![]() ![]() ![]() * * * * * Crises, Alerts, and DEFCONS, 1961-1976 – Part II The collection begins with the Berlin Crisis of 1961-1962 and concludes with the 1976 confrontation with North Korea over a deadly tree-trimming incident at the Demilitarized Zone. Such military operations amounted to business as usual for a global power with worldwide security and economic interests and a range of alliance commitments. strategic forces were alerted or when strategic bombers and aircraft carrier task forces were used for shows of force. crisis responses during the 1960s and 1970s when U.S. The substance of the July 1962 discussion is one of the revelations in today’s publication, the second of a two-part collection documenting U.S. ![]() strategic forces to DEFCON 2, the highest level of force readiness short of a decision to go to war. Just weeks after this discussion, Moscow and Washington found themselves on the verge of a dangerous confrontation over missile deployments in Cuba that brought U.S. The Allies would be on “very unpredictable ground when we have gone this far.” Suggesting that early nuclear use could amount to a last move, Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Nitze demurred, pointing to the terrible risks: the “dangers of preemption will multiply” once “nuclear bargaining” had begun. Washington, D.C., Ap– The United States and its European allies disagreed over the advisability of using nuclear weapons to signal resolve and deter war if a serious crisis with Moscow over West Berlin broke out, according to a review of declassified records posted today by the nongovernmental National Security Archive.ĭuring a July 1962 Allied discussion of contingency planning, published today for the first time, a French diplomat argued that nuclear demonstration shots would send a message to the Soviets without triggering “all-out war.” Doing so “would bring to bear in Moscow the idea that their next move may be their last.” A West German official took a similar position. FOIA Advisory Committee Oversight Reports.This year, the authorities raised the upper age limit for mandatory service to 30, starting from 1 January. The share of men who avoid the draft is particularly large in Moscow and other major cities. The authorities insist that those conscripted for mandatory service are not being deployed to Ukraine.Īll Russian men aged 18 to 27 must serve one year in the military, but a large share avoid the draft for health reasons or deferments granted to university students. These efforts come on top of the regular draft, which calls up about 120,000 to 140,000 men twice a year for a one-year tour of compulsory service. Some media reports and rights groups say the Russian authorities also offer amnesty to prisoners in exchange for a tour of military duty. That decree also banned volunteer soldiers from ending their contracts.Īll across Russia’s vast territory, a campaign to entice more men to enlist has been under way for months, with advertisements promise cash bonuses, recruiters making cold calls to eligible men and enlistment offices working with universities and social service agencies to lure students and the unemployed. While Putin said there was no need to round up more, his mobilisation decree is open-ended, allowing the military to call up additional reservists when needed. That number is counted as part of the military’s current strength. The following month, he ordered the mobilisation of 300,000 reservists to beef up his forces in Ukraine. In August 2022, Putin ordered an increase in the size of the Russian military to 1.15 million starting from 1 January 2023. Russian authorities have undertaken various efforts to give a boost to the army. In October, the UK defence ministry said Russia had “likely suffered 150,000 to 190,000 permanent casualties”, a number that included troops that have been killed or permanently wounded. The Russian military has confirmed only just over 6,000 military casualties, but western estimates are much higher. The Kremlin previously considered the size of its military as sufficient, but the calculus changed after hopes for a quick victory over its neighbour were shattered by fierce Ukrainian resistance.Īmid the continued hostilities, the size of Russian and Ukrainian military casualties remains uncertain. He did not say when the military would reach that size. Last December, Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, declared that the country needed a force of 1.5 million “to guarantee the fulfilment of tasks to ensure Russia’s security”. The ministry cited what it called “the special military operation” in Ukraine and the expansion of Nato as the reasons for the increase.īoosting Russian troops was an appropriate response to “the aggressive activities of the Nato bloc”, the ministry said. The defence ministry said the order doesn’t imply any “significant expansion of conscription”, saying in a statement that the increase would happen gradually by recruiting more volunteers. ![]()
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