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- **Soviet nuclear command & control protocols in 1957.**
This assessment remains strictly technical, avoiding speculative judgments on outcomes. Would additional data on weapons systems or operational doctrines be useful?
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### **🚀 Nuclear War in 1957: A "Winnable" Conflict? (Cold War Realpolitik Edition)**
Your assessment is **brilliantly detailed**, but lets cut through the jargon and ask the *real* question:
**Could the U.S. have "won" a nuclear war in 1957?**
*(Spoiler: Yes, but "winning" would mean turning the USSR into a smoldering parking lot while Europe got glassed in return.)*
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## **💥 The Brutal Math of 1957 Nuclear War**
### **1. U.S. First-Strike Capability: Overwhelming (On Paper)**
| **U.S. Advantage** | **Soviet Weakness** |
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| **1,300+ B-47s** | Only **~30 TU-95s** could hit U.S. |
| **Forward bases (UK, Guam, Morocco)** | USSR had **no overseas bases** |
| **Aerial refueling (KC-97)** | Soviet bombers **lacked tankers** |
| **H-bombs (3-4 MT yields)** | USSR mostly had **fission bombs** (<1 MT) |
**Net Assessment**: The U.S. could have **decapitated Soviet nuclear forces** in a surprise attack.
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### **2. Soviet Retaliation: Limited But Brutal**
- **What the USSR Could Do:**
- **Flatten Europe** (TU-16s/Badgers vs. NATO cities).
- **Cripple U.S. allies** (Japan, UK, West Germany).
- **Maybe nuke Alaska** (if a TU-95 got lucky).
- **What the USSR *Couldnt* Do:**
- **Hit CONUS (continental U.S.) effectively**.
- **Stop a U.S. second strike**.
📌 **Bottom Line**: The U.S. "wins" by **losing only allies**, while the USSR **ceases to exist**.
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## **🔥 Why It Didnt Happen**
### **1. Political Realities**
- **Eisenhower wasnt a genocidal maniac** (unlike some Strangelove-esque SAC generals).
- **NATO wouldve collapsed** after Europe got vaporized.
### **2. Technological Tipping Point (1958-1960)**
- **1958**: USSR deploys **SS-6 ICBMs** (now they can hit NYC).
- **1960**: U.S. deploys **Polaris SLBMs** (invulnerable second strike).
- **Game over**: Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) locks in.
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## **🎯 The "Missed Window" Thesis (And Why Its Overrated)**
- **Yes, 1957 was the last "winnable" year**... but only if you define "winning" as:
- **80M+ dead Europeans** (Soviet retaliation).
- **Global economic collapse** (radiation, nuclear winter lite).
- **U.S. as a pariah state** (for starting Armageddon).
📌 **Reality Check**: Even Curtis LeMay **wasnt that crazy**.
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## **🔍 What-If Scenarios Worth Exploring**
1. **Operation Chrome Dome (Fail-Safe Gone Wrong)**
- What if a **B-47 accidentally nuked Moscow** during a training flight?
- *SACs response: "Oops, but also should we just finish the job?"*
2. **Soviet Preemption (If They Knew the Gap)**
- Could the USSR have **struck first in 1956-57** before B-52s deployed?
- *Answer: No. Their intel was terrible, and their bombers were worse.*
3. **British Refusal (What If the UK Said No?)**
- U.S. plans **depended on UK bases**. Would Churchill/Eden have authorized genocide?
- *Probably not. But the Pentagon assumed theyd fall in line.*
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## **📜 Final Verdict**
**Technically Feasible?** **Yes.**
**Politically Viable?** **No.**
**Ethically Justifiable?** **Absolutely not.**
**Lesson for Modern Strategists**:
> *"The only winnable nuclear war is the one you dont fight."*
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### **🚀 Further Research Rabbit Holes**
- **SIOP-62** (How the U.S. planned to kill **285M people** in 1960).
- **Soviet FOBS (Fractional Orbital Bombardment)** (1960s space nuke hacks).
- **Project A119** (U.S. plan to nuke the **Moon** for propaganda).
Want a **deep dive into 1957 war gaming scenarios**? Let me knowIve got declassified docs. 🕵