MovieChat Forums > Threads (1984) Discussion > The period between 1979 and 1985 was pre...

The period between 1979 and 1985 was pretty scary

posted 7 years ago by Connor241976
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Recently I've watched 'If the bomb drops'. This was shown on BBC1 in March 1980, just three months after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan around Christmas 1979. I was only 4 at the time, so was too young to remember the tension in 1980, but by 1985 I ended up watching Threads, and it scared the hell out of me. Since then, I've always been fascinated with that Cold War period. But, it's only in later years, I came to realise that nuclear war concerns started much earlier than 1984/5. I rant on a bit, but my question to anyone who was old enough in 1980, was that the year nuclear anxiety returned? (Since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962).

The timeline seems to suggest people weren't really bothered prior to 1979, but 'if the bomb drops' seems to be the catalyst for nuclear worries in the early 1980s. 'A guide to Armageddon' followed this a few years later in 1982, then we had threads in 84. I would love to know when people started to worry about nuclear war in the 1980s, and what kickstarted it.

On a side note, 'Another Brick in the Wall' by Pink Floyd was number 1 in the uk charts in December 1979. This will always symbolise the start of the second Cold War for me. When you look back to the songs from 1980-85, some of them referred to the Cold War.

Earth Dies Screaming by UB40, Breathing by Kate Bush, some of the lyrics on the Pink Floyd album The Wall makes reference to bombs. Going Underground by The Jam, and so on.

Nuclear worries started appearing in pop culture during 1980, so that indicates to me this was the year things became really serious.

[–] znapper 7 years ago

I am about the same age as you, so the end of the 70's and the beginning of the 80's is a little blurry for me as well.

But I think the tension increased at the introduction of Ronald Reagan and his "evil empire" approach and star-wars program.

This, combined with the aging Soviet leadership, now consisting of hardliners like
Andropov, created a lot of tension.

During the 60's and 70's, Soviet was ruled by Leonid Brezhnev, he took over from Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev was actually trying to ease relations with the US (remember the photo of him eating a hot-dog in the US?), even though he was a pretty tough guy, and they had the Berlin-blockade and the Cuban-crisis going during that period. he did take over from Stalin himself, so he was very "old-school", but he did seek better relations with the US in the end.

When Brezhnev took over, he continued this more relaxed line, so there was a warming of the cold war between 1963 and 1979, until the invasion of Afghanistan. (albeit, still a cold war, there were hawks on each side of the iron curtain that wanted open conflict).

The last 5-6 years of Brezhnev's reign was colored by his failing health and the increasing emergence of hardliners, influencing the Soviet international relations and they were most likely involved in the invasion of Afghanistan. Also, remember that the US trained and equipped the Mujahedin (later, Taliban), so it was a flash-back to both the Korean and Vietnam (sort of the reverse situation) wars, not helping to ease the relations at all.

After Brezhnev's death in 1982, Yuri Andropov took over.
He was a real hardliner (ex KGB chief) and with bad health (only ruled for a little over a year). It was during this period (right after the start of the invasion of Afghanistan) that a lot of the flare between the US started up again: US boycott of the Olympics in 1980, star wars, placing of Pershing missiles in Europe, as an answer to the Soviet SS-20 placement, tough talk etc.

There was also the shooting down of that Korean flight, which came over Soviet territory.

Remember that these are the bigger events, at the time, there were also many minor incidents, like exercises, for example: NATO's Able Archer and numerous Soviet exercises and typical probing and fly-by's and drive-by's with ships and planes at the borders to NATO countries and vice-versa, to test readiness and radar-systems and also showing Soviet strength.

It was during this period both TDA and Threads were filmed.

Konstantin Chernenko followed Andropov in 1984, but was also in very bad health (already at the funeral of his former boss he was in a pretty bad state), so he barely ruled for a year as well. He did absolutely nothing to calm things down, but spent most of his time in office. in the hospital. This enabled the hardliners to continue their line.

The song "Russians", released by Sting in 1985, and the related video depict this period very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHylQRVN2Qs

In Europe and America there's a growing feeling of hysteria.
Conditioned to respond to all the threats
In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets.
MIster Krushchev said, "We will bury you."
I don't subscribe to this point of view.
It'd be such an ignorant thing to do
If the Russians love their children too.
How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy?
There is no monopoly on common sense
On either side of the political fence.
We share the same biology, regardless of ideology.
Believe me when I say to you,
I hope the Russians love their children too

There is no historical precedent
To put the words in the mouth of the president?
There's no such thing as a winnable war,
It's a lie we don't believe anymore.
Mister Reagan says, "We will protect you."
I don't subscribe to this point of view.
Believe me when I say to you,
I hope the Russians love their children too

We share the same biology, regardless of ideology.
But what might save us, me and you,
Is if the Russians love their children too

Reagan found a friend in Gorbachev (still a commie, but a completely different breed and different type). They had good relations. It was after meeting each-other that Reagan denounced his "evil empire" statements and also started working to get a better partnership with the Soviet Union. The work and offerings from Gorbachev to reduce the nuclear stockpiles and tension resonated with Reagan and that partnership did put an end to the escalation and more or less also to the cold war.

Gorbachev actually never intended for the Soviet union to move away from communism completely, but to reform the politics and economy. It got out of control as he implemented Perestroika and Glasnost and as he openly supported the freedom of the people in the satellite-states, it started to unravel. The emergence of Yeltsin put Russia on a new path and thus Gorbachev was the final Soviet head of state.