Nukes, Afghanistan & A Missing Plane: The Human Cost Of The Cold War | M.A.D World | Timeline

The Cold War: When nuclear weapons kept the entire world on the edge of M.A.D. – Mutually Assured Destruction. As Russia, China and the USA flex their military muscles on the global stage today, ‘M.A.D. World’ takes a close look at the last time we were threatened by the might of world superpowers: The Cold War.

In this episode:

- Just as détente seems to be working and the Cold War is thawing, the West is outraged when Soviet troops move into Afghanistan. The USA immediately offers arms and support to the anti-government rebels, the Mujahideen.

- World Champion boxer, Muhammed Ali is the face of the Olympic boycott as he leads a US team to persuade nations to stay at home rather than compete in the Moscow Olympics. The boycott is seen as an international protest against Soviet troops in Afghanistan.

- Fear of global annihilation triggers mass demonstrations in cities across the globe and huge numbers of people join the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Governments seek to alleviate fears by building nuclear shelters and broadcasting nuclear war survival strategies.

- As Western money and weapons boost the rebels and hi-tech soviet weapons defend the government, the war in Afghanistan intensifies. An unusual group of Middle Eastern soldiers emerges – women. Allowed university education and employment under soviet rule they are prepared to fight to protect their new-found freedoms.