U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy, An Oral History, Part 1

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy, An Oral History explores the origins of United States strategic nuclear policy and how it evolved. The documentary looks at this topic through the oral history of key participants including Robert McNamara, Edward Teller, James Schlesinger, Andrew Goodpaster, Harold Brown, Richard Garwin and William Kaufmann.
View part 2 here: • U.S. Strategic Nuclear... .
Related Sandia documentaries: Always/Never: the Quest for Safety, Control & Survivability ( • Always/Never: The Ques... , and On Deterrence ( • On Deterrence ).
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[@keiththorpe9571]

I had a history teacher in HS (back in the late 1980s) who had once worked for The Rand Corporation. He explained to us that "Civil Defense" was little more than an PR campaign meant to keep people from being paralyzed by fear, giving the American public a feeling of control over the uncontrollable. He explained how the actual preparedness exercises were a joke, and for us living in the Washington DC suburbs, there was no hope of survival for anyone living within 60 miles of downtown DC. He told us how it was likely that several multi-megaton "City Buster" thermonuclear weapons were aimed at various points in and around DC, and that we would be effectively vaporized. He also mentioned how we would be the fortunate ones, as any few who survived would not be fighting an invading Soviet force, but would be fighting their neighbor over what little food was left. I've never forgotten thought.

[@jayrico6226]

Do you think prepers are crazy now

[@anthonymorales842]

It will be from Boston including Va. in essence the northeast coast. The largest number of intellect in the world along with the R &D

[@456swagger]

Your Teacher was over simplifying.

[@maxspringfield]

@@456swagger Maybe some will survive the blast but they will soon die from the radiation

[@jimhoward7555]

Pllllplllllplllllpllllllpllllpplllpllplpllllplllllllplllllllllllpllllplllllllllllllllpllllllllllllpllllllllllplllpll Plpllllllllll Plllllllllllllllllllllllllllplllllllllllllplllp Pllllllllllllllllplllplllllplllpllllllll Plllllllllllllllllllllplpllllllpplllplpllllplpp Lllllllllllllllpppplpllllllllllllllllllllplpl Pplplpllplllllllllllllllllllpllp P Pppllllllllplllllllllplllllllllllllllpllplll Pllllpplllllllpllllllplllplllllllllll Plllllllllpll Pplllllpllpllllllllllpllllllll Llllllllplllllpllllllplllllpllplpllllllplllllllllpllllllllpl Plllllllllllllllllllllpllllllp Plllllllpllllllllllllllllllllllpllllpllllllllllp Pllpplplllllllllllllplllplllppllpplllllpllllllllllll Plllllllpplpllppllllllllllllllp Ppllplllpplpllllllllllllllllllllllllplllppllplllllllllllllllllpplllllllllllllpp Pl Lppplpllplllllllllplplllplllllpllll)ppll Pp Ppllllllllllllplplllllplllllllllllllpp Plllllllpplllllllllllllpllp Plpllllllllpplllllllllllplllllllllllllllllplllllpllllllplplpllll Pll Plll)l Ppppplpllllllplllllpllppplllllllllpllllllllplpllll Ppllllllllpllppllplplllpplllll Pplpllllll)lpp Lppl Ppppplpllllllplllllpllppplllllllllpllllllllplpllll)llllllplpllllllpllllllpplpllplllllllllllllllllllplllpllpllllllllllllllllllplppllpllllpllllllllllp)llll Plllpllllllllllppllllpllllllllplllpllpplllll)lllllllll) please Pllppllll)llllllpllllllpplllllllllplllplllpplllllllll Pllllpl P Ppllplllplllllwoo

[@l8tbraker]

An Air Force brat, I grew up on Sandia and Kirtland AFB off and on during the period 1947 through 1959. For a short time immediately after the war, Dad reported directly to LeMay. Dad was a high ranking officer involved with nuclear weapons testing and no doubt knew most or all of these folks. Interesting times, for sure.

[@zico739]

I’m honestly surprised so many of these guys were still alive when this documentary was made. This is quite good.

[@AaronB99999]

Agreed. But sometimes these things get made over very long time periods. I remember watching the Vietnam documentary on PBS and listening to a woman in her 50s talking in present day about her older brother dying over there. I was able to figure out that the interview had happened probably ten years before the show aired (and she wasn't the only example of that). Andrew Goodpaster died in 2005 -- he's featured heavily here.

[@janeullman9047]

I’m not certain how I ended up here, and my interest in the subject is minimal, but I sat and watched this documentary. Very engaging and well done.

[@Dans_Garage_Media]

Yeah, that just happened to me too

[@mikemurphy5898]

@@Dans_Garage_Media same.

[@moneyheist2417]

@@generalripper7528 99

[@SecondTake123]

I watch so many War documentaries! Glad this one showed up!

[@seltaeb9691]

Have a Gold Star, well done for a girl..😉 KZbin is a wonderful thing but is being brought down by nasty abusive retaliating comments. A bit of joshing is fine or a severe telling off only if warranted. It's a democracy so, for & against in debate but not abusing someone for their comments. So pause & wait a bit & then cordially reply. Simples tchk. Quality history by America for my Scotland!

