How A Nuclear War Will Start - Minute by Minute

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 15K

  • @kurzgesagt
    @kurzgesagt  ปีที่แล้ว +3678

    Join us over on Discord to discuss and share your thoughts: kgs.link/Discord

    • @Dark_Souls_3
      @Dark_Souls_3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      Holy shit, y’all were some of the first in a TH-cam video🔥🔥🔥

    • @exactingbirdy
      @exactingbirdy ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@mystii- second?

    • @akshatpatel1286
      @akshatpatel1286 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      2nd

    • @folduh
      @folduh ปีที่แล้ว +2

      4th

    • @Nik00000la
      @Nik00000la ปีที่แล้ว +3

      5th

  • @deltalord6969
    @deltalord6969 ปีที่แล้ว +26391

    The fact that the entire explanation is said in extreme haste about only 5 minutes really amplifies the dread of the entire situation and how things can go south really quickly

    • @bencolbert6732
      @bencolbert6732 ปีที่แล้ว +412

      Well, all the explanation stuff would be left out because they would already know. so more real time info could be looked at.

    • @Kyza324
      @Kyza324 ปีที่แล้ว +73

      It only makes it harder for people to understand

    • @anthosm
      @anthosm ปีที่แล้ว +300

      ​@@bencolbert6732who would already know what? On Trump's first day as president without any previous political experience you think he would already have any prior knowledge about any of this whatsoever?

    • @MrPaxio
      @MrPaxio ปีที่แล้ว +28

      holy shit, a video from kurzgesagt, once again about nuclear war, but this time its 8 minutes instead of 50, 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮 i might actually watch it....?? naaaaaah, thatd make me wack

    • @joshuabrigden4820
      @joshuabrigden4820 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      nah bill gates just isnt as interested in this topic and cut donations

  • @NorthoftheBorder
    @NorthoftheBorder ปีที่แล้ว +49689

    This was very informative and well done and I hated every single second of it.

    • @roycarney8854
      @roycarney8854 ปีที่แล้ว +1048

      This is a crossover I never thought I’d see

    • @lightningbolt171
      @lightningbolt171 ปีที่แล้ว +267

      Hello man, love your vids

    • @toolbaggers
      @toolbaggers ปีที่แล้ว

      We live in a world where a Donald Trump could kill the entire planet if they can't drink a dozen Diet Cokes per day.
      The US and Russia should not be allowed to have the ability for a single citizen from one of those countries to have the ability to end the world. The entire world needs to boycott these evil countries until they can behave and not selfishly threaten death for everybody.

    • @scientificnameofpigs
      @scientificnameofpigs ปีที่แล้ว +113

      Me too

    • @mesa9724
      @mesa9724 ปีที่แล้ว

      This was not well done at all. They mention one single person (President) can launch a nuclear attack which is false and ridiculous. Just more fearmongering and ridiculousness.

  • @burneraccount122
    @burneraccount122 ปีที่แล้ว +3703

    The funny thing about the nuclear submarine during the Cuban missile crisis was that the system only needed 2 officers to authorize and both the captain and 1st mate agreed to do it but at that time there just happened to be a higher-ranking officer there at the moment and his vote overide the 1st mate so it didn't go through. absolutely pure coincidence and we were so lucky to have that man aboard at that time.

    • @Giotsche
      @Giotsche ปีที่แล้ว +120

      In situations like this, I can't just think of coincidence

    • @fios4528
      @fios4528 ปีที่แล้ว +432

      @@Giotsche that's survivorship bias. You only have the ability to consider there being some grander reason behind this because the scenarios in which it didn't happen would be ones in which you wouldn't be around to contemplate how things ended up here.

    • @maymayman0
      @maymayman0 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      How do you "just happen" to be on a submarine???

    • @jpheitman1
      @jpheitman1 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      Vasiliy Alexandrovich Arkhipov, the man who saved the world.

    • @fios4528
      @fios4528 ปีที่แล้ว +163

      @@maymayman0 because you're assigned to it. He didn't materialize out of quantum foam

  • @crowsenpai5625
    @crowsenpai5625 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3341

    It’s amazing/terrifying how the world is in a soft yet constant state of “on the brink of total annihilation” just because like 7 guys can’t get along.

    • @tobithiele2673
      @tobithiele2673 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +121

      That statement is very naive

    • @Nokchassipnomat
      @Nokchassipnomat 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +331

      ​@@tobithiele2673Well, then why don't you say something mature and insightful, Mr. book smart?

    • @MaDrung
      @MaDrung 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +110

      @@Nokchassipnomat he makes a good point. Public is usually naive as it's not their main subject of expertise. World is more complex than laymen realize.
      Therefore it's easy to make such beliteling statements, thinking you're smarter or more well intentioned then everyone else who's main occupation it is to deal with all this shit.

    • @Nokchassipnomat
      @Nokchassipnomat 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +71

      @@MaDrung So, do you mean that Tobithiele2673 and YOU have a "professional" understanding of the situation of people who are politically influential enough to start a nuclear war, and my accusations are not valid?
      To me, YOU and Tobithiele2673 seem to be a loser who feels superior and can't get the point straight by looking at a sentence simplified to help understand and thinking, "This guy is naive."

    • @d.robert8471
      @d.robert8471 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +81

      ​@@Nokchassipnomat"a loser who feels superior"
      this statement better describes yourself given your overblown and unnecessary defensiveness at a simple remark

  • @sp_ce.
    @sp_ce. ปีที่แล้ว +6702

    The incredible part is that Vasili Arkhipov wasn’t even supposed to be on that submarine. I believe he had a choice and the fact he chose that one was a sheer coincidence, and one that may have saved millions or even billions.

    • @Disappointed_Philosoraptor
      @Disappointed_Philosoraptor ปีที่แล้ว

      billions, and also quite likely finalise the extinction of our species. There are not enough easily accessible resources left on the surface of our planet to sustain a second industrial revolution. If we go back to the bronze age, there is no second chance for us to reach the space age and spead to other planets, which is the only way to make sure we do not inevitably go extinct. Eventually, our planet will become inhospitable to life one way or another, and then we are gone for good.

    • @ividboy7616
      @ividboy7616 ปีที่แล้ว +742

      I actually believe that moment was our encounter with the great filter and we passed it by sheer luck

    • @VenstaMusic
      @VenstaMusic ปีที่แล้ว +219

      ​@@ividboy7616I wish it was. Sadly the nukes are still here proving me otherwise.

    • @ShapezPuller64
      @ShapezPuller64 ปีที่แล้ว

      The climate is our great filter imo - if we can't figure out how to keep it alive, we'll wipe ourselves out.
      The rich will die last, of course, but we won't make it. The filter claims another. Or maybe its first. Dumb way to die, either way.

    • @jacksonblack9408
      @jacksonblack9408 ปีที่แล้ว +225

      @@ividboy7616 I believe that was the world having a Quantum suicide moment, and the only reason we exist to be thankful for it is because we wouldn't exist in the other potential futures to have perceived it.

  • @Efthimisko
    @Efthimisko ปีที่แล้ว +2599

    Discussing about nuclear war in a vacuum might be grim enough, but seeing it unfold moment to moment really puts into perspective how gut wrenching the whole ordeal is. The first person point of view really helps sell the effect, I have to say.

    • @namantherockstar
      @namantherockstar ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Nutshell inspires me.. My parents said if i get 50K followers They'd buy me a professional camera for recording..begging u guys , literally
      Begging...

    • @somedudewhoexists
      @somedudewhoexists ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@namantherockstarI’ve seen you before

    • @paulstelian97
      @paulstelian97 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Those of us close to the Ukraine war and who took the Russian warnings of using nuclear retaliation shall Crimea be recovered by Ukraine take it even _more_ seriously. Hah.

    • @MaxSchity
      @MaxSchity ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes, gripping to say the least.

    • @nneeerrrd
      @nneeerrrd ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@paulstelian97You well aware that this video is targeted at the Western people, right? In china TH-cam is *NOT AVAILABLE!* In russia the 85% of people are supporting the war. So the whole point is aimed at western democracies to exploit free speech and undermine their nuclear deterrent forces. Is this anti-West channel now?

  • @Desperajoe
    @Desperajoe ปีที่แล้ว +2058

    Man, I am actually in VR and saw you guys uploaded 2 minutes ago. I hit the video up IN VR. And the start was so literally so bizarre. This couldn't have been better, lmao

    • @luff675
      @luff675 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      What VR set do you use?

    • @Louis14022
      @Louis14022 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      wait what
      you can whatch youtube in vr?

    • @ekokepe
      @ekokepe ปีที่แล้ว +79

      that's an ultimate VR experience I guess haha

    • @Sarahbryson321
      @Sarahbryson321 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      ⁠@@Louis14022yes you can

    • @My_Honest_Reaction_1
      @My_Honest_Reaction_1 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      💀💀

  • @GCWFilms
    @GCWFilms 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +46

    This video got to me! The pacing, the dialogue and the animation are insane! This 9 minute video made me feel more than most of the feature length films I’ve watched in my life. That’s why I love this channel!

  • @torch_k8110
    @torch_k8110 ปีที่แล้ว +2027

    I’m happy that you mentioned Vasili Arkhipov! He’s such an unknown the the average person. It is a miracle because the Soviets usually only had 2 people to make that decision, but because he was a high ranking officer the sub he was on needed his permission.

    • @atomicskull6405
      @atomicskull6405 ปีที่แล้ว +109

      Nobody is pointing out that russian subs don't need launch codes they can just do it independently of the chain of command. UK ballistic missile subs have a similar system in place, if london goes quiet they open a safe with the "letter of last resort" and follow the instructions.

    • @torch_k8110
      @torch_k8110 ปีที่แล้ว +84

      @@atomicskull6405 so true, pretty insane that only a couple officers in the field could’ve just decided to start a nuclear war

    • @Dramn_
      @Dramn_ ปีที่แล้ว +27

      @@doncomputer5931 poor bait

    • @teamok1025
      @teamok1025 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Read this comment twice
      Did you see the "the the"?
      Why do your brain ignore the 2nd the?
      Or are they?

    • @torch_k8110
      @torch_k8110 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@teamok1025 oh lol oops, the first one was supposed to be “to” idk what happened. Oh well. If it’s annoying I’ll change it

  • @MindinViolet
    @MindinViolet ปีที่แล้ว +6125

    I find it both horrifying and moving to consider that we are only alive today because of a few good, sane people who made the decision in an intense situation not to act, not to launch.

    • @apex9806
      @apex9806 ปีที่แล้ว +531

      They were all sane. The ones who turned the key, and the one's who did not, all sane, had different reasons for the decision.
      Don't hate on the people who turned the key, they only had mere minutes to try to save millions before they too die in the next 5 minutes.
      The one's who didn't turn the key, the thought it's not worth killing more even if our survivors get invaded later on, if we are exterminated like ants in seconds, a complete genocide of our race, then so be it.
      Both are admirable decision, ones that I pray never get to be made by anyone, but you can never say either is wrong.

