Cold War | War History

Frogmen Were Deployed to Search for a Nuclear Device in Palomares Following a Broken Arrow Incident

US Navy frogmen standing next to a boat and inflatable raft on the beach

In the annals of aviation history, few broken arrow incidents have had the potential for catastrophic consequences quite like the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash. This…

Building the Berlin Wall – And How It Fell Several Decades Later

Members of the Combat Groups of the Working Class standing in front of the beginnings of the Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall is a tangible symbol of the Cold War, dividing a city and its people for nearly three decades. The…

The US Navy Considered Arming Frigates with Mk 48 Torpedoes During the Cold War

Two technicians standing around a Mk 48 torpedo + USS Bradley (FF-1041) underway at sea

On January 17, 1955, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) radioed the historic message, “Underway on nuclear power.” This was the foundation of a new era that…

Veterans Responsible for Cleanup of 1966 Nuclear Incident Dealt Blow By US Supreme Court

Ship crewmen standing around a hydrogen bomb

A blow has been dealt against the group of veterans behind a class-action suit aimed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The group, led by…

The Soviet ‘Hiroshima’ Submarine That Inspired Harrison Ford’s ‘K-19: The Widowmaker’

Harrison Ford as Capt. Alexei Vostrikov in 'K-19: The Widowmaker'

K-19 was the first submarine of the Soviet Union’s Project 658, the first generation of Soviet nuclear submersibles that carried an armament of nuclear ballistic…

Typhoon-Class: The Last of the Famous Soviet Ballistic Missile Submarines Retired In 2023

Illustration of a Typhoon-class submarine next to a ship

The Typhoon-class – also known as Project 941 Akula – were six Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The largest ever constructed, they served with the…

National Emergency Command Post Afloat: The ‘Floating White Houses’ for Times of Nuclear War

USS Wright (CC-2) at sea + Mushroom cloud rising into the sky

During the 1960s, America’s Continuity of Operations plans included the National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA). It was one of three parts – airborne, ground…

Project Iceworm: The US Military’s Plan to House and Deploy ICBMs from Beneath Greenland’s Ice

US Army Polar Research and Development Center personnel installing ceiling support beams + Missile being launched

Project Iceworm was a top-secret operation planned by the US Army during the Cold War. It intended to build a massive military base, housing several…

Black Sea Bumping Incident: When the Soviet Navy ‘Bumped’ the US Out of Its Territorial Waters

USS Yorktown (CG-48) being bumped by Bezzavetnyy

In the 1980s, the Soviet Union took several measures to get American warships out of its territorial waters – this including playing an old-fashioned game…

M28/M29 Davy Crockett Weapon System: The Tripod-Mounted Recoilless Rifle That Fired a Nuclear Warhead

Soldier standing with an M28/M29 Davy Crockett Weapon System outside

Throughout the Cold War, the United States was concerned about the Soviet nuclear threat. As such, the US military constantly came up with weapons designed…

How Many Times Did the World Nearly End During the Cold War? Answer: A Lot

Samantha Franco
Mushroom cloud rising into the sky + John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev sitting together

There were numerous times throughout the Cold War where the world nearly ended. The Cuban Missile Crisis, for example, saw the United States and Soviet…

Two KGB and CIA Operatives Were Tasked With Corrupting Each Other – They Forged a Friendship Instead

Rosemary Giles
Soviet and American flags hanging over two empty chairs

The KGB and the CIA were notorious enemies during the Cold War. As national security agencies for two warring nations, their operatives were tasked with…