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The 1983: The Brink of Apocalypse documentary archive consists of transcripts of 31 interviews concerning events in Nov 1983 when a NATO command post exercise, code named ABLE ARCHER, caused the USSR to believe that NATO was planning a genuine nuclear attack.

Interviews were conducted with eyewitnesses from Britain, US, USSR and East Germany, including NATO, intelligence and military personnel, policy advisors and historians Werner Grossman, Gen Col Ivan Yesin, Capt Viktor Tkachenko, Stanislav Petrov, Victor Cherkashin, Adm Vladlen Smirnoff, Gen Igor Kondriatev, Oleg Gordievsky, Robert Gates, Gen John Chain, Robert McFarlane, Peter Pry, Col Spike Callender, Oleg Kalugin, Ben Fischer, Fritz Ermath, Charles Powell, Gene Gay, John Hughes Wilson, David Blythe, Joe Troxell, Col Charlie Simpson, Christopher Donnelly, Sergei Lokot, Capt William Bliss, Vladimir Kryuchkov, Boris Klyuyukov, General Rodionov, Col Maxim Devetyarov, Gen Ivan Tretyak, Gennady Ossipovich, Vitali Tsygichko and Rainer Rupp.

Subjects include: detente, the easing of strained relations between the Warsaw Pact and NATO in the 1970s; Andrei Gromyko, USSR Minister of Foreign Affairs 1957-1985; Yuri Andropov, USSR General Secretary, 1982-1984; Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister 1979-1991; Richard Nixon, UU President 1969-1974; Jimmy Carter, US President 1977-1981; Ronald Reagan, US President 1981-1988; Vladmir Kryuchkov, Deputy Chairman of the KGB, 1978-1988, and Chairman of the KGB 1988-1991; Nikolai Orgakov, USSR Chief of General Staff (1977-1984); Dmitry Ustinov, USSR Minister of Defence 1976-1984; Tom Clancy, US fiction and non-fiction writer; the attempted assassination of Pope John-Paul II, 1981; Strategic Defence Initaitve (SDI) and Star Wars 1981; Operation RYAN, USSR monitoring of Western activity, 1981-1984; Beirut barracks bombing, 1983; invasion of Grenada Oct-Dec 1983; shooting down of Korean Airlines flight 007, Sep 1983; the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, 1979-1988.

Transcripts include questions and answers, and the tape counter numbering has been logged. The interviewer is not identified. Where interviews were translated this has been noted. Some names, places or phrases have been guessed at, or spelled phonetically by the transcriber. No information is given about the date or identity of the transcriber.

DVD of 1983: The Brink of Apocalypse (2 copies)

Synopsis of 1983: The Brink of Apocalypse, written by Flashback Productions (2 copies)