    • @BurntFaceMan
      @BurntFaceMan ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Excellent point well made sir.

    • @tracytron7162
      @tracytron7162 ปีที่แล้ว

      "Good" people my fucking ass

    • @eggycarrot
      @eggycarrot ปีที่แล้ว +39

      ​@@apex9806seriously you got it right although OP doesn't have nuance , being in that position far from black and white

    • @awbays
      @awbays ปีที่แล้ว +189

      @@apex9806 Hard disagree. I hope the men who turned the key can't sleep at night knowing they almost ended our world with their idiocy.

  • @corrupt1user
    @corrupt1user ปีที่แล้ว +6016

    Vasili Arkhipov wasn't just an officer, but the head of the fleet; he had achieved fame previously during the "widomaker" incident.

    • @alpal4245
      @alpal4245 ปีที่แล้ว +315

      I may be mistaken but pretty sure he didn't even have to be on the submarine, like, it could've been possible that just the two officers and the nuclear option would've been used

    • @DailyClipsoftheworld
      @DailyClipsoftheworld ปีที่แล้ว +53

      ​@@alpal4245it's True

    • @iplaygames8090
      @iplaygames8090 ปีที่แล้ว +320

      and it wasnt just because they didnt have contact with moscow but because US destroyers were dropping training depth charges on them.

    • @corrupt1user
      @corrupt1user ปีที่แล้ว +327

      @@iplaygames8090 And the sub's air conditioning failed, the battery was low, and the CO2 levels elevated, making everyone on board absolutely panicky and giving them ONLY the options of "fire torpedo" or "surface/surrender" with no time to reason out the choices.

    • @jamesdinius7769
      @jamesdinius7769 ปีที่แล้ว +391

      In fact, him being the head of the fleet is the only reason his authorization was required. Standard protocol only required two authorizations, the ship's captain and the political officer. However, the fleet commander's authorization was also required if they were aboard.

  • @fathog209
    @fathog209 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +16

    This is going to age well.

    • @WCAPY-VR
      @WCAPY-VR 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      We ain’t going to know when it’s right. WE LL BE DEAD

    • @PatrickLenihan-zp8xi
      @PatrickLenihan-zp8xi วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      I hope not

  • @DrOSami
    @DrOSami ปีที่แล้ว +4865

    Stanislav Petrov, 'The Man Who Saved The World' , a former Soviet military officer. In 1983, he was on duty when the Soviet Union's early warning satellite indicated the U.S. had fired nuclear weapons at his country. He suspected, correctly, it was a false alarm and did not immediately send the report up the chain of command. Petrov died at age 77.

    • @Roope00
      @Roope00 ปีที่แล้ว +488

      He was punished for his brave act because he didn't follow orders by his superiors who had no second thoughts.

    • @I-Stole-Your-Toast700
      @I-Stole-Your-Toast700 ปีที่แล้ว +187

      @@Roope00 I was bouta say, "Did he suddenly disappear one night with no traces of where he went?"

    • @BushidoBrownSama
      @BushidoBrownSama ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Hero frfr

    • @amadeus.k331
      @amadeus.k331 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Soviets ... now Russians, seem to have quite a bit more maturity, common sense and yes, intelligence, than any "leaders" (I use that term loosely) found in NATO or the US, unfortunately. China's nuclear arsenal is insignificant, and is grossly overstated by the CCP to make them appear more powerful than they really are, where as the number of warheads (thermonuclear and nuclear) possessed by Russia and (probably) the US are understated, to make it seem that they actually followed that treaty to the letter - they did not. But as long as people are stupid enough to keep voting in leftist globalist deep state puppets, like they have over the last 50 years (only exceptions being Trump and Carter) who are hell-bent on starting useless wars, nuclear war is a mathematical certainty - not if, but when...

    • @vargasbasti
      @vargasbasti ปีที่แล้ว

      America would have retaliated.
      America is evil. Ask Japan.
      Nuclear war is a thing only bc America. Thank you gringos

  • @Tjalve70
    @Tjalve70 ปีที่แล้ว +2321

    There was also the time when the US missile detection system in Greenland went live. The rising Moon was interpreted as a missile attack. And possibly the only reason why USA didn't "retaliate", was because someone remembered that Khrushchev was in New York at the time. And it was considered unlikely that USSR would launch an attack while their leader was in USA.

    • @jsl151850b
      @jsl151850b ปีที่แล้ว +121

      Actually.... Two birds/One stone for a coup.

    • @Maaseruu
      @Maaseruu ปีที่แล้ว +182

      @@jsl151850b if its a coup, then involving other country is just more problems to handle

    • @kimgkomg
      @kimgkomg ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@MaaseruuI imagine any coup would've probably wanted America on their side too. We would've been more than happy to sponsor a collapse of the Russian government

    • @Tjalve70
      @Tjalve70 ปีที่แล้ว +198

      @@jsl151850b"Yay! We have now killed the leader of our country, and we get to rule. Aaaand we're all dead."
      Not the most effective coup I can imagine.

    • @ryomaru2
      @ryomaru2 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      "Considered unlikely" more like flat out improbable.

  • @ericlin2611
    @ericlin2611 ปีที่แล้ว +1235

    As someone passingly familiar with the Cold War, the moment the general said the enemy wasn't using their entire nuclear hoard and that the satellite system was new, I had the sinking feeling it was a sensor glitch. This sorta uncertainty only adds to the terrifying stress someone would experience in this situation.
    Edit: yeah I know it was confirmed via other means afterwards, but it doesn't change the nagging feeling in the back of your head that this is all a mistake, and you may be the one to end humanity for it.

    • @adr2t
      @adr2t ปีที่แล้ว +110

      Yea thats what I was looking out for. The small details to see if it was a mistake/glitch in the machine of many human errors.

    • @Dantick09
      @Dantick09 ปีที่แล้ว

      Using all their weapons would open them up to get nuked themselves by another country

    • @Dantick09
      @Dantick09 ปีที่แล้ว +86

      The enemy made it look like a glitch on purpose, timed it to the new system

    • @ddd4040
      @ddd4040 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      ​@@Dantick09Or did they?

    • @Sushi_the_Idiot
      @Sushi_the_Idiot ปีที่แล้ว +37

      Oh well then I just killed humanity

  • @user-yf1he8us8r
    @user-yf1he8us8r 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    seeing this in November 2024 hits different

    • @Symantec-u1g
      @Symantec-u1g วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Fr😂

    • @ButchersNailsEnjoyer
      @ButchersNailsEnjoyer วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Except Biden funded 2 wars during his presidency while trump ended 2 😂

    • @LordePetty
      @LordePetty วันที่ผ่านมา

      ⁠@@ButchersNailsEnjoyerhows chomps cheddar chode taste dltop69420,

  • @ZR3009
    @ZR3009 ปีที่แล้ว +2313

    This POV style video for the first 5 minute really sales the desperate decisions feeling from the topic. Well done!

    • @Daniel-rd6st
      @Daniel-rd6st ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Gives you some inside on how Stanislaw Petrow must have felt. All he had to go on was a detected launch from the satelite system and just minutes to decide to order a retaliation strike. He decided against it, because he fought, that if the USA should attack, they wouldnt just send a couple of warheads. Luckily he didnt know the NATO doctrine of sending in a couple of missiles first to neutralize high value targets (maybe hoping that the enemy would hesitate when detecting only a few missiles) before launching a full strike. And it got even worse, when the NATO conducted a military exercise called "Able Archer" on 9th November 1983, simulating a full scale nuclear exchange. Russia interpreted it as preparation for an immediate attack and basically made every nuke they had ready for launch. When the british secret service reported how extremly nervous Russia was GB and the USA made an effort to deescalate the situation. It was a turning point.
      I often wondered how i would react in Petrows position. But i always come to the same conclusion. When the missiles are already flying, the war is already over. I am dead. My family is dead. My friends are dead, most of the population is dead. Millions of innocents dead. The only thing i could do would be to do the same thing to the enemy. And not just the enemy. Because there is so little time targets are preprogrammed. You wouldnt just hit the country that launched the attack (which you might not even know, when the attack gets launched by submarines for example) you would hit any target considered a threat. Personally i dont think that i could hit the button. Because at the end, what would be the point?

    • @danisob3633
      @danisob3633 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Daniel-rd6st none. no point.

    • @TheJaredtheJaredlong
      @TheJaredtheJaredlong ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Can't imagine being the general in that situation trying to accurately explain everything as fast as possible. Part of me doubts the general would actually have that much restraint. If the general truly believed they may die at any moment and pushing the button was the only good option, they'd probably do it themselves.

    • @anderstermansen130
      @anderstermansen130 ปีที่แล้ว

      dont worry, a nuclear war is never going to happen.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@Daniel-rd6stoh damn, I didn’t know that bit about the NATO doctrine of misdirection.
      I’d always agreed with his thinking, and that’s probably why this video said hundreds of launches were detected to make it undoubtable, but knowing NATO planned around that really adds pathos. Because that means what he “should” have done was retaliate immediately since it matched the profile 😨

  • @TheJerbol
    @TheJerbol ปีที่แล้ว +1064

    The Vasili Arkhipov story is fascinating, a great wiki read for any interested. He was actually the regional commander of multiple submarines iirc, and because of this fact whatever submarine he was serving on was the _only_ one that needed 3 officers to sign off on, all the others only required 2. The circumstances are insane

    • @violetsisreal
      @violetsisreal ปีที่แล้ว +41

      Hearts pounding

    • @beanapprentice1687
      @beanapprentice1687 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      Wow… humanity is so fucked up man.

    • @TheJerbol
      @TheJerbol ปีที่แล้ว

      @@beanapprentice1687 agreed, but we're a pretty logical consequence of what 100k years of evolution versus 200 years of exponential technological growth have created. Nature plans for 20-30 years, modern humans live ~80, our brains are shit at this stuff.

    • @finlaycraig1810
      @finlaycraig1810 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Things like this make me think maybe us humans will make it galactic eventually. So lucky

    • @w0ttheh3ll
      @w0ttheh3ll ปีที่แล้ว +43

      @@finlaycraig1810 past luck is no indication of future luck. in fact, if you think about it, we wouldn't be here without having gotten lucky so, so many times in the past. so past luck is a necessary condition of our current state. but that doesn't mean anything for the future. If you toss a fair coin a hundred times and get heads every time, does that change the coin? No. You've still got 50-50 chances on the next toss.

  • @anothersquid
    @anothersquid ปีที่แล้ว +1792

    I was in the air force in the '80s. This stuff was taken very seriously. We had regular nuke drills as part of the training and evaluation plan.

    • @myspam4454
      @myspam4454 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      thank you for serving

    • @Knightly_Mapping
      @Knightly_Mapping ปีที่แล้ว +10

      what country?

    • @XG_
      @XG_ ปีที่แล้ว +27

      I'm in the US Air Force currently and seeing this video is pretty spot on with how jam packed things can get durring missions. To be honest I couldn't imagine how stressful this would be for the officers and NCOd involved if this was real 😮

    • @kovona
      @kovona ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Was it usually done before or after the lunch buffet?

