I teach Alaska History in Anchorage. Almost no one, even long time Alaskans who were around at the time, know of this story. Freaks my students out when I tell them about it. This will be required viewing in my curriculum from now on. Thanks for doing this. PS: Love those old images of Anchorage from before the earthquake (5:30) and of Dick Proenneke at 13:00.

@jonathankessler7436

3 жыл бұрын

that's because it was classified until like 2015

@JonatasAdoM

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonathankessler7436 But there have always been stories about the Ruskies invading 'em Yankees through Alaska.

@JeanLucCaptain

3 жыл бұрын

Life under Soviet Occupation would be no Different for the Inuit... YA THAT'S FREEDOM FOR YOU.

@JeanLucCaptain

3 жыл бұрын

@@JonatasAdoM And Canada is just a big blank space that the two fight over?

@TA.Mnt.Lion.Alaska

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonathankessler7436 I been hearing about it before 2014 when it was declassified...

Reminds me of Operation Anchorage back in 2076/77

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

don't forget your Power Armour

@sako5751

3 жыл бұрын

Democracy is non-negotiable!

@LedosKell

3 жыл бұрын

*[You are addicted to Big Iron]*

@LocalHeretic-ck1kd

3 жыл бұрын

Commies are trying to steal our resources again.

@zolafuckass8606

3 жыл бұрын

*BETTER DEAD THAN RED*

Come to Nome! It's a lovely place, only two seasons, winter and June 21th

@solomonthefoolish

3 жыл бұрын

Do the canaries all sing bass still?

@andredeketeleastutecomplex

3 жыл бұрын

there's gold everywhere

@JonatasAdoM

3 жыл бұрын

And oil now!

@Zorglub1966

3 жыл бұрын

@@JonatasAdoM And a lot of depressive Nanuqs (bipolar bears)

@demilembias2527

3 жыл бұрын

are you posting this on dialup running through a phone line originally built as a telegraph cable in 1892 that you share with the rest of the village

Cold War kids like me might remember a miniseries in 1982 called "World War III" in which the Soviets invaded Alaska and held the pipeline hostage until the U.S. started shipping grain to the Soviet Union again.

"No foreign army has ever occupied American soil." The Japanese at Attu Island: "Nani?" The British/Canadians at Washington: "Wot?"

@naponroy

3 жыл бұрын

Mexicans occupying Brownsville Texas in 1846: "Que?"

@harzzachseniorgamer5516

3 жыл бұрын

@@naponroy Native Americans since Cortez: What? (in several dozen dialects and languages)

@RandomHistoric

3 жыл бұрын

None of them occupied the land. The canadians and Japanese just landed, destroyed a few things and left. As the video implies occupation refers to the administration and control of american territory over long periods of time

@majormoolah5056

3 жыл бұрын

@@RandomHistoric The Japanese occupied Atto for a year almost before being removed

@jonathanwilliams1065

3 жыл бұрын

In our time so 1812 doesn’t count The Japanese however most definitely do count

"John Williams, not the composer." I was hoping for a cool Cold War drama starring John, comparing espionage to composing music.

An "active Invasion" of Alaska would have made not much sense, except neutralizing the airbases and EWS. On the other hand, landing in Washington State and other west coast areas would have produced quite a headache for the US forces (like depicted in "World in Conflict").

@civ27

2 жыл бұрын

Anchorage airport by the late 1950s was already starting to get flights between Europe and Asia, seizing it would've paralyzed the growth of a lot of global air traffic

@svenrio8521

Жыл бұрын

Such a great game.

Fascinating! My dad served in the Army in Alaska around this time. I was still quite young when he told us about it and showed us some slides. He was stationed at a place called Big Delta but I never understood what they were doing up there. He knew how to type so he became the camp clerk, a "secretary" a la "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka."

@edwardloomis887

3 жыл бұрын

Big Delta is a small town near the Army's Fort Greely. Two major activities there during that period: the Northern Warfare Training Center and an organization that tested new equipment in extremely cold conditions.

@yulondaroyster6849

2 жыл бұрын

Lol!!! I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” is my favorite movie! I love how you threw that reference as your dad was a secretary in the Army! Regardless, he STILL SERVED 🫡

“The Kodiak with the Kodak.” You win 10 points.

Red Dawn. The awesome part of is not the plucky teenage guerrilas. But how the Soviets managed pull the invasion off.The amount of unit movement and activity, and USA is oblivious. And not to mention ferrying 60 divisions across Bering Straits, and not have whole army bog down in Alaska.

@Einwetok

3 жыл бұрын

They'd desert just from the mosquitos.

