. Other ones were either walk-ins, defectors or double-agents sent by soviets. In USSR it was waay worse - any foreign contact with a soviet citizen had to be reported to KGB/People's Militia, every foreigner was controlled, soviets were relentless

[@TheColorBrown808]

This man is a legend.

[@gunsandcommissions]

The Lives of Others is an amazing movie,

[@lukasimundza7741]

Disappointed in no Rocky IV

[@MalachiWhite-tw7hl]

That's a funny comment.

[@holodoctor1]

I hope there are more Cold War movies and tv coming down the pike. So many good stories left to tell.

[@KasumiRINA]

It's kind of silly now as West shown itself weak and unwilling to resist russian invasion of Europe when it resumed. A weakened russia doesn't face any resistance from anyone except Ukraine. This is embarrassing and shows the West is a joke.

[@thomaspierce3650]

This guy left out 2 very important movies that are germane to this discussion. 1964 ' Fail Safe ' and 1965 ' The Bedford Incident ' . . . both are tense, thought provoking and have you on the edge of your seats.

[@degasklee]

Thumbs up for pronouncing 'nuclear' correctly.

[@jpotter2086]

I've built a little cinema library and one of it's most humble-looking stars is a little paperback from the 1950s ... RED ALERT, the basis for Dr. Strangelove :D

[@jdslack9999]

I concur with some other comments...Fail Safe needed to be on the list

[@fellfromspace]

Not to nit pick but the "main point" of the movie "Wargames" wasn't that humans and computers are fallible. It was a nuclear protest film whose main point was that there was no way to win a nuclear war and which critiqued the self destructive nature of humanity and how, in our misguided attempts to feel safe, we have placed our species at the very brink of annihilation.

[@AblemanSy]

I kinda don't get his ratings. Sometimes he does nothing but point out flaws and then it's a 7, and for other films he says basically that everyting is perfect and then rates them an 8?

[@paulapostolina4510]

Would you rate the movies "Seven Days In May" and "Fail-Safe"?

[@touhoutrash2436]

This is the Corey coldly Cold War time!

[@brussels13207]

Dr. Strangelove is really a documentary more than fiction.

[@KasumiRINA]

It's a comedy that centers on a Doomsday device that never existed.

[@guldenaydin9918]

I watched wlth interest. Thank you. 🍃🍁🍃

[@iammattc1]

"Charlie Wilson's War" Charlie Wilson got into politics because his dog peed on the neighbours flowers, the neighbour poisoned the dog and got away with it, because he was a city councillor, and young charlie managed to influence enough people that the neighbour lost the next election. Charlie Wilsons dog peeing on flowers led to 9/11 and the War on Terror is my favourite "butterfly effect"

[@WhiskyCanuck]

Not a Cold War movie per se, but Munich could be in a part two. It was during the Cold War and centered around spies & assassins.

[@mck1972]

I wish this Historian would have also included, ' Fail Safe '.

[@dougbrowne9890]

Dr. Strangelove is my favorite film of all. For this fan, it is flawless.

[@thedudefromrobloxx]

"Yumans" lol

[@stevelevesque3274]

i usually enjoy theses

[@JarrodFrates]

I've never heard someone pronounce "SLBM" before. I've only ever heard it spelled out.

[@beeguy123]

Groovy baby, yeah !

[@RynOstate]

Should have done “Spies Like Us”.

[@daftyfunky]

Am I tripping or was Oppenheimer's opposal of the Hydrogen bomb program not a major part of the film? That whole meeting where they talk about the Super was even shown twice in the film iirc, in color and in black and white.

[@soccerguy2433]

You're tripping

[@KasumiRINA]

There was a lot of propaganda in Oppenheimer, such a shame they rewarded that tripe. The nuclear fear mongering is currently used by russians to kill millions with conventional weapons and get away with it scot-free and Nolan played along.

[@danielsmith6782]

The CIA invoiced in Afghanistan was also seen as payback for the Soviet involvement in Vietnam.

[@blake7587]

In case anyone is wondering this guy made many mistakes. Yes Powers admitted he was brutally tortured. And it made the interrogation methods at Guantanamo Bay look like child’s play.

[@alexanderleach3365]

There are many more COld War Era movies out there.

[@Hobbitstomper]

Come on Insider, timestamps please.

[@chrisch2305]

This guys chill

[@familypowergroup]

Louisiana has a new program known as Chrome Dome

[@phredphlintstone6455]

Doomsday machine is only useful if your enemy knows that you have it.

[@Govanmauler]

This is great but man his shirt cuffs are distracting

[@PaulJohnson-vn7eh]

The Lives Of Others is a brilliant movie

[@RaNc0R]

No crimson tide ?

[@bray0012]

I need his tailor

[@CalidrisJZ]

The main point of War Games was that Ally Sheedy was extremely cute.

[@vermontvermont9292]

13 days was a great movie.

[@timstapleman]

A KZbin pilot? I had no idea KZbin and GoPros went back that far.

[@myfootballjesus]

you should do one of these ratings on the cold war show TV "the Americans"

[@ronaldlee7566]

Bouncer scenes in movies and tv Ma'am/Sir pls🙏 😊❤

[@BilTheGalacticHero]

Really should have had Fail-Safe in this list.

[@trisankukumarborah3540]

A professor with no military experience

[@SirsasthNigam.]

"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)-most real Oppenheimer-90% real

[@nolakillabeast]

My God what would I give to have this guy as my teacher

[@BobGeogeo]

This was interesting but the editing makes it too choppy.

[@76tennboy]

I mean all of your criticisms about hunt for the red October, at the very very beginning of the movie they are very explicit about the fact that “none of these events ever took place!” So there wouldn’t be any record of it😂

[@FredrIQ]

Stasi, probably the closest that real life came to the Thought Police.

[@ihavegymnastics]

24-hour-a-day bomber flights..... Well, that is massively profligate. Good thing that the USA never makes mistakes.

[@remmeryoutube3392]

What, no Spies Like Us? 🙂

[@DamianT-zr8wt]

For the next how real is it video can u please do wolves

[@laztheman1291]

I'd rate this video a 7

[@connectingthedots100]

I give him a 10 for giving Dr strangelove a 10. 😂

[@bluegent7]

I travelled extensively behind the Iron Curtain, visiting almost every European Warsaw-Pact country. The public oppression varied between countries, but getting to know people, some of whom I judged could be trusted to a certain extent, I found they had thumb screws on basically every one in some places, turning family members against each other. Paranoia was practically rampant in some nations, some of which persists to this day. They feel any stranger might be out to take advantage of you. It's always been liberating, with a sense of being relieved of a heavy burden, to get back to the West. Americans, I think, are some of the most social and friendly people there are, with actual intention, in most cases, to help without ulterior motives. Western citizens sometimes act like spoiled brats, though, naively supposing the rest of the smiling world is as benign and free from nationalism as their own people, peevishly thinking they are not cuddled enough by the government, carrying on like liberty and prosperity does not need to be constantly maintained and fought for, voting as if they wouldn't mind being overrun and destroyed. I ask, who would defend your freedom and prosperity then?

[@giorgioscalici468]

Where is Rocky IV?

[@user-st2eh3gz6k]

It is strange that in the USA the Mujahideen are not "freedom fighters" as you called them in the 80s... and yes, "this is different")))