[@evanrandall1675]

I really appreciate you guys making this documentary! I hope Sandia will see the value in this educational effort and produce much more about the critical things they've been able to achieve or at least try. And don't be afraid to tell the story about a little wasted money, too. I'd love to hear some of the stories about the close calls and what ifs. A lofty enough goal or capability can justify, especially during wartime.

[@RT-xx9tx]

One of the best documentary's I've seen on KZbin. Well done.

[@ojthesimpson35]

this doc doesnt hold back or dumb it down. great video history of the era.

[@MrSHAUN9965]

Great documentary thank you for this

[@stephenwilson1012]

I love watching history documentaries. You gain so much perspective about history government allies and strategies that we never learned in school.

[@alexanderbutler2989]

This should be taught in school. If I taught grade 1 first day would be a 3500 word essay on the pros and cons of using nuclear weapons on japan

[@tomnisen3358]

@@alexanderbutler2989 , Most first graders couldn't write a 200 word essay. There's no doubt, I would have done what Truman did.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@tomnisen3358 sounds as though someone doesn't have a true grasp of what it's like to teach first grade.........

[@Calidore1]

Brilliant programme. Photography and video selection excellent.

[@DavidJohnson-jp4mw]

After becoming a late participant in the cold war (from 1974 to the end) I was always wondering about the early days and history. This was a very level headed and informative documentary, Thank you!

[@DogeickBateman]

Were you a Cold Warrior, and if so which area and branch?

[@rlbailey1964]

11+

[@jonathanstrong4812]

I WAS BORN 1968 to December 1991 But its becoming dangerous Russia and China might have unhinged people which who was not going to listen to their NCAs not to do it

[@jimbeckwith5949]

For those of us who lived through the 70s and 80s in the shadow of nuclear annihilation, this is extremely relevant. Every day as a kid, I knew that in 3 or 4 hours of misunderstanding between the Eastern and Western blocs, my mother, father, sister, relatives, friends, every one I knew, loved and relied on, could be wisps of vapour in the stratosphere, me included. It was Breshnev, Gorbachev, Ford, Carter and Reagan at the time who saved us all. Thankfully they had cooler heads and dismantled this madness to a lesser or greater degree. We people of Earth owe them guys our eternal gratitude.

[@tomcharter4127]

And relevant now it seems.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

Reagan was the one to grasp that the Soviet economy could not sustain this level of competition...that we could win by simply outspending them.....

[@danielthompson8372]

I'm not sure why you think so much has changed. We are still armed to the teeth and so is Russia.

[@hecanseeme8210]

@@danielthompson8372 now china is too. Not to mention that India, Pakistan, Israel, France, UK, North Korea could set this whole thing off any moment. If anything we are in more danger.

[@danielthompson8372]

Exactly

[@MooseMeus]

very informative. i enjoyed this.

[@twstf8905]

I've never heard ANY service member saying anything negative about LeMay. Although brash and widely considered unsympathetic by most, he proved to be extraordinarily effective at his job, particularly in training his bombing groups and was continuously promoted throughout the War as a result. In a discussion of a report into high abort rates in bomber missions during World War II, which Robert McNamara suspected was because of pilot cowardice, McNamara described LeMay's character; "One of the commanders was Curtis LeMay-Colonel in command of a B-24 group. He was the finest combat commander of any service I came across in war. But he was extraordinarily belligerent, many thought brutal. He got the report. He issued an order. He said, 'I will be in the lead plane on every mission. Any plane that takes off will go over the target, or the crew will be court-martialed.' The abort rate dropped overnight. Now that's the kind of commander he was." Although LeMay was famously in favor of continuing his firebombing campaign over the Japanese Islands instead of dropping the Atomic bomb, there were few, if any, commanders looking forward to the inevitable invasion and casualties of the land war, and was not only pretty well sold on the effectiveness of strategic Nuclear weapons following Nagasaki and the subsequent Japanese surrender, he'd actually gone on after the war to commanding the newly formed Strategic Air Command (SAC) well beyond and into the mid-50's. It was LeMay who was put in charge of the Berlin Airlift following aggressive Post-war Soviet expansion, and the blockade. Keeping American "Aces in their places" before any fundamental strategic nuclear policy was officially developed back home was just enough of a deterrent to Stalin, who only needed periodic reminders that we had the capabilities along with the right people to do the job should necessity dictate. Focusing his talents on refining the technology further for maximum performance efficiency and abundance.until 1957, overseeing its transformation into a modern, efficient, all-jet force. LeMay's tenure was the longest over an American military command in nearly 100 years. Despite his uncompromising attitude regarding performance of duty, LeMay was also known for his concern for the physical well-being and comfort of his men. LeMay found ways to encourage morale, individual performance, and the reenlistment rate through a number of means: encouraging off-duty group recreational activities, instituting spot promotions based on performance, and authorizing special uniforms, training, equipment, and allowances for ground personnel as well as flight crews. On LeMay's departure, SAC was composed of 224,000 airmen, close to 2,000 heavy bombers, and nearly 800 tanker aircraft. Some argue Curtis LeMay did more to keep America on top of the pile of allied Nations during the Cold War than any other single serviceman until becoming Vice Chief of Staff for the Air Force in 1957 until 1961.

