Prompt Cast
Operation Unthinkable: The Contingency Plan for War with the Soviet Union after World War II
TLDR Operation Unthinkable was a contingency plan developed by the British Chiefs of Staff Committee for a potential attack by the Soviet Union or a preemptive attack on the Soviets by a combined American and British force. However, the plan was ultimately ignored and never considered due to the lack of desire for another war and the Soviets' major advantage in terms of troops and armor.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, concerns arose about whether the former Allies would become enemies and fight each other, leading to the development of Operation Unthinkable.
02:30
After World War II, the alliance between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies began to crumble, as the focus shifted from defeating the Nazis to the fear of Soviet domination in Europe.
04:33
Some American and British officials, including General George Patton and Winston Churchill, believed that war with the Soviet Union was inevitable due to the fear of Soviet domination in Europe and their perceived military weaknesses, prompting the British Chiefs of Staff Committee to develop a contingency plan for war with the Soviets.
06:32
A plan called Operation Unthinkable was developed, which included two contingencies for a potential attack by the Soviets or a preemptive attack on the Soviets by a combined American and British force, but ultimately the plan was ignored and never considered by the new British government and the Americans had no desire for another war.
08:40
If Operation Unthinkable had taken place, it wouldn't have mattered who attacked first, as both scenarios would have had significant consequences and the Soviets would have had a major advantage in terms of troops and armor.
10:46
In the early days of the conflict, the Soviets would have likely overwhelmed the Americans and British, but the Allies had potential advantages in manpower from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and German prisoners of war, as well as logistical weaknesses and lack of reserves on the Soviet side.
12:47
The Allies had potential advantages in controlling shipping, establishing bases, and utilizing industrial might against the Soviets in the hypothetical Operation Unthinkable.
