# Armed U.S. Citizens deterring a Russian nuclear attack **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591 "2012-11-01T17:19:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/21 "2012-11-02T02:45:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It was originally going to be China. But the Chinese complained and the movie was changed. Which must have been tricky because they had already completed filming. Thank goodness for CGI! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/22 "2012-11-02T03:02:20Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > The studio wants to sell a shitload of movies to the Chinese in the future? Or maybe wants China to start cracking down on piracy? Or wants to open a studio there? There are a million reasons why they could change their minds. More like there’s about a billion or so reasons they changed their minds. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/23 "2012-11-02T03:38:36Z")
> [@emoticorpse](#): > > I’d be surprised if you acknowledged the scenario in Iraq for the last 10 years. Belongs in Great Debates; I can’t address it here. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/24 "2012-11-02T03:41:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > And movie makers give a darn what the Chinese think because…? > **[Chinese Box Office Weekends For 2025 - Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/by-year/?area=CN)** ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/25 "2012-11-02T10:45:11Z")
I’m pretty sure the OP is correct. The Red powers that be saw the documentary “Red Dawn” and determined that, comared to the Wolverines, the Russian Bear wouldn’t stand a chance. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/26 "2012-11-02T16:48:38Z")
As others stated, the USSR had plenty of better reasons not to invade the United States (e.g. the American military). That said, a heavily armed populace would give an occupying army no end of trouble and might force them to cut their losses. Rob ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/27 "2012-11-02T22:26:30Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Staff officers plan for every scenario. The Pentagon will have battle plans for invading the Vatican, Monaco, and San Marino filed away somewhere. And vice-versa, [if they’re smart.](http://youtu.be/uYMuJDajujc) ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/28 "2012-11-03T19:36:31Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Staff officers plan for every scenario. The Pentagon will have battle plans for invading the Vatican, Monaco, and San Marino filed away somewhere. You are too talkative my friend. I am afraid that you will have to be…dealt with. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/29 "2012-11-03T20:41:05Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Staff officers plan for every scenario. The Pentagon will have battle plans for invading the Vatican, Monaco, and San Marino filed away somewhere. But not all at once. We’d never win a three-front war. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/30 "2012-11-03T20:49:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But not all at once. We’d never win a three-front war. How many divisions does the Pope have? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/31 "2012-11-03T20:50:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But not all at once. We’d never win a three-front war. I’m not even sure that qualifies as a one-third-front war ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/32 "2012-11-03T21:09:25Z")
Even in the “best case” scenario for a Soviet first-strike, did they ever consider invading the mainland US. That would seem incredibly unlikely to succeed, no matter how well the nuclear campaign went. And if they did somehow manage to pull it off, what would be the largest invasion in military history against superpower’s military (and make D-Day look like a minor skirmish). A few hicks with guns would be nothing but a minor irritation. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591/33 "2012-11-03T21:59:37Z")
The OP needs to link to just what list he says he read this on, because without further information it’s impossible to judge the source of the claim. I could see maybe at the beginning of the 1950s it might have been possible to think that the use of nuclear weapons would be limited enough to amount to a WW2 1/2. But by the end of the 1950s?- no way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-u-s-citizens-deterring-a-russian-nuclear-attack/639591.md?page=1)