[@ChristopherSaindon]

I'm one that agrees. LeMay was the best. He was a military purist, he loved his men..cigars..and this Country. He DID have men that hated him but not his soldiers. You made a great post.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

believe it was LeMay who wanted to test the capabilities of the B-47 by sending it over Soviet airspace....a running gunfight ensued, but the plane survived albeit with some damage.....

[@armandoruiz8758]

The U.S government is actually using a name of a continent to its citizens and country. We are U.S. citizens. Citizens of the United States. The United States is a country but America its not a country America its a continent. The whole entire continent was already named America 269 years way before the United States of America became a nation or even existed. Everyone on the American continent is an American likewise Asia are Asians, Africa are Africans and Europe are Europeans.🤦....ok I have four questions for you and everyone in here!!! 1: Where or how the United States of America got the name America from? 2: What happen first? The United States of America or the American continent? 3: What government divided the American continent? 4: What government added the North, the Central and the South to the American continent? Huh? 😎

[@mr.mojorisin6402]

Probably would have driven the world into a nuclear WW3 during the Cuban missile crisis...had not cooler heads prevailed.

[@WalterBurton]

Thanks, ChatGPT. 😏🙄

[@jonburgett6243]

Best war type coverage ive seen since the Time Cold War series on vhs

[@lolhappyOO7]

What an incredible document! I learned a lot. Thank you to the creators of this and all the men and women who gave their lives in service of a free future for all humanity. Peace on Earth

[@frankpienkosky5688]

very incisive retelling of events with much paranoia involved....we had a massive advantage right up until the 70's and 80's when true parity evolved...there was no "bomber gap"...as the Bison proved a failure and only minimal numbers were produced...and the same could be said for the "missile gap"...as the Soviets only had a few ICBM's at the time of sputnik and the Cuban missile crises

[@DogeickBateman]

@@frankpienkosky5688Paranoia? Intelligence from Soviet sources backed it until the 80s when it was realized they were bluffing

[@bassinbob1965]

This is by far the best video on You Tube on this topic.

[@nickosc88]

Yes, and that's because it was done professionally, and before the year 2010

[@mikeray1544]

I agree Mr.Ray.

[@nirv]

How much were you paid to say this? I'm kidding around.

[@sherryserwer8190]

No hued

[@DogeickBateman]

@@nirv Ok bot

[@SubvertTheState]

These Sandia docs are gems. I've never considered deterrence, countervailing threats, mad man theory, game theory or much of the other interesting topics....until Thanksgiving 2020 when I binged all of these haha.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

survivability of a sufficient deterrent changed everything...introduction of the subs allowed for the implementation of the Triad concept.....

[@SubvertTheState]

​@@frankpienkosky5688almost making symmetrical kinetic warfare between nuclear powers unthinkable. The introduction of nuclear powered submarines armed with dozens of ballistic missiles, each with a payload of several warheads with yields over 1 megaton...a devastating 2nd strike...make even a nuclear first strike unthinkable.

[@TheMrCougarful]

Interesting and timely.

[@bassmith448bassist5]

As an avid student of the cold war, I can't believe I've never seen this excellent documentary!!! A great presentation. Well Done!!!!

[@WalterBurton]

Excellent historical record. 👍👍👍

[@Chironex_Fleckeri]

We are proud of every one of you. Past and present. You are some of the finest people whose work goes without thanks. But there are many who do understand what and why deterrence is vital. The events of the year 2022 have shown us exactly why deterrence is necessary. If you read this 1 year, 5, 10, or decades from now. The United States of America is a country that does not rattle sabres the way a regime does. Last night my father and I were looking out at the beauty of America watching the sunset. We had just watched this together and were grateful there we so many people dedicated to the defense of everything we hold dear. We are grateful for you and the work Sandia does. If you are from any country, look at the transparency allowed to the American People. No adversary of the United States of America has ever published the truth in the way videos like this share. This comment should stand as a testament that even in the times - 2022, we feel confidence and security because of the work of people like those of Sandia , Oak Ridge, and the list goes on. This documentary is one of the most powerful signs that the United States and its People - they stand for ideals that seek to protect. 🇺🇸 E Pluribus Unum 🇺🇸

[@dimadblmov1446]

Why are you pointing towards 2022? What does the security of the United States and the United States as a whole have to do with it?

[@type1krush205]

The Manhatten Project brought me here ! Very Interesting watch indeed.....

[@seltaeb9691]

Good solid American docu., un-flashy & all the better for it.

[@armandoruiz8758]

The U.S government is actually using a name of a continent to its citizens and country. We are U.S. citizens. Citizens of the United States. The United States is a country but America its not a country America its a continent. The whole entire continent was already named America 269 years way before the United States of America became a nation or even existed. Everyone on the American continent is an American likewise Asia are Asians, Africa are Africans and Europe are Europeans.🤦....ok I have four questions for you and everyone in here!!! 1: Where or how the United States of America got the name America from? 2: What happen first? The United States of America or the American continent? 3: What government divided the American continent? 4: What government added the North, the Central and the South to the American continent? Huh? 😎

[@TheDoctor1225]

@@armandoruiz8758 Good Lord are you STILL ranting? Have you noticed you're actively being ignored and not answered? Take the hint and go away or at the very least, learn to use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

[@petraantunesova8880]

great documentary very informative

[@Dave-lq6bb]

Excellent doc

[@bigroy38]

Had a relative who worked at Los Alamos in the 70s.Spooky place!!!

