Episode Notes

September 26, 1983. Soviet duty officer Stanislav Petrov sees five incoming nuclear missiles on his screen. Protocol says launch a retaliatory strike. He has minutes to decide. He says no — and saves the world. We reconstruct the night, the system failure, and the single decision that prevented nuclear war.

What You'll Learn

• The Cold War context that made nuclear war terrifyingly plausible
• How the Soviet early warning system generated a false alarm
• Petrov's reasoning in the critical minutes
• Why his story stayed classified for decades

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One Decision tells stories of single moments that changed everything — the hesitation, the courage, and the people who made the call. New episodes weekly.