    • @pc12gauge
      @pc12gauge ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@XG_ dont worry, they pretty much gonna be made into plasma without even notice. You too

  • @LimoDieFlasche
    @LimoDieFlasche 4 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

    And now we're almost at a nuclear war... Can't believe this escalated that quickly

    • @BrookesDaddiesMommy
      @BrookesDaddiesMommy 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      we arent, youre just biting into the fear mongering of the media, guarantee you russia has 0 intentions of nuclear war, especially since he knows trump was just elected

    • @jhdsfalsjhdfjashdkhvjfldld8301
      @jhdsfalsjhdfjashdkhvjfldld8301 20 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      @@BrookesDaddiesMommy There are 2 moths left odf Biden in office... Don't claim victory that quick. If by january we are still alive, it will be a miracle.

  • @RealMaltigow
    @RealMaltigow ปีที่แล้ว +2185

    We're lucky that Vasili Arkhipov was in that particular sub. It's not necessarily an heroic act as sometimes depicted, but certainly an excellent decision making under pressure from a proven officier. Firing was a lose-lose. If total war had already started, which was uncertain, it would've make next to no difference to launch. If it didn't, launching would've been the biggest mistake and crime a human has ever committed since using cream in carbonara.

    • @stephenlarson5875
      @stephenlarson5875 ปีที่แล้ว +136

      Or putting raisins in cookies.

    • @criarinobr2682
      @criarinobr2682 ปีที่แล้ว +100

      or putting pineapple on pizza

    • @b1ff
      @b1ff ปีที่แล้ว +38

      @criarinobr2682 One of the biggest mistakes humanity has ever made, followed immediately by raisins in cookies.

    • @zhwzh_
      @zhwzh_ ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Exaclty, how in the hell responding a nuclear assault with another one is the "sane" option

    • @Slurp_Durp
      @Slurp_Durp ปีที่แล้ว +40

      ​@@b1ffPINEAPPLE PIZZA AINT BAD THO, Hawaiian pizza has pineapple with ham which is the better option but still!

  • @eclipsezero6103
    @eclipsezero6103 ปีที่แล้ว +1141

    The fact that everything was summarized and you are given a decision immediately, especially in first person POV, makes everything much more stressful. Amazing.

    • @casualbird7671
      @casualbird7671 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@FantaGuyXLivego away

    • @dralberthofmann
      @dralberthofmann ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I was so stressed watching that. Very effective.

    • @DLxxx
      @DLxxx ปีที่แล้ว +6

      My anxiety was going crazy while watching this (especially since it caught me off guard). This was super informative, but NOT pleasant to watch, lol

    • @rubensabatini7265
      @rubensabatini7265 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@FantaGuyXLive🤡

    • @jakehix8132
      @jakehix8132 ปีที่แล้ว

      @FantaGuyXLiveCan your parents make a channel so that I can follow them out of solidarity in not getting said camera?

  • @IsmaGF85
    @IsmaGF85 ปีที่แล้ว +2834

    This was one of your best videos yet. And the fact that you mentioned Arkhipov, the man that actually saved humanity, was very special.

    • @oxymoron02
      @oxymoron02 ปีที่แล้ว +177

      I was hoping he'd be mentioned-- that single time was THE closest the world ever came to ending, and that amazing man took a second to think, "What if...", ultimately saving billions of lives not just from when it happened, but into humanity's future as well.

    • @SicMundus24
      @SicMundus24 ปีที่แล้ว +96

      But he was Russian. That means he's bb....bbb .. bad RIGHT?!

    • @xBintu
      @xBintu ปีที่แล้ว +45

      ​@@SicMundus24🤦

    • @thegamingpuppet8381
      @thegamingpuppet8381 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      @@SicMundus24you have a sight and vision of a rhinoceros or what

    • @corncob567
      @corncob567 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@SicMundus24you should consider that he was still on the side that would’ve initiated nuclear war. He just had his head on straight considering they literally were just assuming nuclear war had begun.

  • @MegaMeco2
    @MegaMeco2 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    *clicks button *
    Assistant whispers to General : “uhh Sir we just got confirmation that it was a firework show , False flag “

  • @richtigmann1
    @richtigmann1 ปีที่แล้ว +1938

    jesus, this is actually terrifyingly illustrated, the panic, the millitary talk, the uncertainty, the rushed briefing, it's so well researched that it makes everything feel so real and actually horrifying to think about

    • @mesa9724
      @mesa9724 ปีที่แล้ว

      Well Researched? They mention a single person (President) can launch a nuclear attack which is hilariously false.

    • @rajveerkanojiya2985
      @rajveerkanojiya2985 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      nuclear war on August 25 2023 cause Russia's getting attacked by Ukraine

    • @Munchausenification
      @Munchausenification ปีที่แล้ว +26

      So its just me who thinks this is their worst video so far? They use so little actual data on the topic, why be so speculative?

    • @Mohojo
      @Mohojo ปีที่แล้ว +103

      @@rajveerkanojiya2985 Russia is getting attacked? You mean Russia's full scale and unprovoked invasion of its neighbor has gone bad and now Russia is helpless and now making excuses to use nuclear weapons?

    • @hungrykoala1293
      @hungrykoala1293 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      @@Munchausenification What was speculation here?

  • @mx_cre8tivename
    @mx_cre8tivename ปีที่แล้ว +1479

    This is by far the most frightening video you guys have made. It really hits on how dangerous and final a nuclear war would be. You guys are amazing keep it up

    • @gormauslander
      @gormauslander ปีที่แล้ว +6

      It could literally happen today. We are never more than one slipup away from complete species extinction

    • @smallSphere69
      @smallSphere69 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@gormauslanderLet it happen.
      After 100 years of that war there'll be a golden civilization with few population and global warming free Earth.

    • @cinemasurge1851
      @cinemasurge1851 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@gormauslanderluckily even if that did happen there are some bunkers that would survive and keep at least some sneaky humans alive

    • @gormauslander
      @gormauslander ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@cinemasurge1851 lucky how

    • @ShinChara
      @ShinChara ปีที่แล้ว

      They didn't talk about second strike capability. This video isn't how it would happen.

  • @aidanm8009
    @aidanm8009 ปีที่แล้ว +3189

    I’ll never forget Vasili’s name. He literally saved the entire world. Colossal bravery during a moment of unfathomable terror, all while trapped in a pressurized submarine.

    • @Dan-Simms
      @Dan-Simms ปีที่แล้ว +271

      Yeah, the parallel universe where he didn't stand up is now all glass.

    • @impersonalevil
      @impersonalevil ปีที่แล้ว +31

      He almost killed us all. The next time you're nearly hit by a car, don't forget to thank that driver. 😒

    • @kotzpenner
      @kotzpenner ปีที่แล้ว +651

      @@impersonalevil insanely bad take

    • @RutakoVon
      @RutakoVon ปีที่แล้ว +401

      ​@@impersonaleviltroglodyte take

    • @marc_frank
      @marc_frank ปีที่แล้ว +9

      imagine the sub wasn't pressurized

  • @egames910
    @egames910 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +28

    Perfectly made video with great attention to detail. Quick and straight to the point, used fake countries to remove any controversy, and small details like the general's uniform disappearing and reappearing when they have a visual representation like it was actually a green screen. (4:42)

  • @TimeBucks
    @TimeBucks ปีที่แล้ว +951

    This video was eye opening.

  • @unprofessional_personel
    @unprofessional_personel ปีที่แล้ว +574

    The animation is so much more advanced compared to previous videos because of lip-synching. Truly an amazing display of talent in the team who worked on this

    • @jerrygreenest
      @jerrygreenest ปีที่แล้ว +20

      They couldn't do lip-syncing when acting characters were ducks. It's an unusual episode with people in main role

    • @teamok1025
      @teamok1025 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@jerrygreenestye

  • @grfrjiglstan
    @grfrjiglstan ปีที่แล้ว +530

    I'm glad you mentioned that even though the old silo nukes may not all work, this is still an apocalyptic threat.

    • @twelvecatsinatrenchcoat
      @twelvecatsinatrenchcoat ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Is that why they told you that?
      Or is this really not a nuclear war?
      In a nuclear war they would've fired everything they have. So why didn't they? You know there are infrared signatures "consistent" with launches in 20 of 100 locations. So what's actually happening?

    • @jordyboy62
      @jordyboy62 ปีที่แล้ว +63

      ​@@twelvecatsinatrenchcoatthat's kinda the point of the video. You don't have all the information and you have to make a decision. You don't have time to question why they didn't fire everything.

    • @twelvecatsinatrenchcoat
      @twelvecatsinatrenchcoat ปีที่แล้ว +5

      ​@@jordyboy62 Yeah, that's why I exp- y'know, nevermind... Yup you're right guys, good job.

    • @kwikdahl
      @kwikdahl ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat Thing is many believe Russian nuclear missiles might be in the same sorry state as the rest of their army and that we shouldn't be afraid of their nukes. Even if 5% only work, that is still 5% too many.

    • @magnuswright5572
      @magnuswright5572 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      ​​@@twelvecatsinatrenchcoatNo tactical mind would ever decide to expend all their resources on a first strike, especially when 20% of the arsenal is probably already enough to literally end all life. The point is that it doesn't matter why they didn't launch them all, because launching more wouldn't change anything anyways.

  • @jhwblender
    @jhwblender ปีที่แล้ว +40

    Wow!! This was amazingly done. Immediately sucked me to the story. Love this animation style. Would love to see more of it.

  • @TheAdvertisement
    @TheAdvertisement ปีที่แล้ว +1134

    1:21 I like the detail that when the President peers to his left into the bunker, the general's voice pans to our right ear for a moment with headphones.
    4:36 Omg and the fact the, because the general's uniforms is green, his uniform is momentarily keyed out by the greenscreen before being fixed.

    • @nefariou5
      @nefariou5 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +76

      the attention to detail is what makes this channel masterful

  • @Enceladus335
    @Enceladus335 ปีที่แล้ว +1919

    Exactly what we needed first thing in the morning 😅

    • @scissorbanner9735
      @scissorbanner9735 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Funny that, where I am this video was uploaded at exactly midnight.

    • @sandboxgamekid4932
      @sandboxgamekid4932 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      so true tho

    • @fire777.
      @fire777. ปีที่แล้ว +3

      True

    • @Borbinator
      @Borbinator ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Y..yes

    • @vinicius_ATC
      @vinicius_ATC ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Just regular kurzsgesagt optimism

  • @rebelgaming1.5.14
    @rebelgaming1.5.14 ปีที่แล้ว +2213

    Arkhipov is one of the greatest true heroes in global history. Without him on B-59, it's almost certain that nuclear war would've broken out. The man single-handedly saved the future of everyone alive today and he should be celebrated for that.

    • @mmdestiny3
      @mmdestiny3 ปีที่แล้ว +173

      Him and Stanislav Petrov.

    • @chrispoop
      @chrispoop ปีที่แล้ว

      yes but russians are evill buuh buuh biden is good man :)...