@madjackblack5892

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, but we stopped their asses cold at the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi. It's also far better than that piece of crap recent version with DPRK as the bad guys.

@JonatasAdoM

3 жыл бұрын

@@madjackblack5892 That sequel should have been "Look, we can't feed our troops, we're sending them so they're your problem now. What are you doing, why are you shooting them!?"

@richardaubrecht2822

3 жыл бұрын

@@Einwetok Siberia, man. Cold and mosquitoes are nothing new to Russians. They'd probably think "This is exactly like back home. I hate it here".

@TA.Mnt.Lion.Alaska

3 жыл бұрын

They took our NORAD and SAC bases along with limited nuke strikes in the US . In that time line I think it be pretty easy to blind the US to an invasion force. Not to mention in that time line China and Russia were about to go to war so movement of troops would be suspect but not definitive..

It's absolutely bizarre to think mainland America is only 52 miles from Russia.

@joenichols3901

3 жыл бұрын

@Carolyn Stell eh same continent. Maybe I'm technically not correct but if I can drive there then to me it's on the mainland. Can't drive to Hawaii, Guam, etc. Not sure what the legal definition is but you're probably right

@michaelfodor6280

3 жыл бұрын

It could have been worse if the Russian Tzar Alexander II didn't sell it to the Americans. At the time the purchase was known by some as Seward's Folly, after the US Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the deal for the price of $7.2M (1 cent/acre) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Purchase

Just wanted to say thanks for the serious yet warm presentation of your videos. Been a subscriber since your third video. Keep up the good work.

Americans: no one has occupied American soil British in 1812: Am I a joke to you

@jackstewart8938

3 жыл бұрын

#AleutianIslands

@WhiteCamry

3 жыл бұрын

Americans after 1812: Yes.

@Einwetok

3 жыл бұрын

He was quoting from a book.

@dezbiggs6363

3 жыл бұрын

@@jackstewart8938 technically, alaska was only a territory then, not a state. At least thats the excuse I've been told as to why that doesn't count.

@AldoSchmedack

2 жыл бұрын

We kicked their asses back out....

Wow, "the Alaskan Inupiaq don't have clear cut allegiances" . They didn't even mention the Aleuts or the Yupik, all 3 were heavily recruited into the Alaskan Scouts during WW2 and never considered joining Japan despite Japan's earlier attempts to gain their loyalty. Foolish and typical of Hoover.

@abedmarachli7345

2 жыл бұрын

The man is not an idiot who built internal intelligence from scratch, the greatness of this man is that he was righteous to his mother and never loved women and died without marriage

Did I hear that right? The ideal cell member has only one arm, but is an expert with a bow and arrow?

@stalker5299

3 жыл бұрын

Don't question it :)

@bobs_toys

3 жыл бұрын

Just because you don't have 20 dexterity and a three foot thumb doesn't mean no one does.

@AldoSchmedack

2 жыл бұрын

Correction, he led the expedition. He had even more balls as he was the guide and backup in case the bear charged, in which case he used his teeth to great effect.

Thanks for posting this.. Greetings form Alaska.

I like the Idea of one armed photographer hunting with Bow and arrow🤣

@JohnDoe-pv2iu

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Must be disinformation in case of espionage... like the F designation of the 117 Attack bomber... Yall take Care and be safe, John

@aranos6269

3 жыл бұрын

@@JohnDoe-pv2iu it scared the ruskys. To invade alaska they'd move armies over thousands of miles of siberian wilderness, through inhospitable frozen tundra with no roads, across bering straight only to be met by fierce one armed photographers with bows and arrows. That scared them shitless, sure😊

Your videos are always interesting and for foreign people like me it's a good way to practice the comprehension of yankee English. Keep this way, man.

@MapletreePaper

2 жыл бұрын

Well, he's technically speaking Canuck English, but I admit that our accents are practically the same.

"Living under Soviet occupation would have made no difference to them." That is such an accurate and revealing statement.

@marklittle8805

3 жыл бұрын

That says nothing good about how American treated that Inuit

@baseballworldwide9439

3 жыл бұрын

@@marklittle8805 give it a break FFS

@marklittle8805

3 жыл бұрын

@@baseballworldwide9439 that is the reality. If the US government at the time thought it made no difference to the Inuit who was in charge, what does that say about how well they are being treated? I think the natives of Alaska (or Arctic Canada) will be the first to tell you that they don't always appreciate what they get out of being part of the US or Canada.

@baseballworldwide9439

3 жыл бұрын

@@marklittle8805 lmao as expected completely strawman my argument and make a laundry list of assumptions about it. It doesnt matter if the US, Canada, or Russia occupies them. Why? Because they're in the middle of Alaska lmao of course there'd be no difference.

