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RIP Stanislav Petrov
It’s an era where those of us of a certain age seem inundated by the deaths of people important to our lives. Against that backdrop, it would be a shame to allow the death of one of the most important, but least known, to pass unnoticed.
On September 26, 1983, the USSR’s early warning system for a nuclear attack indicated that five Minuteman missiles had been launched and were headed east. Col. Petrov, then on duty, was charged with monitoring the system and notifying his superiors, so that consultation about retaliation could be held with Yuri Andropov, the Putin of his time. Had Petrov simply followed this protocol, and considering the state of US-USSR relations at the time, it is likely (maybe more than likely) that nuclear retaliation, and nuclear war, would have followed.
But Petrov was unmoved. While this brief remembrance cannot do justice to the entire episode, Petrov made a call–on his own and within the bureaucracy of the Soviet Union. He decided that there was a malfunction, and, based on his personal assessment that a first strike with only five missiles made little sense, he declined to act. According to Petrov, he had a “funny feeling in my gut.” He was right. And there’s a good chance many of us are here today as a result. RIP to a man who thought for himself and was correct.
Published in General
I’d never heard of him! Wow! I can’t imagine his taking that decision upon himself. Especially in the Soviet Union. Thanks, Hoyacon.
You’re very welcome. There’s more to the story, obviously, with the inevitable bits of controversy (see the internet), but Petrov is emblematic IMO of those who can have major influences on our lives with little fanfare. Not many now realize how close we came. He deserves our recognition. RIP at 77.
My understanding is that there were several “near miss” incidents for the Soviets where they received some manner of false positive of a missile launch. This prompted them to revise their procedures for release authorization, such that the power to do so resided in more than two people, including the Premier and their equivalent of the Joint Chiefs if I’m not mistaken.
Thank you for telling us about this man who deserves grateful memory.
There were numerous incidents during the Cold War in which misunderstanding or technical failure could have led to nuclear war. For example, when the US installed the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, circa 1960, no one had considered the possibility of getting radar returns from the moon, which showed up to the system as a possible attack.
In every era, those of a certain age seem inundated by the deaths of people important to their lives.
That’s an important point. I think, insofar as we live in an age of serious media and may be the first generation to truly do so, it appears to apply with particular force to boomers.
Terrific. Now that man had spine. Everyone should know of him, so your brief account is perfect.
A blessing that Col. Petrov was on duty that day. While his instincts proved right, and saved a catastrophe, he was badly treated by the Soviets afterward and demoted. They felt it was an embarrassment that they had flaws in the system, rather than grateful that a nuclear exchange in error did not take place, and Petrov had the smarts to recognize it. God rest his soul.
I suggest putting up a statue, but in America that would lead to protests and riots. This hero never got the credit he deserved.
Yes. Comparisons are difficult, but it was hard for me not to compare him (unheralded) to the Kennedys and the hagiography surrounding their handling of the Cuban Missile crisis–later revealed to have been the product of a deal with Khrushchev. It’s good to see that Col. Petrov is getting his due now in major publications.