[@mikemurphy5898]

How so? I'd be interested in hearing more if you're willing to share.

[@bigroy38]

@@mikemurphy5898 No way!Too top secret.He probably still has his security clearance from there.

[@Redmenace96]

One of the best docs I've ever seen. Primary subjects. Edward Teller?! Come on! Main comment: How eloquent are Truman, Eisenhauer? They addressed the press and the American people. With truth, simple language, and communicated so well. What happened to the Presidency?

[@heyhandersen5802]

republican's

[@mikemurphy5898]

Reality television

[@Redmenace96]

@@mikemurphy5898 Public Relations

[@DavidJohnson-jp4mw]

2016 is what happened.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

Ike struggled a bit at press conferences, as I recall....but still much better than the current occupant......

[@blip1]

This is a really good video. Watch both parts. It had been divided up into 4 on another channel. I could only make it part of the way through 2 before falling asleep and couldn't remember where I lost my place. I finally made it halfway through part 3 last night, before falling asleep. Think I'm gonna listen to it in the car while I work. I can't actually stay awake for anything at night. Let me reiterate that this whole thing is worth the watch. About every living person who is or was an expert on it by way of working in it or alongside it, is in this film. By "was an expert" I mean there are at least two people are now dead who appear in this. Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger (who has other great films/videos where he is intervirewed in past decades) is now dead. At least one scientist, Leon Smith, is also dead. This is an excellent primer for topics and interviews with people that you can look up on KZbin or elsewhere in printed form, plus other things like declassified documents not mentioned in the video. Michael Wheeler, for example, has at least one book printed on this subject as far as I know. Maybe now I can finish the thing lol

[@mr.meeseeks2060]

If you keep falling asleep whilst listening to this do you really think its a good idea to listen while operating a motorized vehicle. Let's stop and think about this for a second....

[@nirv]

How did you watch it if you kept falling asleep?

[@blip1]

@@nirv after resuming it at the point where I fell asleep, I managed to make it to the end. Splendid use of your intellect, however

[@blip1]

@@mr.meeseeks2060 let's not, unless you're a "one-upmanship" internet warrior

[@jmurph1921]

@@blip1 It's very unhealthy especially for your mental health to fall asleep while watching anything. It's actually linked to ADHD and some other mental disorders...... I should know I do it and take medication for ADHD and bipolar disorder

[@cat637d]

Excellent historical documentary, thank you Patriots for what you do every day!

[@attovishnu]

look there, another supporter of domestic terrorism.

[@cat637d]

@@attovishnu And a fervent hater of communists, with pride!

[@RajpreetMatharu1993]

@@cat637d so sad

[@cat637d]

@@RajpreetMatharu1993 I lived during those times, you obviously did not!

[@mikemurphy5898]

@@RajpreetMatharu1993 hating communism is "so sad?" Hmm, I'd take your comment more seriously if communism ever worked...ever...anywhere. Believe me, I wish it worked, it sounds like a great idea on paper, but greed, the global "me first" culture, will never allow it to work, at least not without a fundamental shift in how we view labor, production and global resource dissemination..that is what is "so sad," imo.

[@johnsrous1616]

From the advent of the atomic bomb in 1945 leading to the end of WWII to the Cold War, which included treaties such as the SALT(Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)I and II and the START(Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)I and II the threat of nuclear war has been with us. The vast majority of the world's population were born during the nuclear age so not many knew what conventional weapons ONLY-life was like.

[@gaittr]

Thank God that al these people were spending so much effort trying to prevent nuclear war.

[@timmotel5804]

Excellent. This documentary added much to what I already knew. Very well presented and very educational. I was born in 1952, so I remember many of these people and or knew about them. I have always agreed with Herald Brown's comment: "When we build, They build. When we stop, they keep building. The Russian governments and military have historically been very paranoid and suspicious of every one and every thing. They still live by that same mental process today. To a large degree I do understand. Between external threats throughout their history to their country and much insanity and human cruelty in their own governments and leaders, no wonder. I don't ever see much improvement there. Now, China... I also have serious doubts about the security and present abilities of our own government administrations, for several decades now, and the diminished capacity of our military leaders and our weaponry. blah blah ( Thanks Sandia )

[@ChristopherSaindon]

No Blah blah! They are all valid points!

[@timmotel5804]

@@ChristopherSaindon Hi. I wish that they weren't valid points. Now, we have Cyber Security to be very concerned about. So far, that is not doing very well in my opinion and based on information that I have read. Our country is in chaos and on the brink of disaster. No "Cohesiveness" in Politics, law of the land or even in Americans themselves. "Stay tuned" and my best wishes to you.

[@ChristopherSaindon]

@@timmotel5804 My best wishes to you as well Sir!

[@frankpienkosky5688]

most war games up until recently had us losing a short, sharp regional war with china...but the latest has us winning a longer war...sound familiar?

[@timmotel5804]

​@8866 Panda Very well stated by you. Pearl Harbor Should not have happened. Our government completely failed, on purpose. This is not new news to me. Once again our government failed us with Korea, Vietnam (I'm a Vietnam Veteran) and most recently with "911" and the "Coup Attempt" on our Nation's Capital Building (WWI also). Generally, politics may border on "criminal" and often crosses that line. War Time politics is "no holds barred", a mix of truth and lies, as is war itself. Humanity is cursed by it's own nature. Maybe, in many many years, evolution will correct our most basic shortcomings. Until then, we live with the lies and fantasies of politics and religions, both of which are very likely to cause humanity's ultimate demise. Best regards to you.