    • @rajveerkanojiya2985
      @rajveerkanojiya2985 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      the biggest villains in human history cause of them I exist 😢😭cause of em I get every pain possible cause of them I gotta do homework

    • @rajveerkanojiya2985
      @rajveerkanojiya2985 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      ​@@mmdestiny3bro because of those 2. the raps ,the muders,the supsides happen just cause of them so very bad why they saved da World 😡

    • @zarax-t5o
      @zarax-t5o ปีที่แล้ว +66

      ​@@rajveerkanojiya2985Existence is pain.

  • @ButchersNailsEnjoyer
    @ButchersNailsEnjoyer วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    I hate how the people who decide when total annihilation happens are in bunkers.

  • @GL1TCH3D
    @GL1TCH3D ปีที่แล้ว +604

    I've heard those close call stories before and it's incredibly chilling just HOW CLOSE we were to annihilation. So many times there were operators that, quick on their feet, realized that the timing didn't make sense for XYZ reason and decided not to act on the alarm.

    • @Alblaka
      @Alblaka ปีที่แล้ว +79

      And this is also why clear and trusted communication is so invaluable... and why I'm deeply concerned about Russia and China: During the weather balloon incident, China's MoD specifically *did not pick up* the red phone the US MoD was contacting him on. Emergency communication lines are there for the precise reason that they will ALWAYS be accepted, thus always giving a way to talk things out. If you can't trust a country to honor that mutual communication agreement in a relatively benign incident, why would you spend even a second waiting when you have to worry about a nuclear war? And similarly, you cannot be untrustworthy: several countries pointed out the Russian army gathering at the Ukraine border, and very overtly asked Putin as to whether he's going to invade Ukraine. He publicly assured them it was just a training exercise, and 24h later the war started. If you're willing to lie that boldly, despite the other side very keenly insinuating that they're fully aware of your plans, what value does your word retain? Nothing. So if a nuclear war issue arises, how are you gonna talk things down when nothing you say can be trusted? (This can be applied in a similar vein with Trump, but at least he's no longer the sitting president.)
      Having country leaders who do not recognize the immense threat posed by their disregard for trust and communication, is probably going to be the final nail that starts nuclear war (if it ever comes to that).

    • @Dimitri88888888
      @Dimitri88888888 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      The one in the submarine was even more chilling, it wasn't anything rational that made them not launch it. The officer who refused to launch told the 2 others that even if the missiles had launched and the us had wiped out the Soviet Union, he asked that if it was even worth it to launch the nuclear missiles as there would be nothing to come back too anyways in the USSR, all family members and homes would already be destroyed and so there was no point in launching these anyways as it would not change the outcome of their loved ones. Aka it was already too late. This was enough to persuade the others.

    • @GalacticTommy
      @GalacticTommy ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Dimitri88888888I’m totally being that guy but it wasn’t a nuclear missile on the sub. If you’re talking about the Vasili Arkhipov incident, he refused to fire a nuclear torpedo at the US ships. The submarine was a foxtrot class which did not carry nuclear missiles.

    • @nathansavage8692
      @nathansavage8692 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      The third guy on the sub wasnt even meant to be there! He was the sub fleet commander, if he was on another the wepons would have been used.

    • @QuickStudy4
      @QuickStudy4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      ​@@Dimitri88888888Add in the fact that their sub was being thumped by depth charges the whole time, not knowing that they were training charges to try and convince them to surface.

  • @Asmallcorneroftheinternet
    @Asmallcorneroftheinternet ปีที่แล้ว +1456

    My personal favorite near nuclear war story has to be that of Stanislav Petrov. Who, in 1983, had the litteral power of a God. He was the one who could decide whether or not to end the world. As his radar reported, five missiles headed straight toward major Russian cities. If he had followed his orders and reported this, he would've started a war. Except, he knew something, the U.S., if they were at war, would not only fire five missiles. In what has to be the most tense moment of his life, he simply stood there and let the "missiles" fall. What a shock. He was right. He reported the incident, and it forced the Russians to fix the system. If it had been literally any other man, we might not be alive.

    • @sushiwushi5335
      @sushiwushi5335 ปีที่แล้ว +116

      Even in a hellbent earth, with power hungry leaders glad their are still some sane people throughout history.

    • @Optimistas777
      @Optimistas777 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      This story is literally in the video, Petrov was the third man

    • @jhawk1229
      @jhawk1229 ปีที่แล้ว +80

      @@Optimistas777No that was Vasily Arkhipov

    • @lilith4961
      @lilith4961 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      ​@@sushiwushi5335thats what amazes me as well

    • @189Blake
      @189Blake ปีที่แล้ว +22

      ​@@jhawk1229lol, I'm thankful our fate was in Soviet hands, taking into consideration Japan, I'm not sure if Americans would have been equally coldheaded 😅

  • @cxnqor
    @cxnqor ปีที่แล้ว +959

    This was a crazy video to wrap my head around but…. that green screen transition with the generals clothes at 4:41 was insane 😂 Love the animators and their attention to detail ❤

    • @Christopher-qq4dl
      @Christopher-qq4dl ปีที่แล้ว +15

      He had me on the video too lol

    • @michaelrhine3152
      @michaelrhine3152 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Oh, I didn't notice that. Thanks for pointing it out

    • @muraliavarma
      @muraliavarma ปีที่แล้ว +17

      I honestly thought that was an unintentional animation error lol

    • @Heroo01
      @Heroo01 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@muraliavarma bro what lmfao, how tf would that happen

    • @ckmv2858
      @ckmv2858 ปีที่แล้ว

      The reality of that was the scariest part of the video.

  • @Vamprion
    @Vamprion 5 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    It's approching us
    right now...

  • @deusexvesania1702
    @deusexvesania1702 ปีที่แล้ว +923

    Imagine a world where leaders have to fight each other, instead of compensating with giant missiles.
    Edit: Here a reminder that Plato, one of the greatest minds in history, was also a wrestler famous for his impressive stature.

    • @alexnguyen1284
      @alexnguyen1284 ปีที่แล้ว +90

      yeah like a celebrity boxing match, triller.

    • @LateNightCity
      @LateNightCity ปีที่แล้ว +57

      That's like WW5 or some shit. Where there will be nothing left to use

    • @OddlyIncredible
      @OddlyIncredible ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Two men enter, one man leaves.
      "Remember where you are - this is Thunderdome, and death is listening, and will take the first man that screams."

    • @blsm-burminilaicalseparati6214
      @blsm-burminilaicalseparati6214 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      "Why don't presidents fight the wars? Why do they always send the poor?"

    • @captianpicard1055
      @captianpicard1055 ปีที่แล้ว

      Soy

  • @FrotLopOfficial
    @FrotLopOfficial ปีที่แล้ว +750

    This was easily the most intense and entertaining video you guys have made. The drama, so good

    • @ekkehard8
      @ekkehard8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I think this is because the military guy is explaining it as though you're senile 😆

    • @alessandrosilvafilho8527
      @alessandrosilvafilho8527 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      For a moment, I thought the explanation would take all the retaliation time.

    • @jessy1982
      @jessy1982 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@ekkehard8 Do you see how old most world leaders are? xD

    • @Thzyr
      @Thzyr ปีที่แล้ว

      Agreed

    • @0_1_2
      @0_1_2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Maybe if you’re 16 years old, yeah. You should read more

  • @philguer4802
    @philguer4802 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I love how immersive the POV was. It felt like the Futuroscope

  • @cosmus2584
    @cosmus2584 ปีที่แล้ว +236

    That POV was really well done and does a really good job at making the viewer feel the pressure of that moment.

  • @GarrettWatts
    @GarrettWatts ปีที่แล้ว +1674

    This is a 9 minute feature film.

  • @Wazzaja
    @Wazzaja ปีที่แล้ว +1143

    I really like how the video simulates the uncanny and uncomfortable state the leader the video is in the perspective of by animating this in such a dramatically different way from Kurzgesagt's usual method. The vertigo-inducing camera movement and the fact the advistor's mouth is moving, put the viewer (especially those familiar with Kurzgesagt's prior videos) on edge, and keeps them there with the bombardment of information, just like how the leader in the video would be feeling at the time. Very excellent. Now, don't do that again! XD

    • @conifercatgirl
      @conifercatgirl ปีที่แล้ว +46

      Yes I also like how there are a lot of small subtle things that indicate that it *could* also just be the RADARs/detection systems misreading what's going on (like the interference part specifically), or how not all of the warheads launched at once (which was part of how Stanislav Petrov determined that the US attack wasn't real, since he figured they would launch all of their warheads at once to cause as much initial damage as possible with the lowest chance of retaliation).

    • @lightvoid7089
      @lightvoid7089 ปีที่แล้ว

      But what's the point of launching back? You're just gonna kill more innocent people.

    • @imperatacylindrica8993
      @imperatacylindrica8993 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      ...let's not do that at all, please and thank you.
      Edit : I misread your comment, I thought it said "now, do that again" at the end

    • @Noxedwin
      @Noxedwin ปีที่แล้ว +11

      There is a very dreamlike quality to the video. As the President is descending to the Bunker, the video starts getting dizzy, as well.
      A literal disassociating panic attack.

    • @bandiechannel4847
      @bandiechannel4847 ปีที่แล้ว

      Oppenhiemer momento.

  • @jaseg5741
    @jaseg5741 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    I legit got teary eyed from realief when yoinsaid that the amount of nuclear weapons went from 70,000 to 12,500. Its still way to many, but just knowing we made progress makes me so much less scared

    • @aguy3664
      @aguy3664 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      russia and usa both have enough nukes to destroy the world 10x so dont be happy until that number is bellow 1

  • @CHANNEL.518
    @CHANNEL.518 ปีที่แล้ว +733

    Did y’all expand your team? The videos are coming out a lot more often, it seems. I’m totally here for it! 👍

    • @CheetahBoy-gx2dx
      @CheetahBoy-gx2dx ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Who doesn't love fast Kurzgesagt videos

    • @supermaster2012
      @supermaster2012 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Soros is now paying the bill, that's the difference. They have become just another propaganda arm of the new world order.

    • @twelvecatsinatrenchcoat
      @twelvecatsinatrenchcoat ปีที่แล้ว +3

      They realized they have to compete with Mitsi Studio now and Mitsi is like the edgy 90's cool kid that rides a skateboard and says "dude" and wears sunglasses.