@marklittle8805

3 жыл бұрын

@@baseballworldwide9439 would it? That is an assumption you make as someone who isn't Inuit .

Thank you for your work 🙏 especially now with the Dad Jokes 👏👏👏👏

There was a mini series on one of the major US TV networks that aired on the mid 80s about Soviet invasion of US in Alaska. It wasn't a full scale invasion, it was a Soviet special forces operation who's mission was to destroy an oil pipeline. The Soviets were engaged by an Alaska National Guard Unit who accidentally discovered them when they found a group of Guardsmen who the Soviets had previously ambushed.

@comicbookninja5268

Жыл бұрын

It was called WWIII staring David Soul and Brian Kieth

"The agents were still growing"? That was in the 50s, too. Absolutely enormous blokes by now.

You remind me of my middle school history substitute teacher for half the year in Indiana.

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks? I don't know if that is good or bad!

@CHECK6-963

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheColdWarTV yes

Love these "stay behind " network episodes.

Nicely informative video. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.

Could you do a video about the dictatorship in Greece 1967-1974. Because of foreign intervention led to it especially coming from the USA

When’s part two coming? This is super cool and interesting!!

Longtime viewer. Recent KZread sign inner. Your hand movement has certainly improved.

I think and I think Soviets also shared that invading Alaska would be a horrible mistake. It looks close to USSR and it is but that part of Soviet union is more or less disconnected from it. Getting loads of troops and resources for an invasion is impossible. At least at amount invading main land America would require. And even if they did that somehow Alaska is not a plain fields where you can advance easy and America and Canada would have way to much troops pushing them to the sea.

@mrmr446

3 жыл бұрын

Strategically it would have made about as much sense as the US invading Kamchatka, the level of paranoia seems to have over-ridden any logical analysis of perceived threats.

@nothernstar2576

3 жыл бұрын

we Russians don't fight using conventional norms and conventions. If comrade Stalin ordered, it would have been done, either by one official or the other

@goran77ish

3 жыл бұрын

@@nothernstar2576 that is true but even Stalin is not that stupid not to see this. If he never dared to invade Yugoslavia this was far less likely to do.

@mrmr446

3 жыл бұрын

@@nothernstar2576 It would take more than a couple of officials to overcome the logistical hurdles involved, passing the US Pacific Fleet and supplying troops on foreign soil. Just because something is theoretically possible doesn't mean it should be considered likely.

@nothernstar2576

3 жыл бұрын

@@mrmr446 it doesn't matter, comrade Stalin has given us 2 cemeteries specifically for officials, and Soviet union had no shortage of manpower

I need those prints behind you for my library! Where can I get them??

Love from Alaska!

Another great video! I'd been subscribed from the start of you channel, until today when I found out KZread had unsubscribed me. Don't know what their problem is with historical accuracy. Anyway, re-subscribed now! :)

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome back!

@zanenobbs352

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheColdWarTV Thank you! Glad to be back!

The Canadian rangers is something that this channel should cover

Thank you for covering this. No one seems to be bringing up this state during the Cold War,. Especially when we purchased it from Russia back in 1867.

Amazingly, in the film, the invasion of Alaska did happen. Top notch research! PozNAN!

At this point, I am starting to wonder about these kind of organizations on the other side...

@AldoSchmedack

2 жыл бұрын

They exist...

Now you guys should do a video looking at the 14th Assault Army, which the Soviets formed to invade Alaska (albiet, only a tiny sliver of it) if war broke out!

Fantastic content! I've never heard of these stay behind networks before.

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

I'm disappointed that we can't reach you by bear mail. How else are we supposed to keep our cover?

@JonatasAdoM

3 жыл бұрын

Through undisclosed radio stations.

Will we get a video on the GHQ auxiliary units???

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

The Auxiliary Units were a SWW thing and had been stood down by the end of 1944. While very interesting, they are outside of the scope of this channel

@Aaron.Keener

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheColdWarTV Ok, thanks for the reply.

What a name for such an operation

Can we hope for a video on Canada anytime soon?

Cant wait until the Operation Condor episode

Kinda sad and eery how I had to search for a Cold War-era video on a topic that is severely relevant today.

@sparky2721

2 жыл бұрын

Amen

Very proud.