Typescript transcript of interview with Adm Vladen Smirnoff, USSR Northern Fleet, Deputy Chief. Subjects include his rank in 1983 and naval intelligence; tensions between East and West during this period; the election of Ronald Reagan in 1981 and his “militant rhetoric” during the election campaign of 1979-80; Reagan’s appointment of Caspar Weinberger and John Lehman within the defence and naval departments; tactical and strategic nuclear weapons; Ronald Reagan’s “Evil Empire” speech, 1981; America’s 47 nuclear exercises in 1983; Strategic Defence Initiative; the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007, 1 Sep 1983; Able Archer; USSR strengthening of intelligence operations; NATO forces at the Russian borders; American submarines; American and USSR violation of territorial waters; violation of USSR airspace; provocation by the Americans; Pacific fleet exercise 1983; USS Harlan County’s unexpected arrival in the Barent sea; the activity of American, French and British ships within the Barent Sea; US interest in USSR’s new submarines; psychology of nuclear war; the concept of a ‘Nuclear Winter’; Able Archer and why 1983’s exercise stood out above all others; psychological and moral difficulties of a starting a nuclear war; American targets during Able Archer. Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English. 52pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Ben Fischer, CIA Historian. Subjects include his roles as CIA analyst, operations officer ( his role in 1983) and historian; his interest in this period and studying at the Centre for the Study of Intelligence; the atmosphere during 1979-1983; the USSR-Afghanistan war; the deployment of Pershing II missiles and the USSR deployment of SS20 missiles; the Walker Spy ring, convicted in 1985; Operation RYAN; the lack of USSR investment in technology and being behind the west in technological advances; USSR belief in a ‘economic revolution without political revolution’; the elderly politburo; USSR paranoia of attack; USSR concerns about ‘decapitation’ of the state; Able Archer exercise in the context of shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007 and invasion of Grenada, 1983; the USSR’s response to Able Archer monitored by CIA; USSR nuclear capability as analysed by CIA; KGB stations and military forces on alert during Able Archer; Oleg Gordievsky as a CIA source and Margaret Thatcher convincing Ronald Reagan to trust Gordievsky. 53pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Boris Vladimirovich Klyuyukov Deputy Head of personal security of Yuri Andropov. Subjects include his role working for Yuri Andropov when he was Chairman of the KGB and General Secretary; Andropov’s illness and his dialysis every other day requiring him to be based at the hospital in Kosava instead of the Kremlin; Andropov’s efficiency as General Secretary whilst in hospital; hospital visits from Dmitry Ustinov, Andrei Gromyko, Mikhail Gorbachev & Konstantin Chernenko; Andropov’s calm and confidence in 1983; Andropov reaction to the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL-007; Klyuyukov’s recollections of Able Archer; Yuri Andropov as a personality; the possibility of Andropov giving an order to start a nuclear war; relationship between Andropov and Ustinov; hotline within the hospital; Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English; 26pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Capt Viktor Tkachenko, Commander of the Nuclear Missile Silo, Soviet Nuclear Missile Force. Subjects include: his role in at the Strategic Missile Force, Nov 1983, in charge of ten intercontinental missiles; tensions on the eve of the October Revolution anniversary holiday, 7 Nov 1983; Yuri Andropov’s role as General Secretary of the Communist Party and leader of the USSR; perceived threat of a nuclear strike; briefings urging extra caution during NATO strategic exercises; the USSR’s preparedness for a third world war; role of USA in NATO exercises; SS19 missiles launch time and power; USSR conviction of nuclear superiority and the likelihood of the USA launching a first strike nuclear attack. Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English. 20pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Capt William Bliss, Chief of the Nuclear Operation Section of the Operations Division, NATO. Subjects include his role as Chief of the Nuclear Operation Section with Supreme Headquarters Allied Paths Europe (SHAPE) in 1983; his specialism in nuclear weapons; SHAPE as an organisation and building in Brussels; the atmosphere within the SHAPE bunker ;what Able Archer was; communications within the Able Archer exercise; tensions between Turkey and Greece within the exercise; anticipation of Able Archer; the testing of communications; Able Archer leaks to the German press; intelligence leaks within SHAPE use of Pershing II missiles in exercise and the use of chemical and conventional weapons alongside nuclear in Able Archer; the role of American and British administration within Able Archer; the idea that Able Archer was a provocative exercise; completion of the exercise and emotions upon doing so.