    • @hajfksdl
      @hajfksdl ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@twelvecatsinatrenchcoathardly, kurzgesagt has 20 million more subscribers than them

    • @demoncloud6147
      @demoncloud6147 ปีที่แล้ว

      Imagine Putin watching this while taking a dump ! 🤣

  • @1408Phantom
    @1408Phantom ปีที่แล้ว +937

    Unfortunately, the reduction in nuclear arms is not an indication that there's a chance to eliminate them. The costs associated with their maintenance (and relative uselessness of having THAT many) is likely the only reason they've gone down so much since the height of the cold war

    • @salamanderred8148
      @salamanderred8148 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      IMHO, it's also for the good of self defense, there is also the lack of technology alternative to fight against Nuclear Warhead.
      "Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum"
      1. We can't shoot every warhead with 100% Certainty. To be hit with many is obviously disaster, but even one is still too much.
      2. Our choice of anti nuclear warhead is very limited.
      3. Attack is the best defense, or at least threat of an attack or Counter attack is one of the best defense there is, which lead to nuclear stalemate.
      4. While it's said that there is only 12.500 ish left, please allow me to doubt. Remember the said phrase, prepare for war. Even if officially every nuclear warhead is dismantled, somewhere someone someway, will hide a few nuclear warheads, either for true self defense, or just for last resort weapon if... They have a war, and losing is not an option, not when you have hidden nuclear warhead.
      5. Now apply the same to our side, we can't be sure that the opponent doesn't hide nuclear weapons, so we hide some too.
      6. Defense against Nuclear Warhead is in need of upgrades, and a lots of upgrades. Maybe super wide area laser that shoot down every single warheads, dummy or not. For example. Basically we need 100% effective anti nuclear, or we just stuck in nuclear versus nuclear.
      7. There is also our need of negating nuclear fallout, or nuclear radiation, which we don't know yet how to do that.
      Not hit with nuclear warhead is nice and all, but the radiation still hits hard, such is the dread of nuclear warhead.
      So unless our defense against Nuclear is 100% denying the power and effect of nuclear warhead ,our available option is only threatening each other with nuclear.

    • @macdjord
      @macdjord ปีที่แล้ว +145

      Nuclear disarmament is very much a case of 'Great idea! You first.'.

    • @torrent5018
      @torrent5018 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      and unfortunately, even if we somehow did achieve complete nuclear disarmament, we’ll still always have the knowledge of *how* to make nuclear weapons. Any spike in geopolitical tension or the election/succession of a particular politician in any number of countries could bring them back pretty quickly

    • @macdjord
      @macdjord ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@salamanderred8148 Well, the advantage of disarmament is that, while you can certainly have secret nukes, you cannot maintain a massive end-the-world arsenal of them. If all the major nuclear powers were to agree to mutual disarmament, sure, they'd probably all keep a few bombs squirreled away, and there would still be the risk of a rogue nation like North Korea or Iran using one, but it would effectively end the risk of destroying humanity.

    • @caesarsalad1170
      @caesarsalad1170 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@macdjord And then whats to stop large conventional wars from happening again?

  • @acrylicmarlin6356
    @acrylicmarlin6356 ปีที่แล้ว +792

    This was unimaginably distressing, but a sacrifice needed to fully understand how dire the situation is and how hopeless we would be if this would happen

    • @trevorday7923
      @trevorday7923 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Then I recommend you DON'T watch "Threads" made by the BBC in the late 80s, which shows the buildup to a nuclear war then the attack in GRAPHIC detail, followed by the aftermath. It is, hands down, THE most disturbing thing you'll ever watch

    • @swedishwildlife916
      @swedishwildlife916 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      If i were the president i woud not press the button

    • @ferdinanddaratenas3447
      @ferdinanddaratenas3447 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@swedishwildlife916 I'd press the button so hard and fast that I might break it. I'm not afraid of dying, and I won't spare the enemy any destruction and suffering if they attack first. Although I understand that you came from Sweden, so self-hatred in ingrained in your culture.

    • @DLlama
      @DLlama ปีที่แล้ว +1

      America is painfully unaware of the war that's going on around us, through media. Way too many are voting for our downfall, and millions more are passively sitting out. Meanwhile, the enemy marches every day

    • @LisaLeeMercer
      @LisaLeeMercer ปีที่แล้ว

      @@trevorday7923 out of all the horror movies I’ve watched, Threads was by far the most frightening. Especially when I watched it after Day After Tomorrow. Ah the bomb drill days.

  • @Xavier-qd4jm
    @Xavier-qd4jm 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    This was unbelievably well paced.

  • @natenelson9102
    @natenelson9102 ปีที่แล้ว +470

    I always thought the worst part of nuclear bombs is their incredible destructive power, but I think the biggest killer is the fact that a leader needs to make decisions that affect the entirety of the planet in less than a few minutes and with less reliable information than oann

    • @quintessenceSL
      @quintessenceSL ปีที่แล้ว

      I've ponder this a bit and it always strikes me the obvious answer is NOT to launch.
      If a nation has launched missiles, the damage is already done, the area will be a wasteland not usable to them, and there is honestly nothing to be done.
      To respond in kind is just to doom the entirety of the human race. And for what? Revenge? You are already dead.
      Think of it as the anti-Prisoner's Dilemma.

    • @AmyDaisy69
      @AmyDaisy69 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's a simple and easy decision, every time. You simply do not use them at all. There is no good reason to ever use a nuclear weapon in any situation. They are indiscriminate killers that poison the planet, and who is to know how many of those bombs will salt the earth, because that's the level of degeneracy on display here. These people not only hate life itself, but they want to eradicate any chances of its resurgence.

    • @rajveerkanojiya2985
      @rajveerkanojiya2985 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      first of all nuclear weapons can't destroy whole planet but they can cause nuclear winter which can easily destroy all humankind in 2-3 years

    • @Munchausenification
      @Munchausenification ปีที่แล้ว +10

      If you have a nuclear arsenal as a leader you probably be briefed on what to do on the day you are in power... This video is so lazy, I expect better from Kurzgesagt

    • @lazarusboi6289
      @lazarusboi6289 ปีที่แล้ว +81

      ​​@@MunchausenificationIf you would have watched the video, the premise of the fictitious part is that the leader in question was in their first day in office

  • @FlameSoulis
    @FlameSoulis ปีที่แล้ว +598

    As someone who played Defcon, I had no idea ICBMs had many mini-warheads in them. In some way, I guess that explains why countermeasures fail in-game.
    Edit: WOW, some really neat stuff in the responses. I also didn't expect this comment to blow up either.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L ปีที่แล้ว +72

      They were an innovation of the 60s, so if the game is simulating 50s ICBMs it’d be one warhead per rocket.
      That’s part of why the space race pushed toward larger rockets - bigger payloads could launch cluster warheads as in the manner described in the video!

    • @BorderlinePathetic
      @BorderlinePathetic ปีที่แล้ว +24

      It's called MRV (Multiple Reentry Vehicle) or MIRV (Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle)

    • @bmouch1018
      @bmouch1018 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I haven't played Defcon, but perhaps you'd be interested in the game ICBM on steam

    • @helikopterbojowyka-5234
      @helikopterbojowyka-5234 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Yea the only way to defend from them is to shoot them down before they split
      Which is mostly very unlikely due to lack of time

    • @obiwankenobi4252
      @obiwankenobi4252 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@helikopterbojowyka-5234especially since they “split” mostly before re-entering the atmosphere

  • @ozzyhuxford4562
    @ozzyhuxford4562 ปีที่แล้ว +489

    There's nothing better to start the day with than a bit of dread.

    • @teamok1025
      @teamok1025 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I live in philippines and its night time
      And i cant sleeep

    • @D.e.v.i.n
      @D.e.v.i.n ปีที่แล้ว +4

      In Germany its 16:20

    • @scottmatheson3346
      @scottmatheson3346 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I'm glad they're back to existential dread, all this treacly stuff about how there's hope for the future rubs me the wrong way.

    • @rajveerkanojiya2985
      @rajveerkanojiya2985 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@teamok1025it's 8pm here

    • @person8064
      @person8064 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@scottmatheson3346 don't worry, it's guaranteed that climate change will royally fuck the Earth's ecosystem and probably cause hundreds of millions of deaths while developed countries get off with minor inflation despite being the main cause of the problem!

  • @connorphares8157
    @connorphares8157 ปีที่แล้ว +716

    I found this surprisingly stressful to watch, but extremely informative.

    • @anderstermansen130
      @anderstermansen130 ปีที่แล้ว

      dont worry, a nuclear war is never going to happen.

    • @namantherockstar
      @namantherockstar ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Nutshell inspires me.. My parents said if i get 50K followers They'd buy me a professional camera for recording..begging u guys , literally
      Begging...

    • @marcocasanova2543
      @marcocasanova2543 ปีที่แล้ว

      Same

    • @1989Nihil
      @1989Nihil ปีที่แล้ว

      That was part of the point they wanted to make.

  • @YouThisReadWrong.
    @YouThisReadWrong. ปีที่แล้ว +1453

    “The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five”
    -Carl Sagan
    Thank you guys for the dopamine, btw if anyone has any knowledge on how to increase my CTR on YT, advice would be appreciated.

    • @snubluemoons
      @snubluemoons ปีที่แล้ว +39

      He was a pretty smart guy i think

    • @TheKoloradoShow
      @TheKoloradoShow ปีที่แล้ว +23

      @@snubluemoonshe understood how unimportant humanity is in the universe

    • @nocturn9x
      @nocturn9x ปีที่แล้ว +59

      ​@@TheKoloradoShowNo, he understood how unimportant our silly conflicts were. That's completely different.

    • @kennethfharkin
      @kennethfharkin ปีที่แล้ว

      and so long as both sworn enemies value their own survival and know to strike out against the other is certain suicide then there will not be any wars between them.
      The issue is with those powers holding nuclear weapons who do not fear reprisal, either because their target is unable to do so or lacks the will to do so, or even worse because the idea of loosing millions or billions of their own population in a reprisal is a worthwhile exchange within their value system. Perhaps they are religious fanatics for whom the death of their own people is immaterial or they simply see their populations as expendable with the balance of exchange being a worthwhile transaction to them. THAT is when one must be worried.

    • @pedrochagas9903
      @pedrochagas9903 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      "That's pretty clever" Sun Tzu, The Art of War

  • @yeeterskadeeter9400
    @yeeterskadeeter9400 ปีที่แล้ว +832

    The "There's nothing we can do for them" part actually sent a shiver down my spine

    • @danhtranquoc3745
      @danhtranquoc3745 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      ok

    • @Russian4647
      @Russian4647 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      At no point in the video does he say those words

    • @PIRA_VAMPZ0902
      @PIRA_VAMPZ0902 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      since radiation poisoning is so hard to treat on it's own, throw in millions of men, women, children and others all suffering from it with limited and small amounts of non-irradiated supplies, it is a true nightmare after the blast as well

    • @PIRA_VAMPZ0902
      @PIRA_VAMPZ0902 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      @@Russian4647 dude, watch the fucking part where they're talking about how the people in busy cities can't escape

    • @Russian4647
      @Russian4647 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@PIRA_VAMPZ0902 rewatched and looked… here’s the time stamp: 2:01 “not much can be done for the people stuck in traffic” is similar, but not the same as “there’s nothing we can do for them” and the guy who posted this comment, used quotation marks… you know why they’re called that? Because they are used for quoting. He was ‘quoting’ the video but he quoted inaccurately..