[@robinwells8879]

It is now open to some considerable debate as to whether Kennedy's knew full well the cynical campaigning tool of the missile gap was a non issue but that the incumbent candidate wouldn't be able to fight back because of the extreme secrecy surrounding the very successful ongoing spy satellite program and the spin off in regards to viable ICBM launch vehicles. Politics, it would appear, has always been a dirty game!

[@TAZ0300]

Robin Wells I couldn’t of said it better myself you are 1000% correct my friend even in politics words sometimes can do more damage than physical 💣s 👍🏼🇺🇸

[@liden77]

As VP Nixon knew that the missile gap was in stong favor for US, but he could not use that info, as it was highly classified

[@frankpienkosky5688]

Kennedy came to be at odds with the CIA...threatening their status...and a similar arrangement eventually developed between Kennedy and the Joint Chiefs...once only half-jokingly saying the events depicted in "Seven Days in May" could actually happen

[@herrgolf]

Amazing how self-congratulatory this doc is about razing Tokyo.

[@DogeickBateman]

Based.

[@notimeforthis7377]

Strike 2nd. Harder

[@natowaveenjoyer9862]

Imagine defending the cartoonishly evil Japanese empire.

[@wesleydelv]

I love how the music is all cheery when showing Japan after the bombs ...

[@denniswedin5605]

I agree with President Eisenhower. There would be no winner , only loosens

[@dem0nchild610]

My great grandmother was apart of all this during the second world War she was apart of the ordnance department and then after that she was apart of the department of defense in the pentagon for 30 years after not once did she speak of what she did we ended up finding out cleaning out her house after she passed away

[@QuaaludeCharlie]

vaporized , especially during wartime. several multi-megaton "City Buster" thermonuclear weapons

[@patrickshockley3483]

Is there a list of all the documents and books mentioned in this series?

[@garywatson]

McNamara knew but chose not to reveal in this documentary that the Cubans had operational nuclear weapons on short-range missiles poised to attack any approaching US invasion force, and could and planned to launch them without Soviet permission. This probably would have triggered a full nuclear war. Furthermore it was only by the disobedience of a Soviet submarine officer that a nuclear-tipped torpedo wasn't launched in response to our dropping practice depth charges on them, again, with a huge risk of triggering WWIII. It's only by absurdly good luck that any of us are here talking about it today.

[@paulcoover7057]

I heard about the torpedo, where can I find info about Cuban nuclear capability

[@oceanhome2023]

Paul Coover The Russians remained in control of using the nukes .

[@jaydouglas5847]

@@paulcoover7057 You can see Mcnamara speak about it in the award winning document on the lessons learned over his career titled " The fog of war". It is a must watch . Yes , Castro had control of low yield battlefield tactical nukes. he received them as part of the deal he made allowing the soviets to station strategic weapons there. Castro , fearing assassination as a precursor to an invasion by the USA had granted full autonomy to the commander on the invasion beaches to let loose with the battlefield nukes with no authorization needed. Had we invaded our forces would have been vaporized and that may have well been the start of total nuclear war.

[@paulcoover7057]

@@jaydouglas5847 I have a copy of it, will watch it again. Thanks

[@jordan390a]

@Elron Yes...it's called martyrdom.....

[@g-manracer1997]

My biggest question that I cant seem to grasp is this..... If more countries since the 50s have had nukes, what is truly the purpose of possessing them, when it's almost certain we will never use them? Why would North Korea go to war against the US, knowing we had just leveled Japan, 4 years earlier? Why would North Vietnam engage us in the 60s, knowing we have a nuclear arsenal? We have fought many wars since WWII, but yet we still fight those wars, in a conventional way, consuming mass amounts of military equipment, human lives, and money, in long and drawn out wars? It almost seems like nukes are just here, but they have no real "fear potential", because no country will ever really use them? It just seems pointless, to possess something that will never be used anyway.....

[@archaedemos]

Driven by the capacity of the complex. Nice

[@opticalmixing23]

Those old planes are cool

[@bigroy38]

There are two B-29’s still in flight:Fifi,& Doc.

[@thetreblerebel]

Only 2 B29 Bombers are flying today in 2019..but there's quite a few of B52s and B1s and B2s still dropping bombs

[@yourmomma8065]

@@itsme-ri5mw that he is captain fantastic

[@tigerimschlamm2724]

The 52 will be around till 2050 thats what the US Air Force says.

[@FilthyFils.musicgroup]

@@tigerimschlamm2724 52 's still flying outta Fairford uk bombing Ukraine

[@phprofYT]

Level everything

[@Sciolist]

KZbin is saying this has been uploaded 18 hours ago, but I watched it at least 2 years ago! Indeed I put it in a Playlist I created of old documentaries.

[@sssssssssss440]

Yes, I noticed this as well

[@blip1]

Was that one in two parts? The only place I've seen it, it's divided into 4.

