Editing World War III (section)

=== Able Archer 83 escalations: 2–11 November 1983 ===
{{main|Able Archer 83}}

During [[Able Archer 83]], a ten-day [[NATO]] exercise simulating a period of [[conflict escalation]] that culminated in a [[DEFCON 1]] nuclear strike, some members of the [[Soviet]] [[Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Politburo]] and [[Soviet Armed Forces|armed forces]] treated the events as a [[ruse of war]] concealing a genuine first strike. In response, the military prepared for a coordinated counter-attack by readying nuclear forces and placing air units stationed in the [[Warsaw Pact]] states of [[East Germany]] and [[Poland]] under high alert. However, the state of Soviet preparation for retaliation ceased upon completion of the Able Archer exercises.<ref name="FischerBenj-2007"/>