Wargame Articles
Historical Use of Nuclear Weapons by John CurryAfter the weekend in the bunker, I considered the history of nuclear warfare. They were considered for use in Korea (seriously) by the Americans. The Russians wanted to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike on China in 1971, but the American’s would not guarantee not to intervene.Less well know is that the Russians in the late 1970’s and the 1980’s believed that with integrated air and missile defence, they could protect the heart of their industrial complex around Moscow. They thought they could win a nuclear war. (General Wesley Clair, 2002, Waging Modern War, p5). NATO on the other hand, had no strategy after nuclear release (i.e. they had no doctrine for what to do after deciding to launch). Ali Magoudi, Pycho analyst of the late President Mitterand, published a book in which he said Margaret Thatcher threatened Mitterand. If France did not reveal the electronic warfare secrets of the Excocet Anti-ship missile, she would use a nuke against Argentina. Mitterand is quoted as saying ‘Happily, I gave in. Otherwise, I assure you, that lady’s iron finger would have pushed the button’. History notes, that France did release the necessary information to the UK. In an interesting example of patient- doctor confidentiality not applying to dead French President’s, we now know why.
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