[@whatwhatyep]

Was most likely taken down

[@mboltonm1]

Iuo. C

[@mboltonm1]

Co cfyb

[@GeneralJackRipper]

I like how the contribution of Klaus Fuchs to the soviet bomb is conveniently omitted. It WOULD have taken them 20 years if it wasn't for that man. If anything it is an object lesson in the importance of security when it comes to WMD's.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

😅

[@derekaduncan]

With the dangerous current geo-political confrontation, the USA NEEDS to elect Generals for Lawmakers like all the great Generals in history that became POTUS, to protect American sovereignty, not those who get elected for self-greed and never served in any military.

[@daffidavit]

At the 40:15 time mark, notice how Gen. Eisenhower first saluted, and then shook the hand of President Truman. He treated President Truman first as his commander and chief, and then as his civilian President. I wonder if Gen. Eisenhower even suspected he might become the next President of the U.S. on Jan. 20 1953 at that time.

[@DavidJohnson-jp4mw]

Too bad that the exiting president of 2020 was not man enough to do the same.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

oh yeah, he did...to no one's surprise...he campaigned on the slogan "I will go to Korea"....[and end the war...which he did].....

[@nayanmipun6784]

1:21 was this radiation experiment on village people true (not accident)?

[@Dra741]

The firebombing what's worse than a nuclear bomb itself, incendiaries dropped over paper cities set was a horror

[@Pettynicolla-HD-N.Ayeshamedina]

This best History

[@failuretocommunicate]

An historians dream, thank you.

[@blip1]

Thos country and the West need another James Schlesinger

[@anthonyperry6514]

And I need an incurable disease.

[@cat637d]

@@anthonyperry6514 Agreed

[@mingshi6138]

Not so much I would agree with waging any nuclear war, by whomever. Yet, I find the documentary in some sense reassuring: At least so many people once made great efforts to think about the issue, they didn't leave it to the politicians alone. And many of them got deeply into the matter to figure out what was at stake. I hope that on the Soviet side, there might have been similar processes going on. Only then, we may assume the big powers, even only out of their own interests, not run amok with a thing that certainly would have wiped out mankind many times!

[@bobd9193]

1:31---the 63rd of December? What calendar are they using?

[@thomass4471]

He stated that the missile had to be flown by the end of that year. He also stated that everyone involved knew there was no way that could happen. So they extended the year...

[@nirv]

The correct timestamp is 1:31:10

[@2discoveredm788]

@@thomass4471 i like that thought

[@toddsalisbury3851]

The problem with nuclear weapons is it hinges on the hope that mad men don't get them and that good people stop them from using them if they do....

[@edgrtorres1917]

Idk how I ended up here but I like ..

[@ttrestle]

Is it weird that I’ve watched this series multiple times?

[@whirledpeas3477]

A good kind of weird. I'm also guilty

[@ttrestle]

@@whirledpeas3477 nice to meet ya!

[@amyjojinkerson6745]

operation paper clip was the strangest name for an operation

[@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL]

After WW2 the US and UK realised they had to give things boring and strange names after they could often guess German operations and developments by the names they were given

[@FrenchmansFlats51]

interesting. the problem is thus: the more one worked on “it”, the most success one had building it, the more one knew about “it”, the more most involved deploying “it”, and especially photographing and documenting “it”: the higher risk one has to end up at Leavenworth.

[@DonnaBrooks]

Weird. The right-hand controls don't appear on this video. I can't adjust the speed, can't see controls for subtitles, & can't see the control to open the vid in full screen. Did this channel somehow turn off these functions & if so, WHY?! I usually increase the speed of videos by up to 2x, depending on the original pace, so I can watch or listen to more videos/audios/podcasts in the same amount of time, taking half the time as listening at regular speed, but I can't do that with this one. That's frustrating!

[@warshipsatin8764]

i think you need aomething for your attention deficit disorder

[@HardRockMaster7577]

I can adjust all of those things on my laptop. But not through an app. Like YT Roku app, etc.

[@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL]

Fantastic documentary. I can see why they over estimated the ability of the Russians in 54 given the fact they'd under estimated their atomic development previously.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

that Soviet detonation put the US in panic mode....how?...why?....and instigated an all-out witch hunt for communists and "fellow travelers" in our midst.....

[@kkloikok]

Well I'm glad that was cleared up. I thought it was a drama.

[@LuvThatDirtyWater]

This is one of the BEST cold war docs I've ever seen but I'm not sure if I was more astonished or amused when McNamara said "Lemay was the most effective combat commander I met in the 3 years I was in the armed force" 4:13 and no doubt Lemay was a War beast but I wonder what McNamara thought when Curtis was pounding the table during the Cuban Missile Crisis pressuring Kennedy to premptively nuke Russia before we nuked Cuba. And Curtis was just being Curtis when he said "Mr President you're in a mess". Then JFK famously replied "and you're in it with me" but the part I like best was when he said "Mr President, be assured I will remove the threat because we have overwhelming nuclear superiority". But Lemay being Lemay forgot to say the Russians detonated a 50 MEGATON Tsar Bomba in 1961 (12 months before the Cuban Crisis). Only YEARS later did we find out about the tactical nukes that Ivan had locked & loaded in Cuba and thank God JFK didn't listen to Lemay. If Kennedy ordered an invasion of Cuba, like Lemay wanted, Russia most certainly would have used those tactical nukes and then it wouldn't matter what Lemay wanted because the world most definitely would've gone BOOM!