Why not just weaponize the Grizzlys 😂

Also in the 50s the US military was planning to use nuclear bombs to excavate a port up near the Bering Straits. The sea in the area is very shallow and there is no place to dock a ship. They wanted a naval port to oppose the Soviets. Thankfully, they decided that that "Project Plowshere" was impractical. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Plowshare

My grandfather served in the USAF from 1950 to the late 80s. During the height of the Cold War, my grandfather was responsible for shredding documents. One day, while he was away, the captain in charge of the operation had accidentally shredded the war plans for the defence of Alaska. Apparently, these copies that had been accidentally shredded were the master copies. The captain, not wanting to be blamed for his mistake, told a lieutenant on hand to blame my grandfather saying, "let's just blame Red, that's what sergeants are for." The lieutenant immediately warned my grandfather of the captain's plan to throw him under the bus as my grandfather was well liked by those around him. In order to get ahead of the captain my grandfather called the general in charge of this unit. The general immediately brought charges against the captain with testimony from the lieutenant involved, saving my grandfather from being blamed for this mishap. I wish I could provide greater detail for this event, but my grandfather has since passed. Thank God the Soviets didn't find out about this little incident.

@jackthorton10

Жыл бұрын

Imagine if details like that ever got leaked at the time

@StuGT33

Жыл бұрын

@@jackthorton10 ha! I know right. It'd be crazy.

@jackthorton10

Жыл бұрын

@@StuGT33 The last thing you need in the middle of a war, cold or hot, is for your enemy to have a crack into the castle gates to soon charge down the wall with. Still close call, man.

So there are supplies, rifles, pistols, ammo, and bombs just randomly hidden throughout rural Alaska to this day? Hilarious. We are from the government. We are here to help. Lol.

Its crazy how close we are now

Outstanding. I love your SBO videos, and I've been waiting for you to do one on Operation Washtub/Stage. One correction though, a sniper scope and an optical sight are the same thing; not two different things.

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

More to come!

As Powers Boothe explains around the campfire, the main Soviet force came across the Bering Strait. A whole shitload of armored and motorized divisions. The airborne forces took the passes through the Rockies. While this was happening, Cubans and Mexicans came north taking Texas and pushing into the Plains.

Can you do more videos on Canada’s involvement in the Cold War?

Footage from alone in Alaska I see!

Anybody else remember the TV miniseries from 1982 called World War III? Soviets invade Alaska.

@richbarr5959

3 жыл бұрын

The one where they were always running out of ammo but never actually ran out? Yeah, I remember that one.

@stevepettersen3283

3 жыл бұрын

@@richbarr5959 Back in 1982, I wouldn't have trusted the National Guard with live ammo!

Operation Washtub? Who comes up with these names?

@Taistelukalkkuna

3 жыл бұрын

You definitely should check No One Lives Forever. It is running gag in first game.

@ShubhamMishrabro

3 жыл бұрын

A women was going to wash her tub so her husband from FBI picked this name

@ShubhamMishrabro

3 жыл бұрын

@@blahblah7090 foreign policy too

Units like this in a post-Patriot Act/NDAA/Directive 51 US probably lent some inspiration to the worldbuilding of The Division franchise. Difference being these outfits were designed for a specific type of scenario while the fictional counterparts were generally meant to act in a variety of circumstances and with supreme jurisdiction over other enforcement or military units.

My bell button left very detailed map coordinates before it left. Unfortunately it had orders to destroy all documents before bugging out so as to prevent capture. This also seems to have included the map. Perhaps, in the future, evasion training should be explained a little better.

Heard that from Blacklist

Was there any way where both ussr or usa , were not paranoid enough to waste money and resources.

@joluoto

3 жыл бұрын

Nope.

@christopherconard2831

3 жыл бұрын

Check out the origins of the CIA esp/mind expansion programs. The Soviet Union started them because they read a leaked, secret document, printed in a Spanish magazine I believe, that talked about a CIA ESP program. We found out about the Soviet program, thought it was a waste of money, but started one just in case there was something to it. Because of the compartmentalization of CIA misinformation programs, no one realized they were only doing it because we lied about doing it.

@bhutochakrabarti4173

3 жыл бұрын

@@christopherconard2831 I don't know why, but looks like both usa and ussr did a lot of fucjed up shit during cold War . Not to mention the repercussions still haven't healed in contbents like South and Central America or Africa and Asia

They never teach this in history. Thanks for uploading your videos!

Colorado? Wolverines? Huh? That's Michigan, man

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

Watch the movie, and it will all make sense!

This is probably happening right now in Taiwan.

There are few people I respect more than older men who, like those described as ideal agents here, are wise and cunning. I also fear those who meet these requirements _and_ also have functional knees and backs :) On a more serious note, should you encounter such men, befriend or at lest be friendly to them. They will reward this many-fold, but make them an enemy and you will be lucky to depart with humble pie alone.

I couldn't find the skip button for several moments there...old cold war

Excellent video still relevant, invasion doesn't happen when you are prepared It happens when you don't prepare or don't expect it.

