Able Archer 83, Near Nuclear Catastrophe

Abstract

In 1983, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states completed a command post exercise referred to as Able Archer 831 . In response to the exercise, the Soviets nearly launched a nuclear strike. Did these events cause President Ronald Reagan’s military policy to change from a hostile policy to a cooperative one? Using a methodology that consisted of combing through Nate Jones’s published compilation Able Archer 83, I conducted a thorough review of intelligence documents, memorandums, President Reagan’s diary entries, and other documentation contained therein. I supplemented my research with information found in the digital collection of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. My research indicated that President Reagan desired peace with the Soviets as early as 1981, but addressed the world with his reformed policy in January of 1984. Though an exact date and time for President Reagan's change in attitude could not be ascertained, it was clear that the near tragedy following Able Archer 83 had an effect on his policy