UKC

Thought sharing the links on these two hardly known heros might provide some festive cheer (thanks to the folks on the other channel for highlighting them)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasili_Arkhipov

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov

Thanks for posting that - great stuff. It's scary though

There's a very good book covering serious flaws in American command and control of nuclear weapons - "The Doomsday Machine" by Daniel Ellsberg - I recommend it

I would suggest that Arkhipov's was the greater contribution where he was faced with his peers who had already agreed to proceed. Petrov's might be more a case of common sense (though thankfully he had this).

They're re heroes because they used common sense to stop their own country starting a nuclear war?

mkay...

He was only 36, what a ridiculous level of responsibility on one (IMO) so young!

Very easy to belittle the very significant decisions they both took, from the comfort of your armchair, under no pressure. Especially in a military context, where non-compliance with procedure is often frowned upon, even more especially so in a somewhat dictatorial state.

But i'm sure, if you were in the same situation, deciding whether or not to start nuclear Armageddon, you would have coolly applied 'common sense' without batting an eyelid. As opposed to shitting yourself, and collapsing into a gibbering wreck.

Well it certainly paid off. I suspect that, as the 3rd officer on board, it was hardly envisaged that the weight of responsibility would fall on his shoulders or that this decision would have to be made from the isolation of a submarine.

Arkhipov was also flotilla commander ... hence the unusual position of three officers deciding.

The prior K19 incident must also put him in the top tier of heros who prevented nuclear catastrophes.

If you want to be surprised by age, look up Dambusters. Guy Gibson was 25, a wing commander and most decorated serviceman. Dead at 26.

Alexander the Great is worth looking up too!


Offwidth, thanks for OP, Petrov's story is now very well known but I did not know about Arkhipov.

Henry V and Richard III both died at 30-something, and that's only half the time ago since Alexander. Very different to the screen image of wisened generals commanding the field of battle.  At the age these peaked in their military career Caesar was only starting his rise.

Michael Collins was only 30 when negotiating peace terms between Britain and Ireland in 1920 (and John O'Neill was only 19 when he wrote Teenage Kicks!)

I watched 'Bridge of Spies' last night on Film4. Had never heard of it but was a great insight looking at the onset of the cold war. If you're a Tom Hanks fan that is.

Delayed it at least and for that we are indebted but while the weapons exist the one safe bet is eventually all the holes will line up and they'll be discharged whether intentionally or accidentally.

jk

This is a good read (& the subsequent series of books)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Operation-Anadyr-Timeline-10-Book-ebook/dp/B00O6Z0...

It imagines a world where the crisis turned into an all-out war.

Well, as Pascale pointed out, in a way the only safe bet is that the holes *don’t* line up, since that way if you win at least you get to collect. 

But I know what you mean, of course.

jcm