[Teutatis]

For those who haven't watched Dr. Strangelove you should, it really is that good.

In the movie the soviets built a doomsday machine that would retaliate automatically and without human intervention to any nuclear attacks conducted by the US, but what people didn't know at the time is that the USSR did in fact build a sort of doomsday machine/program called Perimeter, which they kept secret for a long time.

Nuclear powers use deterrents to prevent other powers from attacking them, but deterrents only work is they are known, so why didn't the soviets let everyone know about their program? Apparently the deterrent wasn't to be used against other countries but to deter themselves from making a mistake and engaging in nuclear war due to machine or human error.

Fascinating stuff, read more here.

[Foolsgo1d]

Its known as deadhand these days isn't it?

It may not be a nice system but if you're going out permanently you may as well take your enemy with you. However even if the US, Russia or China were to deploy a successful first strike on either of themselves the number of nukes it would require would essentially mean suicide.

The cost to humanity would be incredible. Look at what 9/11 did to the US and Europe. Now imagine what 100+ nukes and millions dead would look like.

[Teutatis]

Dr. Strangelove explaining what a Doomsday Machine is

5 Cold War Close Calls

• Another U-2 Spy Plane Incident
• The B-59 Submarine Incident
• The 1979 NORAD Computer Glitch
• The 1983 Nuclear False Alarm
• The Able Archer 83 Exercise
  

Good article, goes more in depth into the events previously listed
Close calls: We were closer to nuclear destruction than we knew

Two men to whom we owe a debt of gratitude for having averted a nuclear holocaust but are now practically forgotten.
The Men Who Saved the World – Meet Two Different Russians Who Prevented WW3

Vasili Arkhipov


Trailer

Full length

Stanislav Petrov


Trailer

[Teutatis]

Game theory and nuclear deterrents on the magnificent 80s British sitcom "Yes Minister"