  • @angelpenarolo7408
    @angelpenarolo7408 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    The detail of the commanders jacket blending in to the green screen is insane

  • @Chazinthius
    @Chazinthius ปีที่แล้ว +281

    I love how I didn’t know about the mini in-air war with decoys, pre detonations, and anti-munition missiles. It’s amazingly crazy

  • @smitchered
    @smitchered ปีที่แล้ว +253

    I actually quite liked this interactive-ish ethical scenario video. More of these, please! There are plenty of concepts in game theory, ethics, effective altruism, etc. which could be interesting to flesh out. Good video! Thanks for being prolific!

    • @LetsGetIntoItMedia
      @LetsGetIntoItMedia ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Ooooooh you're totally right! That would be a whole new type of Kurzgesagt video, and I'd love to learn more about those topics

    • @clusterstage
      @clusterstage ปีที่แล้ว +5

      After 2024, realizes what this video is really about.

    • @VikingTeddy
      @VikingTeddy ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It really made me ponder the pros and cons of launching, the music made it feel even more urgent. Really well done.
      Counter launching would make the everything worse. And you have to think not only of the near future, but decades and centuries ahead too. Without knowing additional background, it's impossible to make a decision.

    • @smitchered
      @smitchered ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@VikingTeddy I would have cooperated as well. But in order to make first strike a mad move, the other nation needs to assign a high enough probability to retaliation on my part; and if I'm the type of person who cooperates, they might pick up on that and I would have made things worse not better by deciding to cooperate. But then, that's a costly move because if deciding to defect doesn't avert nuclear war anyway and you're in it for real... Well, the cost of defection is tens of millions of lives. Yeesh.

    • @clusterstage
      @clusterstage ปีที่แล้ว

      Exactly, the viewpoint here is of revenge, but what if opposite? @@smitchered

  • @Reedascovery
    @Reedascovery ปีที่แล้ว +234

    I’ve never been so stressed out from a video in my entire life. Well done

    • @HyenaEmpyema
      @HyenaEmpyema ปีที่แล้ว +4

      The one they did about a nuclear strike in a major city was even more terrifying. Something like it's equivalent to 4 natural disasters simultaneously, and no aid is possible.

    • @louisbouvier6679
      @louisbouvier6679 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It’s stressing me out that the president guy isn’t doing anything

    • @Heroo01
      @Heroo01 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@louisbouvier6679 if he did something, he would have been ending potentially *billions* of lives. Better to stall and make _absolutely fucking certain_ that your decision is the right one.

    • @louisbouvier6679
      @louisbouvier6679 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Heroo01 still stressed me out 🤷‍♂️

    • @popbee10
      @popbee10 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@louisbouvier6679 because in this case you are the president! will you press the button!

  • @KDotz
    @KDotz 19 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Extremely powerful video and the narrative drove home the intense pressure of the situation. This is my second time watching this video the whole way through

  • @Sol_VI
    @Sol_VI ปีที่แล้ว +482

    I think this might be one of Kurzgesagt's best videos to date. It is stylistically different from all of their usual videos, but it's so well put together. The simultaneous story-telling, intensity and education from it is brilliant!

    • @JBUG
      @JBUG ปีที่แล้ว

      gotta agree

    • @michaelmerrett
      @michaelmerrett ปีที่แล้ว

      I agree. It’s nice to see them experimenting!

    • @Johndavid1451
      @Johndavid1451 ปีที่แล้ว

      @FantaGuyXLive Stop putting clickbait titles in all your videos bro it’s cheap

  • @jordinford3272
    @jordinford3272 ปีที่แล้ว +215

    I worked as a ICBM maintainer for almost a decade and the accuracy of this video is chilling

    • @PeanutBreathing
      @PeanutBreathing ปีที่แล้ว +2

      How fast can these ICBM travel up and then back down?!

    • @Tacgibs
      @Tacgibs ปีที่แล้ว

      @@PeanutBreathing Just google Peacekeeper ICBM. And understand that it's an obsolete technology. You're welcome !

    • @1Psyblade1
      @1Psyblade1 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      @@PeanutBreathing I think about a dozen times longer than a Minute, Man.
      ...Bad time for puns?

    • @jordinford3272
      @jordinford3272 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@PeanutBreathing ascent is much slower than reentry. I don't know the exact speed for launch, but I know on reentry the RVs are coming in at about 29,000 K/hr, so about MACH 23 roughly. That's why your only really hope is shooting them down on their way up. Because on the way down it's like shooting a bullet with another bullet. All in all the process takes 20-30 minutes depending on your target

    • @MareTranquil
      @MareTranquil ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@PeanutBreathing
      For a silo-based missile, it takes something like 30 minutes from launch to impact on another continent.
      If it's launched from a submarine, or from an island closer to the target, it might be only a few minutes.

  • @nNIZYB
    @nNIZYB ปีที่แล้ว +43

    Loved the green screen messing up at 4:40, very creative animation

  • @taraldomland8657
    @taraldomland8657 4 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    Right now I feel it’s crazy that we as the west is much more worried of a nuclear war from Russia. I really don’t want to die for Ukraines independence. Though I believe their Defence is just. But death is just so scary

    • @GorillaGunner94
      @GorillaGunner94 4 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      Death is natural, you’ll get over it

    • @TryingToDoBetter101
      @TryingToDoBetter101 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Finally Westerners getting a feel of what they have been doing to the rest of the world for decades

  • @xenno8496
    @xenno8496 ปีที่แล้ว +247

    I love this style of video i hope you guys do more like this, it felt so weird (in a good way) to see a first person perspective in this artstyle

    • @Morskoy915
      @Morskoy915 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      They should have made two separate videos to show to a viewer depending on their decision. Like in Black Mirror Bandersnatch

    • @xenno8496
      @xenno8496 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Morskoy915 oh that would've been a cool idea! I loved it when Markiplier did that with his three big series and would love something like that from Kurzgesagt

  • @Gabrielbarsch
    @Gabrielbarsch ปีที่แล้ว +114

    Imagine how fast life can change because like 16 people can’t get along

    • @The13thRonin
      @The13thRonin ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Good. Launch em all baby.

    • @Kokorocodon
      @Kokorocodon ปีที่แล้ว +19

      @@The13thRonin Touch grass

    • @The13thRonin
      @The13thRonin ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Kokorocodon I'd rather touch the nuclear button, manlet.

    • @agustinvenegas5238
      @agustinvenegas5238 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      ​@@The13thRonincan you say that without crying though?

    • @RandomPerson-zg8lg
      @RandomPerson-zg8lg ปีที่แล้ว +5

      ​@@The13thRoninchild

  • @electricdeer2031
    @electricdeer2031 ปีที่แล้ว +245

    It's actually so scary how easily our civilization could be detonated, especially considering the russian submarine incident, 2/3 people confirmed the launch, but only one person opposed them somehow...

    • @Leyrann
      @Leyrann ปีที่แล้ว +15

      There is a theory (although unconfirmed) that one of the three people that have to give permission on a Russian submarine to launch has a standing order to ALWAYS oppose the launch (or maybe unless there's an order to launch from higher up the chain), no matter what, with the underlying idea being that the risk of a mistake in the manner barely avoided here would have been too high otherwise, and it's better to effectively (secretly) neutralize the ship's ability to launch. If so, it's slightly less scary although still pretty far up the scale.

    • @sephypantsu
      @sephypantsu ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Leyrann unless they knock the guy out

    • @foxybohv7732
      @foxybohv7732 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I just heard the 1 person had a lot of influence with the people. So his denial of the launching was taken more credible to the others

    • @robstamm60
      @robstamm60 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      It is very unlikely that a single nuclear torpedo would have triggered a full blown counterattack without any attempt to clarify things first.

    • @klapiroska4714
      @klapiroska4714 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      What was not really mentioned in the video, is that all acts of war are done to reach some goals. Sudden, unexpected nuclear war is incredibly unlikely, as no even remotely sane leader would launch one, as nuclear war would in the best case practicly destroy your enemy, and rendered their resources unusable, and in the more likely case you'd end up dead. Luckily, so far there has always been someone in the chain of command who has realized this, and chose not to attack. Unfortunately we have already ended up in a situation where a launch depends on only one person (anyone in the chain of command has a change to decide not to launch, or severely delay the launch).
      If you want to lose your night sleep, have a look at how many times nuclear weapons have been launched or released by accident, and how many such devices are currently reported missing. To mention few instances, in 1961 there was an incidend where 2 nuclear bombs (3-4 Mt each) were released by accident and one of them had 3 out of 4 arming devices activated. Or the time in 1965 when a nuclear bomb was lost at sea between Vietnam and Japan, and hasn't been found nor recovered. Or the time when a bomber carrying 4 nuclear bombs crashed, and had conventional explosives detonating. The list is long and freightening, and imagine if you - as a leader of a nuclear state - would get a report of nuclear detonation on your soild, perhaps in a location that would match your enemies doctorine.

  • @Colloque1977
    @Colloque1977 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Love how simple and easy to understand this is.

  • @tntero
    @tntero ปีที่แล้ว +168

    Did anyone notice the general's green suit messing with the green screen at 4:42? This video is incredible!

  • @Gabriel_TR
    @Gabriel_TR ปีที่แล้ว +27

    04:48 loved the detail of the green screen with the green uniform

  • @Geeps_GP
    @Geeps_GP ปีที่แล้ว +119

    The first few minutes were nothing short of what exactly you wanted to convey - the hype, tension, haste and intensity - everything on point. Enjoyed the video ❤

  • @rocketpoint2070
    @rocketpoint2070 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    The scariest part of this is the uncertainty. I can’t imagine the president (who I wouldn’t blame) launching a retaliation and the general saying, “Oh, it was just a computer glitch”. God, the risk of just a simple misunderstanding or glitch with no time to confirm what’s going on is horribly terrifying.

  • @DragongeekAndCo
    @DragongeekAndCo ปีที่แล้ว +2224

    While I agree with the general message, I think that the reduction in nuclear weapon counts down from the cold war era is not due to peace-loving faction influence, but rather because the strategic aims that nations hoped to achieve with their nuclear stockpile were maintainable with a lower weapon count.
    Specifically, a large portion of the reasoning behind having such an absurd amount of nuclear missiles was that guidance systems just weren't very good. In order to take out a reinforced launch silo, the weapon would need to strike at a level of precision that simply wasn't possible in ye olden days. Because of this, they simply made more weapons and relied on a strategy of saturation or statistics in order to take out the targets they designate.
    Today's nuclear stockpiles are smaller, yes, but they are still able to achieve this same goal of a theoretical first-and-last strike. It's just that today's missiles are accurate enough that they can hit a square-meter sized target on the other side of the planet without issue (consider how the US military recently assassinated a terrorist leader on his balcony using a cruise missile that had swords sticking out of it instead of an explosive inside) so this overwhelming glut of nuclear weapons is no longer needed to achieve the same strategic goal .

    • @Warsie
      @Warsie ปีที่แล้ว +26

      Ehhh not so, nuclear missile accuracy decreased but they were still cranking out more missiles for the American and Soviets. A lot of the decrease in nuclar weapons were the removal of intermediate and tactical nuclear weapons, which were going to be fielded by all sides in Europe, as NATO planning expected they would use nuclear weapons (As the French and/or Americans were the most liely to use them, France if their territory was threatened with WARPAC invasion, Americans as an accident or something.
      Also before SALT the assumpton was a lot of MIRVs, so there was a decrease in nuclear weapon capability even in the Cold War.