[@frankpienkosky5688]

there was a vast imbalance between our nuclear arsenal and theirs in '62....LeMay was right about that....they could have damaged us...we would have obliterated them....much of the russian posture back then was bluff and bluster....such as flying the same plane over and over again during an air show....our U-2's had given us a pretty good idea of what they actually had....

[@HardRockMaster7577]

Correct. But, Eisenhower should have listened to LeMay, and taken care to eliminate the Evil Empire of Communist Russia when we had the actual superiority to do so.

[@jonathanfreeman4607]

What sucks is mutually assured destruction but I guess that's what has kept nukes from being used, it's world suicide. Good video.

[@alundavies8402]

It is horrible but if you know what the Soviet Union did to Germany why would you want to survive that?

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@alundavies8402 maybe they remembered what Germany did to them?.......

[@Pettynicolla-HD-N.Ayeshamedina]

The XP B2M (5th June 1945) Master of Ceremony And J RMS 1938 The Mars Jan 1944 was originally by The Navy in 1956 Land Plans 910 Huge Flying

[@j.p.holiday8899]

I always keep enough morphine around to go out silently if there's ever any nuclear missiles in route

[@philipmadhatter4006]

I’m the same but with a nice bag of smoke to enjoy and watch the pretty flash

[@MrCrystalcranium]

The great moralizing that went on regarding megaton range weaponry was very misplaced. The great minds involved, including Oppenheimer, David Lilienthal and others, were so horrified at the prospect of building bombs of unimaginable power and destructive capability that they saw no practical use for a weapon of 10, 20 or 50 megatons in yield. They got caught up in "Why should we build a weapon of such destructive force, that it's use would only mean the mass killing of millions of civilians?" They lost sight, or didn't realize yet, that it wasn't about building bombs as big as you could design...it was about building bombs that were good enough as physically small as you could. Thermonuclear weapon development was more about deliverability than it was about ramping up the megatonnage as far as possible. If anyone had told Oppenheimer in 1950 that in 20 years, the Soviets would have thousands of 300-450 kiloton thermonuclear weapons the size of 55 gallon oil drums on the tips of thousands of missiles, he might have been less sanguine about his moral dilemma regarding the hydrogen bomb breakthrough.

[@parrot849]

I have to say, although I’m a long time admirer of General LeMay and all of his magnificent accomplishments, given what I’ve learned, if true, about the diplomatic maneuvering and critical negotiations that occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis when General LeMay was the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; I don’t think the General’s suggestions of the employment of the “First-Strike” option to solve the hair trigger issues that existed on-hand would have been the best solution President Kennedy could have chosen at the time.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

LEMAY WHICH WHO WAS OY-VEY!

[@DogeickBateman]

@@jonathanstrong4812 Ok bot

[@RedRobin13]

Edward Teller, Dr Strangelove.

[@Tesla-lv5lq]

That moment when you accidentally learn how to build, host, and deploy nuclear weapons over the course of 6 hours of KZbin...

[@frankpienkosky5688]

take a trip to Dayton...they even have them displayed in cross-section there....remember actually walking up inside "Bock's Car"...

[@benbohannon]

But then you go out to the garage and it’s a mess. You walk back inside and finish the ballgame instead.

[@msgfrmdaactionman3000]

I doubt any other nuclear weapons country would allow a show like this. I'd like to watch another county's film. BTW, there was debate about using the bomb in WW2, its not addressed here.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

well,..using them didn't actually end the war as many think....they guessed [correctly] that we didn't have that many....

[@user-fl2wn5zr5z]

Kennidy said full retalitory action and never batted an eye

[@Pettynicolla-HD-N.Ayeshamedina]

-Lake George NY some of history bloodiest, Fighting. -1950 the site was developed. -Team anthropologist and volunteer begin soldiers lived and died. -Lemur

[@deoglemnaco7025]

Truman was a terrific dancer.

[@richardwalker8330]

Started out as a haberdasher. Snappy dresser!

[@jonathanstrong4812]

THE OLD CHA-CHA-CHA I DON'T THINK

[@deoglemnaco7025]

@@jonathanstrong4812 it was like 9/11

[@TheAdamGore]

1:47:51

[@mrhassell]

As a child born in Generation X, the first born under the threat of "Mutually Assured Destruction" M.A.D, my experience has been largely positive, as an Australian. Had I been born in Japan, or Siberia perhaps, how different my view of this would have been. Truth is, the illusion of safety, these weapons make possible, is worthless due to the opposition and threat they present, completely invalidating any true concept of "safety". Depleted nuclear warheads remain attached to intercontinental ballistic conveyors, with hypersonic potential. Russia is at war, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has backing of Australian Special Forces, for peace keeping duties, while the Syrian civil war, the Yemeni civil war continues and we're closer to delivery of tactical nuclear weapons and ICBM's, kept on hair triggers notice to action. Does that make anyone feel safe? How can increasing the stakes to such catastrophic levels, make anyone feel secure? I'd feel a lot more secure, if the conflicts were resolved, solutions implemented, agreements made and these weapons of mass destruction, dismantled and never engaged for ensuring the safety of any nation.