Typescript transcript of interview with Christopher Donnelly Head of Soviet Studies Research Centre at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Subjects include his role as Head of USSR Studies in Sandhurst; his personal experience of the USSR and studying it from afar in the Ministry of Defence; his role in the civil service and as Territorial Army captain; Mikhail Gorbachev and the changes of the early 1980s USSR; the increase of western influences in the USSR; USSR-Afghanistan war 1979-1988; the shooting down of Korean Airlines Flight KAL-007; the emergence of Yuri Andropov; USSR forces in Eastern Europe and their size and scale compared to NATO forces; the three elements of the USSR leadership KGB, party and army; USSR culture of paranoia within leadership; the use of deterrents in conflict such as the hotline for discussion; lack of communication from the USSR; why the USSR began a war in Afghanistan but not with the West; the effect Ronald Reagan was having on the USSR; USSR belief that Reagan believed he could win the Cold War; Margaret Thatcher influencing Reagan policy; British government and Margaret Thatcher’s reaction to the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL -007;USSR reaction to KAL 007 and Western indignation; relationship between Gorbachev and Andropov; USSR monitoring of Able Archer; Able Archer as cover for a real nuclear attack; lack of analysis capability from USSR, difficulties of GRU intercepting information; the fear of giving leadership bad news; USSR strength in its military prowess (WW2 levels); collective amnesia about Able Archer. 51pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Col Charlie Simpson, NATO Special Weapons Section, the Nuclear Policy Section with questions. Subjects include a description of a NATO bunker in South Dakota; the reinforcements and shock insulation of the bunkers and its ability withstand nuclear attack; the launch control centre; protection against unauthorised launches, the workings of a self-contained bunker/capsule; survival period in the bunker; the psychology of no lone zone policy; Primary Arding System (PAS) which was a direct communication line to military crews and any backup communication devices. 43pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Col Maxim Devetyarov, USSR Bomber Pilot .Subjects include his position and rank in 1983 as a senior navigator; USSR being prepared for war; Pershing II missile deployment; USSR commanders belief that there was a possibility of a conflict; USSR’s only bombers regiment and its relocation to Germany; the ability of the USSR planes to carry nuclear weapons; warnings about American provocation; high combat readiness, being prepared for take-off and the psychological pressure of high combat alert; the role of conventional and nuclear weapons; interest of Americans towards the bomber regiment; what he was doing during NATO exercises and his recollection of Able Archer in November 1983; tasks set to strategic bombers; his personal life; Original interview conducted in Russian; Typescript transcript in English. 27pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Col Spike Callender, Directing Staff of Able Archer, NATO. Subjects include his role in NATO/Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and NATO exercise planning 1981-1984; what was Able Archer and it involved; how Able Archer played out annually, based on tensions between Warsaw Pact and NATO; the role of exercise planners in a command post exercise and the presence of no troops on the ground in these exercises; the Able Archer scenario; the WINTEX exercise, which was the biennial exercise focussing on political consultation; the atmosphere amongst those taking part in the Able Archer exercise; what players knew about Able Archer script prior to reading it; Able Archer timeframe; USSR monitoring of Able Archer, Able Archer as a provocative exercise; Callender’s role in Special (nuclear) Weapons branch. 58pp

Typescript transcript of interview with David Blythe NATO Special Weapons Section, the Nuclear Policy Section. Subjects include Able Archer exercise; his role within NATO Special Weapons Section and the Nuclear Policy Section; Nuclear Policy’s role within Able Archer; Nuclear Weapons Release Procedure; the atmosphere within the Supreme Headquarters Allied Paths Europe (SHAPE) bunker, where the exercise took place; the Nuclear Weapons Release Procedure exercise; analysis of Able Archer and how believable was the Able Archer scenario; use of Pershing II missiles in the exercise ;the purpose of the exercise. 38pp