    • @Moosetick2002
      @Moosetick2002 ปีที่แล้ว +93

      "assassinated a terrorist leader on his balcony using a cruise missile that had swords sticking out of it"
      Are you saying they stabbed that person with a missle going 500mph? Also, those swords didn't somehow negatively affect the ballistics of that missle? Was it guided by Jewish space lasers?

    • @projectcapsule
      @projectcapsule ปีที่แล้ว +170

      @@Moosetick2002 look up hellfire r9x, shit's straight out of a comicbook. doesn't explode but shreds a target to pieces

    • @yourcrazybear
      @yourcrazybear ปีที่แล้ว +38

      The most effective way to ensure no nuclear war is being fought is to ensure that the consequences of one is too extreme.

    • @vansdan.
      @vansdan. ปีที่แล้ว +24

      tell me more about the sword missile

  • @Rechnerstrom
    @Rechnerstrom ปีที่แล้ว +251

    Exactly this scenario happened during the Norwegian rocket scare 1995. Due to communication failures Russia wasn't notified of the start of a norwegian sounding rocket which had the mission to do high altitude research of the aurora. Unfortunately the rocket veered off course heading toward Russia on a course that coincided with the air corridor for Minuteman III missiles from North Dakota into Russia. The russian satellite based early warning system detected the launch of the unheralded rocket. A reentry course was calculated and it was determined that the missile had it's course set on Moscow. Still, it was just a single missile so the command center tried to estimate if this was a plausible threat. They only had minutes to judge and came to the conclusion that the missile showed all the characteristics for a submarine launched Trident missile launched near the Norwegian coast. At first it was judged that it could be a precursor attack to blind Russia's early warning systems enabling a massive missile strike.
    This got the chain of command on full alert and president Yeltsin was informed. Yeltsin at the time was stationed in the hospital for treatment of medical conditions stemming from alcohol abuse. The Nowegian rocket now separated from it's second stage and now looked on the early warning system like a MIRV attack on Moscow. It was now determined that this could be a decapiitation strike. A direct hit on the russian command center would disable Russia of a counterattack. This was deemed plausible as a NATO strategy, which adopted this kind of strategy during the Reagan aera.
    At the time Russia had a 6 eyes approach. A nuclear strike could only be launched if 3 people simultaneously gave the launch order. This was the president of Russia (Yeltsin), the defense minister and the commander of the strategic rocket forces. The defense minister and the commander already transmitted their permission and it only hinged on Yeltsin. Yeltsin turned the keys and the launch order for the retaliation strike was activated.
    Wikipedia is unfortunately a bit short on why we still exist. From the story I heard an encryption error occurred for transmitting the order. Missile command couldn't decrypt the order and asked for a repetition with the correct key. In those 2 minutes the rocket again changed it's course and headed out for the White Sea. The order wasn't repeated.
    Yeltsin later said they watched the missile until it finally plunged into the sea. This had been the scariest 20 minutes he ever had.

    • @dbrokensoul
      @dbrokensoul ปีที่แล้ว +105

      A software error... We were saved by a software error. As someone in IT industry, never have I been this grateful for a bug or error.

    • @pikharov
      @pikharov ปีที่แล้ว

      Wikipedia is short on reasoning of why we still exist, because it's a lie. Yeltsin didn't push the button, because he could not believe US would launch such an attack. And in a couple of minutes it was known that the rocket is not military, he said so himself in an interview. Though MOD really did vote for launch.

    • @AiSard
      @AiSard ปีที่แล้ว +32

      Any sources on Yeltsin turning the key? Most of my google hits seem to say that no-one really knows what happened with Yeltsin during those minutes, and we are only left with what got revealed to the public later. Turning the key and/or a software error not seemingly reported.

    • @jokepp
      @jokepp ปีที่แล้ว +8

      According to the German Wikipedia, the nuclear briefcase was made ready, but the order was not given.

    • @tranquoccuong890-its-orge
      @tranquoccuong890-its-orge ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Russian leaders felt so much on the rope back at that incident
      it could have been dismissed with an arguement similar to the 1983 incident (6:28): if NATO (the USA) was gonna launch a decapitation strike at Moscow, it would have belonged to a larger first strike aimed at all of Russia's nuclear & military capabilities (silos, air bases,...) with roughly a hundred missiles at minimum;
      Stanislav Petrov (the guy at the early warning system in the 1983 incident) used the same reasoning to clear up the warning of 5 possible incoming missiles (that turned out to be sun glares) - it would have been more than that if the USA were to launch a preemptive strike

  • @charlyros
    @charlyros ปีที่แล้ว +470

    My last team (Holosphere vr) produced this situation on commision as a VR experience for American University a few years back called Nuclear Biscuit. The pressure many people felt shows many people wouldn't be able to handle it.
    Note: I don't believe it was made public for people to try. It was taken to shows/used for study results. Apologies!

    • @jordanc8499
      @jordanc8499 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Cool, I'll be looking that up!

    • @bookworm3005
      @bookworm3005 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I was feeling my adrenaline and blood pressure go up just by watching *this* video. I can't imagine how intense that VR must be!

    • @MewPurPur
      @MewPurPur ปีที่แล้ว +4

      This project inspired the video

    • @LillianRyanUhl
      @LillianRyanUhl ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Is that available to the general populace too?

    • @charlyros
      @charlyros ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@LillianRyanUhl I probably should've said. I don't think they made it public, it was something they used in-house to take results from for study! Sorry. I'll edit my comment. I really hope at some point they do release it to everyone though

  • @thatguywithoutadoubt
    @thatguywithoutadoubt 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    the Fact that Arkhipov remained cool and calm as winters in Russia during a very hot issue is very impressive.
    I believe he was really forgotten and almost no one (except a few historians) noticed his work until like the 2010s

  • @bibliobeebo2927
    @bibliobeebo2927 ปีที่แล้ว +187

    Give some credit to our outstanding military advisor who was able to fluently communicate the current situation, our possible strategies, and the effects of the nuclear war all within minutes of the initial warheads being launched in a way that even a panicked, civilian head of state could understand.

  • @SlimmerProductions
    @SlimmerProductions ปีที่แล้ว +262

    If you want a fun “near miss” story, I recommend the one where a bear almost caused World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Very long story short, a bear was spotted by a guard at an airfield, who mistook it for someone climbing the fence. Alert went out to all airbases to be on alert for saboteurs, except an Air National Guard base up in Wisconsin that due to faulty wiring were told “war has started, launch everything”. By the time they received the correct message the interceptors were speeding down the runway, the pilots absolutely convinced war had come, and all their planes armed with air-to-air nuclear weapons. They had to chase the planes down the runway and try to cut off their takeoff (either by making the first plane stop or running into the first plane to force it to stop).
    And there was also the time, according to one pilot for take it with a grain of salt, that Nixon was drunk and ordered North Korea to be nuked leaving a single F-4 on a South Korean tarmac, armed with a nuke, to wait for the go-ahead.

    • @hannahs.7297
      @hannahs.7297 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      lol get nuclear bear’d

    • @aurelienrodriguez3252
      @aurelienrodriguez3252 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I just discovers the existence of the air-to-air nuclear missiles. I check wikipedia and find AIR-2 Génie missile.
      It would seem that the philosophy of the thing was to just pop an atomic explosion buble in the sky to "intercept" a large formation of fast bombers, since air-air targetting system of missile was not develop enough and bullets was inadapted. The worst that it's make sens! But they probably wanted to use that thing on top of the pacific ocean.

  • @Clone683
    @Clone683 ปีที่แล้ว +163

    An interesting point to make is that nuclear weapons basically prevented a conventional war between the US and the Soviet Union in the 50s/60s in such a war the death toll would probably have been worse than WW2.

    • @kucylja
      @kucylja ปีที่แล้ว +14

      like Einstein said :" I dont know what weapons will be used in third world war, but the forth will be with sticks and stones"

    • @windshipping
      @windshipping ปีที่แล้ว +29

      Yeah, replacing it with proxy wars such as the Vietnam War, Korea, Cuba and so on... The Cold War made millions of casualties. It's like saying Hiroshima "saved lives" when it literally burn alive thousands of children.
      The thing is you can't properly evaluate something that didn't happen (because it's an "if"), but you can clearly count the deaths that happened.
      The world today certainly would be very different without nuclear weapons. Now would it be safer... I don't know.
      Even if more direct conflicts are avoided and you assume say, ten of millions of lives have been saved, or even hundreds of millions, it just takes one nuclear war to entirely destroy that, not to mention the effects of a nuclear winter if (yeah, again with that unscalable "if") it were to happen.

    • @saintuk70
      @saintuk70 ปีที่แล้ว

      One of our most tense timeframe was the late 70's and early 80's - was a crazy time to live in.

    • @atomf9143
      @atomf9143 ปีที่แล้ว

      Let’s say each side of the Cold War had exactly one nuke, and both fired at each other’s most strategically important port within the other’s home nation- no Warsaw Pact, no NATO, just the two countries.
      The USSR would target the Los Angeles port and naval base. Millions of lives and trillions of dollars of commerce would end right there. The USA- and the world- is dealt a humanitarian and economic knockout punch.
      Meanwhile, the USA launches on the St. Petersburg shipyards. Again, millions of people lose their lives, and the Soviet Navy’s lifespan in the Atlantic is reduced to a few weeks, tops.
      No rational leader would accept the annhilation of one for the destruction of the other.

    • @NakayaAvarlina
      @NakayaAvarlina ปีที่แล้ว +8

      ​@@windshipping By all means, The nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the best option the US could've used. Firebombings of major Japanese cities like Tokyo has already killed just about as much as the nukings did, but Japan refused to back down despite Tokyo being charred ruins.
      And if the US couldn't nuke Japan, the only option after that is a full scale invasion of mainland Japan the likes of which have never been seen before, casualties were estimated to be in the millions, and over a million of purple heart medals were made in preparations for such invasion, which the US goverment still makes use of to this day.
      I see a lot of people using the example of Japan being nuked as a reason why nukes are terrible, sure, nukes are terrible, but Japan situationally is not a good example at all, as the only other option would've ment millions of Japanese soldiers, civilians and god knows how many American soldiers dying on the beaches, towns, hills, and so forth, Japan as a whole would've been one massive Stalingrad due to the fact that Japanese soldiers were told to never surrender and to fight to the last drop of blood.
      If this were to be the case, then we'd have people speaking in favour of nukes being used in Japan because "It would've reduced the amount of casualties suffered in the end of the war and no American soldier would've had to die needlessly on the Japanese Mainland."
      (Mind you I'm only talking about the Hiroshima part of your point, since it's a relatively big misconception that not using nukes was a better option.)
      And a fun fact; if it wasn't for Germany surrendering so early like they did, said nukes would've been used on Germany instead, as that was the original plan.