I take it no one had access to George Kennan who could point out the logistical hurdles or even the possibility that there might be such a thing as too much paranoia. When you imagine a scenario almost as outlandish as the Soviets invading Oz and it inspires a film with a plot that looks like a Bircher fever dream.

I love your channel anyway, but this is my favorite video from you now.

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

Yay! Thank you!

Thanks

Gramps sounds like a bad ass.

Hello, how is it possible for you to post links to the episodes you recommend?

We Wish to feature about Indonesia under Suharto

@ShubhamMishrabro

3 жыл бұрын

I wish too.

@affandi99

3 жыл бұрын

Agree

You should be very proud!

I thought it was about the US army and standing army vs standing army stuff. More fun.

Proud

Go Wolverines!

Damn! This episode kinda rocks!

This makes me think. Had the straight been connected like we believe Gibraltar's was, the Mongols might have headed east and conquered North America.

You don't hung up Kodiak bear with a bow and arrow use a high-powered rifle

Hii i do not skip the 5 min long ad to support you but can you try to put it at the end of your videos not at their start. Thank you

@crazyivancnd

3 жыл бұрын

That's not how advertising works...

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

That is not up to us :(

i bet some of these old cold war things still around today all this red scare stuff going around would not be shocked to hear its still a thing

@joemorganeatmyshortschannel

3 жыл бұрын

also if thats your kids wishlist you should be very proud

You're welcome Canada

What about the war of 1812, didn't enemy troops pull up to the white house or an I wrong?

Laughs in Alaska scouts.

Meanwhile at the recruitng bureau: The one armed pilot: pilots need 2 arms Secret Service: hold my bourbon

Sure would suck if those operatives went to those caches during an invasion and found that they had been looted by someone who just had randomly been trekking in the woods and came across them.

4:05 thank you for letting me see what the sound guy gets to see. This is the most stupid camera perspective ever

What about Soviet stay behind networks? Did they do something similar?

@oxis77gas

3 жыл бұрын

Partisans

"Yes, I'm a gamer. No, I won't go to therapy."

In a county with gun rights, why hide the cache instead of issuing the equipment to the individuals? Even the silencers are legal, give them a tax stamp with it and act like they paid normally.

Love the dad jokes

I want mrs awe in the fictional adaptation to be played by betty white

@TheColdWarTV

3 жыл бұрын

So do we!

I wonder why the Russian Tsar sold Alaska to the USA? A quick Google says Russia had been recently invaded by the UK and France, i.e., the Crimean War. Selling Alaska to the USA was a diplomatic move to improve relations with the USA and offset British power in the Pacific, plus help replenish Russian coffers. I had always assumed they sold it due to difficulty of defending it etc. The USA got a lot of land on the cheap. Alaska and the Louisiana Purchase, which amounts to near half the land mass of the USA. European empires had previously planted their flags in those places regardless of the locals and then sold the lands to the USA. The Spanish lands like Texas, Arizona and California were mostly taken by force and annexation. Americans had that manifest destiny thing where they believed God had given it to them. I doubt the leaders actually believed that stuff, but they sold the narrative to the public and gained support for expansion (there was initial public opposition to expanding beyond the eastern US states). The USA also snagged Puerto Rico, effective control over Cuba, plus the Philippines, Guam and Hawaii. Then they pretended they were not an empire like the great powers of Europe, e.g., President Wilson denouncing the imperialism of others just after the USA had massively expanded its lands. Now they have something like 1000 military bases all over the world. They do not colonize lands with people these days though. They do it with capital mostly, plus diplomatic pressure that gets countries to fall in line with the Washington Consensus etc (access to US capital is a powerful diplomatic lever. If US investors do not buy a country's treasury bonds, that country can have its economy crash and burn. Many cases of it in Latin America especially. That money is a big reason why so many countries go out of their way to kiss Uncle Sam's butt).

Oh hey! 👋 You should like the 1950 movie "Invasion USA". I think it's better than "Red Dawn". Totally awesome. (It's on KZread.) Enjoy. 📺

Beware of one-armed archers

Not a well thought out plan to give a one armed man a guitten wire? How’d he use it?

(Red Dawn)(Classic Movie)(1984) (Red Dawn)(Live Action Movie(2012)

Why doesn’t the US build a real life Liberty prime 😂😂

Hmm.... This Operation could be explored in a Call of Duty or Battlefield or Fallout game Makes you think 🤔

The primary thrust of the Red Dawn scenario was executed by Cubans, whom the Wolverines were mostly fighting. They later received a Russian Spetznaz advisor.