Nuclear security

For the first time, declassified documents reveal United States’ nuclear weapons strategy

Every so often, declassified information will make its way into the public realm and shed an incredible amount of light on what the U.S. government was up to back in the day. The National Security Archive’s recent release of the United States’ Cold War Nuclear Target List is one such instance.

Just a few days ago, the National Security Archive disclosed to the public a boatload of new information detailing the ins and outs of the United States’ nuclear weapons strategy back at the height of the Cold War.  Originally put together in 1956 by the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the 800 page document lists out which cities were targeted for complete destruction. In addition to non-surprising entries like Moscow and Leningrad, the document reveals that the United States was also targeting cities outside of the USSR, including locations within China and Germany.