  • @briansilva4165
    @briansilva4165 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    You avoid nukes as much as possible but once someone launches against u, u have to launch back and make sure to completely obliterate the other side. It’s kind of like in a street fight. You try to descalate and avoid the fight but once you’re in a fight then you go 1000% all in and aggressive until it’s over or you may not win.

  • @Robertheee
    @Robertheee ปีที่แล้ว +149

    That was exhillerating. I'd love more "slice-of-history" videos like this where you're in the POV of an impending threat and have to really think like the person in charge and make a decision.

  • @Original1Thor
    @Original1Thor ปีที่แล้ว +221

    Whenever I'm feeling down, the possibility of randomly being annihilated is calming. The days I spent eating the wrong foods, playing video games, hanging out with friends were worth it.

    • @ryatt1
      @ryatt1 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      "If we are unable to change ourselves through the discipline of changing our own actions, it becomes tempting to resort to wish for chaos to force change. Instead of waiting for disaster to hit us, it is better for us to take the leap and take control. We must initiate the change despite our habits and comforts. When we step into chaos, into the unkown on our own terms, we are able to change our lives and ourselves more effectively."

    • @SaltyNard
      @SaltyNard 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      That's nihilism talking my friend, doesn't have to be that way. What you did is not enough, your time is not done. What you will do is ever important. More moments with friends, more hobbies, more decisions, more living, always. Never give that up for anyone or anything, it's yours.

    • @Original1Thor
      @Original1Thor 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      @@SaltyNard I appreciate your comment. It's very thoughtful to read. It's ironic you think it's nihilism when the possiblity of not existing brings value to my memories.

    • @SaltyNard
      @SaltyNard 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@Original1Thor That's good to hear man, thought you were going off the deep end.

    • @tomushy
      @tomushy 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ryatt1 Most likely our paths are decided and we never were, are or will be in control.

  • @carotorres4971
    @carotorres4971 ปีที่แล้ว +687

    This video was incredible, I was really stressed out and it wasn't even me who had to actually make the decision. Congrats on the awesome content

    • @durranaik
      @durranaik ปีที่แล้ว

      So you happy to miss out on the best spot in d.u.m.b bunker ? 😁

    • @DreamDrip07
      @DreamDrip07 ปีที่แล้ว

      😮😮😮

    • @dirkauditore8413
      @dirkauditore8413 ปีที่แล้ว

      Hi there

    • @Geojr815
      @Geojr815 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      If one side does send all their nukes then I really hope the other side just gives up. What’s the point of retaliation and completely ending humanity?

    • @saadusmani78
      @saadusmani78 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@Geojr815exactly. It's not like that retailiating back is going to do undamage the damage. It's only going to kill millions or even billions more.

  • @0Katie0
    @0Katie0 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    i LOVE the minute by minute series! literally my favorite series on youtube, i hope they make more ❤❤❤

  • @AreaFortyTwo
    @AreaFortyTwo ปีที่แล้ว +240

    The number of times a nuclear war nearly happened by accident saved only by some exceptionally unlikely decision making on the part of those in control is quite frankly supernatural

    • @Leyrann
      @Leyrann ปีที่แล้ว +39

      I wouldn't call it exceptionally unlikely. Almost everyone will be extremely reluctant to contribute to participate in the end of civilization as we know it, in particular if even the slightest inconsistency is present. For example, the officer who was in charge of the system that detected the "launch" in the early 80s that ended up being the reflection of sunlight on some clouds decided to not launch a counterattack despite this directly contradicting his orders on the reasoning that it wouldn't make sense for the USA to launch an initial strike with only five warheads. It's sensible reasoning, yes, but in any case where you're not dealing with nuclear weapons, a military officer will say "damn that, we aren't taking the risk".

    • @AreaFortyTwo
      @AreaFortyTwo ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@Leyrann I do agree, it's a unique position to be in. And I've also considered that they might even only allow people with very particular psychological/behavioural qualities to be in control, the types of qualities that would make them break protocol if they felt something was odd. But at the same time if an attack is legit you want someone who will act in a timely and correct manner. Not sure how you square that circle. We've been very fortunate so far whatever it is.

    • @slightlyirradiatedmuffin3257
      @slightlyirradiatedmuffin3257 ปีที่แล้ว

      Use Occam's Razor:
      What is more probable, that the world has nearly fallen into nuclear Armageddon multiple times and narrowly escaped it by some miracle with each and every occurrence requiring its own explanation?
      Or that in reality most or all of these stories are embellished by the media and our natural tendency of fear?
      The second is clearly more probable because it requires almost no assumptions, only the known fact that dramatic events always get embellished.
      We have never been close to nuclear war. _Maybe_ the Cuban missile crisis could have escalated to a limited one, _maybe_.

    • @incognitotorpedo42
      @incognitotorpedo42 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@AreaFortyTwo Yeah, maybe, but look at the lunatics we elect as President...

    • @christianpetersen163
      @christianpetersen163 ปีที่แล้ว

      It's so uncanny and unlikely that nukes have not been used in war or terrorist attacks since 1945 that I've concluded that any nuclear attack will result in the extinction of mankind. We live in the reality where nukes are not used because there are no observers left in the ones where they were used. I just need to figure out how any small scale nuclear attack will inevitably escalate to extinction 🤔

  • @cryingbleh
    @cryingbleh ปีที่แล้ว +295

    Unnoticeably making our days better! Love this content!

    • @polen2077
      @polen2077 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      i like men

    • @toastyhexagon
      @toastyhexagon ปีที่แล้ว

      same

    • @farhanbawazier1780
      @farhanbawazier1780 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      how is it unnoticable if you noticed that your days are better?

    • @JoelMcCary
      @JoelMcCary ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@polen2077I also like men but I also like women

    • @eltiolavara9
      @eltiolavara9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      better? i mean its well made but i'm not sure if this video is giving me a lot of hope

  • @Springbok295
    @Springbok295 ปีที่แล้ว +1225

    Finally educating a new generation about nuclear war. We knew all about it. Growing up as a teenager in the early 80s we knew a nuclear war could start and end civilization in a day and that we were all going to die.
    Today's generation needs to be taught the same message and to hold our present leaders accountable for their actions that presently move us ever closer to war.

    • @nuntana2
      @nuntana2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Yep, remember it all too well! At school looking for giant mushrooms when there was any sort of noise. My town was well known for having a Rusky SS-20 pointed at it... likely still has.

    • @pagnean4234
      @pagnean4234 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      We do, I was class of 2021 and throughout all of my History credits, nuclear war was a very well established subject. Even now, my younger siblings who haven’t even made it to high school are fairly educated on the topic. With ongoing tensions, nuclear warfare seems as if it will always be a threat. Presently, we have no clue what foreign countries have up their sleeves. Nobody anticipated us to drop a weapon of mass destruction on Japan, even after numerous statements and threats.

    • @qoph1988
      @qoph1988 ปีที่แล้ว

      We should launch them this time.

    • @wassupfoo_
      @wassupfoo_ ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I ain’t reading allat

    • @BIGHEADjr51
      @BIGHEADjr51 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@pagnean4234middle school nuclear war education huh? 😅

  • @danielf5087
    @danielf5087 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    every once in awhile right before I sleep I get recommended this video. its now my 3rd time watching this

  • @3_ormorecharacters
    @3_ormorecharacters ปีที่แล้ว +379

    5:14 "CAN WE LAUNCH?" dumbledore said calmly

    • @user-qe9jh5kj7v
      @user-qe9jh5kj7v 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Hahahaahahahahahahahahahahah😐😐

    • @syntrx8185
      @syntrx8185 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is the girl in your pfp from Danganronpa?

    • @AnaOhKay
      @AnaOhKay 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@syntrx8185 yeah, looks to be celestia ludenberg

  • @olegoleg258
    @olegoleg258 ปีที่แล้ว +198

    I must say, I really like this style of "POV: you are [X] and are experiencing [Y]/having [Z] explain the topic to you". Hope to see more of this style!

  • @Strix0067
    @Strix0067 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    5:13 "CAN WE LAUNCH" He said calmly

  • @rpie1382
    @rpie1382 19 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    Watching this the day after Election Day might have been a bad idea..

  • @pittvypr
    @pittvypr ปีที่แล้ว +33

    5:27 The Kurzgesagt duck missile is the most adorably dangerous thing I've ever seen.

    • @NguyenMinh792
      @NguyenMinh792 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Even much more frightening, it has life

  • @dragon00536
    @dragon00536 ปีที่แล้ว +170

    That made my throat tighten when it said literally one person. Granted I've already come to terms with my own mortality, but to put it in that perspective really hit home.

    • @The13thRonin
      @The13thRonin ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Considering that 80 million people (allegedly) voted for Joe Biden I'll take one person's sanity over the idiocy of the masses any day of the week.

    • @PlebNC
      @PlebNC ปีที่แล้ว +20

      And at one point that one person was Donald Trump.

    • @The13thRonin
      @The13thRonin ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@PlebNC Oh no... Not Donald Trump... He might have sent a mean Tweet! OrEnGe MaN bAhD.

    • @UshioKiss
      @UshioKiss ปีที่แล้ว +14

      ​@The13thRonin I can see where your cynicism is coming from but I think you need to chill out and know that the public isn't a hivemind and every voter made their decision by weighing the options against their own personal beliefs and standards, even if neither candidate was appealing to them. It's easy to forget that people you dislike are also humans with complicated thoughts and lives.

    • @UshioKiss
      @UshioKiss ปีที่แล้ว +23

      ​@The13thRonin Oh you mean that guy that literally endangered national security by stealing documents and committing untold felonies while in office? That guy?

  • @gredfeorge912
    @gredfeorge912 ปีที่แล้ว +102

    The animation of this video was one of the best so far! Great job conveying the urgency =)

    • @reshpeck
      @reshpeck ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I like how the animators simulated a chroma key glitch on the officer's uniform when the green screen dropped down behind him

    • @ashcla
      @ashcla ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@reshpeckI noticed that too! I realize that it would actually be pretty simple to animate, but it still feels very extra for a split second goof.

  • @Droid3455
    @Droid3455 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I thought this scenario wouldn't happen during my lifetime but right now it doesn't seem that unrealistic

  • @Frost_on_YouTube
    @Frost_on_YouTube ปีที่แล้ว +345

    “Mankind invented the atomic bomb, but no mouse would ever construct a mousetrap.”

    • @-opus
      @-opus ปีที่แล้ว +16

      superior species though 🙃

    • @bertberw8653
      @bertberw8653 ปีที่แล้ว +42

      @@-opus Yes, I agree. Mice are superior to humans.

    • @islowclick
      @islowclick ปีที่แล้ว +15

      The P in humanity stands for peace

    • @borgthepig
      @borgthepig ปีที่แล้ว +9

      ⁠@@-opusas a dolphin I agree. Mice are far superior then humans. Like, what superior species would create things that destroy themselves?

    • @Gamering8482
      @Gamering8482 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Fr why are we so evil? “Peace is good war is bad” - the few non-corrupted humans that are left