[@ryanreedgibson]

I think we have to remember, most American's were isolationists before the attack on Pearl harbor. Precision bombing of mil assets is a more humane way to war even though it lacks effectiveness. The Brits knew what they were doing as they started earlier and had no care to be precise. And due to the blitz, who'd blame them.

[@alnam1194]

Loving the Heroes of Might and Magic III Music :)

[@shanemcfadden6427]

The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, along with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was what really tipped the scales toward the Japanese surrender

[@markolaitinen6794]

So sad that such an respected entity as @Sandia National Labs has an error in their documentary. At time 15:35 it is stated graphically that Finland was an buffer state for soviet union and was "behind an iron curtain". That is so wrong on that part that it angers me.

[@erickieffer8440]

I believe the Finns did not like the Russians, not even a little bit.

[@Chironex_Fleckeri]

I thought that was really odd...

[@alvarohernani6645]

It's not 100% wrong. The Soviet Union force Finland to become a non aligned country and also to make the Comunist Party legal.

[@DavidJohnson-jp4mw]

I new students from Finland, and know that statement would have infuriated any of them. Few people know that The Soviets took on Finland once in the 20th century and had their butts kicked.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

not a buffer state...but certainly under their thumb......

[@calvinhobbes7504]

The most damaging statement ever made in the "nuclear race" between the US and Soviets was simply "We will BURY you!" - Spoken by Nikita Khrushchev. That statement obviated any "we don't want war" rhetoric that emerged before and after from the Soviet Union. Even today, the impact of this statement on the cold war is largely ignored.

[@mikemurphy5898]

Regan calling them an "Evil Empire" didnt really help either. Lol

[@calvinhobbes7504]

@@mikemurphy5898 Unfortunately, they wanted to "bury us" when Bonzo was still the rage. Big difference - "LOL"

[@DavidJohnson-jp4mw]

That statement can be blamed for extending and escalating the cold war.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

NK WHICH WHO DIDN'T JUST LOSE A MENTAL-TILE HE LOST THE WHOLE KREMLIN'S ROOF LIKEWISE I THINK THE BRAND-NEW ONE IS SCREWY AND MENTALLY UNSTABLE DOES ANYONE THINK THE FEL LA IS IN HIS RIGHT-MIND NO?

[@frankpienkosky5688]

@@mikemurphy5898 after shooting down a helpless airliner....it would seem to apply.....

[@dickritchie2596]

NNSA is the Achilles heel.

[@twentony9984]

The one picture of Dr. Edward Teller @ approx. 46:00 looks a lot like Nicolas Cage.

[@jamesharrison2570]

I spent over seven years underground in the Titan II ICBM System. Nine megaton hydrogen bomb. It was one reason we still speak English, not Russian

[@jonathanstrong4812]

A OUCH I SAY!

[@Awesomes007]

I had no idea we deployed nukes this size. Wow. Deterrence.

[@hibco3000]

They don't make em like they used too! 😮

[@waynetemplar2183]

@@Awesomes007they had to be that big because those old ICBMs weren’t particularly accurate. You don’t need much more than a couple hundred kT to destroy even the largest of cities, which is what the size of modern warheads on modern missiles are.

[@Awesomes007]

@@waynetemplar2183 Ah, that makes sense. Thanks. All these nukes and we never had a single nuclear war. What a shame.

[@ttrestle]

01:43 - film starts

[@billyhack9673]

With the existence of a Plutonium implosion device any second string nuclear engineer could have figured it out. Teller was second rate compared to Oppenheimer or even Lawrence. He should not win by living longer.

[@billyhack9673]

The better is the enemy of the good.

[@Carl-Ernst-Otto-Kunze]

Sterelny (2003) & Tribble (2005)

[@sciji3118]

Great documentary, although I don't think I've ever seen a professor or historian with such a messy office or hairstyle lol. You gotta love real people though, who in despite of their imperfections, still persevere and get things done!

[@emilyhuston7619]

I was the kid who loved when we got to watch these in history class 🤓

[@daffidavit]

I was the kid who lived through it. Can you imagine living about 25 miles west of NYC in October 1962 age 10, waiting for the white flash of light from your back yard window so you could duck and cover in the basement?

[@billyhack9673]

Lemay became Wallace’s VP candidate in 1968. I rest my case.

[@EuroUser1]

For a 2005 documentary, it has a very cold-war-era look-and-feel. Starting by the tie that the presenter is wearing. I guess they did it on purpose.

[@anonymic79]

Never watched anything described as a "primmer" before.

[@timwoodward9799]

I officially have spiraled down with KZbin. I started off watching music videos and somehow I ended up here. And it's only 8:43 p.m. I wonder where I'll be at by midnight...

[@user-fl2wn5zr5z]

deterrance only had the powers increase their missle count

[@aeneas237]

I like the scientist who wore a Hawaiian shirt to film a presentation on missiles

[@jona.scholt4362]

@48:25 And he did it way back in the day too! The man was a fashion icon, ahead of his time.

[@mikemurphy5898]

If only he had one of those crazy mustaches with long waxed, curled ends

[@zaczayn3371]

Once u killed one man, to killed a million more are real easy . Never give power to evil.

[@ilikeindiemusic]

for once humanity understood the danger of what they had created, even the soviets.