Typescript transcript interview with Fritz W. Ermath, USSR Analyst in the CIA. Subjects include his role in in the US Aerospace industry and his subsequent return to the CIA; his expertise in USSR affairs; his recollection of the USSR and US tensions; the rise of Poland’s ‘solidarity movement’ and the plot to kill the Pope 1981, Reagan’s election and his “Evil Empire” speech, 1981, the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI); NATO immediate range missiles and the deployment of Pershing II missiles; the shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007; compiling a national intelligence estimate assessment of the events of early 1980s; the involvement of Robert Gates; the large numbers of staff working on USSR intelligence in the 1980s; the response to Able Archer; the monitoring of USSR activity; US underestimating USSR paranoia; USSR awareness of their economic situation; Oleg Gordievsky as a source for the CIA; tactical strike regiments in East Germany; Able Archer in comparison to the Cuban Missile Crisis; SIOPS activities. 41pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Gen Col Ivan Yesin, Soviet Nuclear Missile Force (SNMF). Subjects include: his role, Nov 1983; tensions between East and West in the late 1970s and early 1980s; boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow; the USSR-Afghanistan war 1979-1988; the Pioneer missile complex and its capabilities; NATO exercise ABLE ARCHER; USSR missile launch plans; the role of Yuri Andropov (General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union 1982-1984) in potential USSR missile launches; USSR Government Control Centre; Nikolai Orgakov (Chief of General Staff, 1977-1984), and his role in the command centre; atmosphere in the Government Control Centre amongst the SNMF and other soviet military forces. Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English. 28pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Gen Igor Kondriatev, USSR Military Intelligence. Subjects include Stanislav Petrov and the false detection of missiles in September 1983; expectations of a nuclear attack from NATO and NATO’s capabilities of nuclear attack; political and military level tensions between NATO and the USSR; President Ronald Reagan administration and his “Evil Empire” speech, 1981; tension between the heads of state; Operation RYAN military intelligence on NATO; NATO exercises and the exhaustion they would cause to military staff; GDR military intelligence and Markus Wolf; Able Archer as a routine strategic exercise; USSR leadership concerns about Able Archer; Able Archer as a provocative exercise. Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English. 29pp.

Typescript transcript of interview with Gen Ivan Tretyak USSR Air Force, Far East. Subjects include his role as commander of the Far Eastern Military district; airspace violations during the Cold War; shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007; reporting to Dmitry Ustinov about the incident; Ustinov ordering the plane to be shot down; standoff with American planes in neutral waters; USSR claims that it was not a passenger plane but a reconnaissance plane, after inspection of seabed by Russian submarine; Politburo session following the incident; American violations triggering the shooting down of KAL 007; the lack of dead bodies recovered; accuracy of Early Warning Systems; was shooting down of KAL 007 a mistake?; the possibility that Treyak was misled by USSR authorities regarding the true nature of KAL 007; Andropov chairing the Politburo meeting ; Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English; 25pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Gen John T. Chain US Air Force, Head of Plans and Operations, Air Staff, Pentagon. Subjects include his role in 1983 in the US Air Force as the 3 star Head of Plans and Operations; intelligence briefs he received; Cold War tension during 1983, in comparison to the period of 1958-1962; Ronald Reagan’s strong feelings on dealing with the USSR; the introduction, mixed reception and budget concerns of the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) and Star Wars; interests of national security and the balance of power, sharing technological advances with the USSR; Reagan’s speeches antagonising the USSR; the chances of the USA launching against North Korea; 1983 US Naval exercise in the Pacific which involved searching USSR waters, a provocative exercise to see how the USSR would react; US and USSR flying along borders to gather information, the US’s advantage; the shooting down of Korean Airlines Flight KAL 007 and the mood in Washington following the shooting; the USSR claims that KAL 007 was a military Boeing 747 and the US stating there were no military 747s in September 1983; first nuclear briefing to Reagan by Strategic Operations Integrated Operation Plan (SIOP) given by commandeering chief Bill Hadden and Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff(JSTPS); briefings to Tom Clancy, who was writing a Jack Ryan novel, and Clancy’s questioning of Chain on how he would respond to a president nuclear order; USSR response to Able Archer, US combat readiness. 56pp

Typescript transcript of interview with Gen Rodionov USSR Army, Missile Warning Section. Subjects include his role as his role and rank as Commander of the Missile Warning Section in 1983; the purpose of the Missile Warning Section, what the Missile Warning Section monitored “Evil Empire” speech, 1981; shooting down of Korean Airlines flight KAL 007; Able Archer; satellite interference; system producing false warnings and the frequency of false warnings; informing Andropov of missile launches; planned retaliation from USSR; Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI); defence against the SDI monitoring of Pershing II missile bases; reaction of Missile Warning Section forces to Able Archer; permanent state of combat readiness; the possibility of a pre-emptive strike from the USSR; hotline to the General Secretary; the money spent on new technological developments and the building up of new weapons; the Stanislav Petrov incident. Original interview conducted in Russian, transcript in English 31pp