Zero Hour

Zero Hour

Zero Hour explored the events leading to the historic Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed in December 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1979, Western Allies were worried about the Soviet Union's buildup of powerful and accurate SS-20 nuclear missiles aimed at Western Europe. Born out of strained relations with President Carter, a decision emerged that NATO would deploy U.S. Cruise and Pershing missiles unless the Soviets agreed to remove their SS-20s. The early 1980s saw incoming President Reagan seemingly bent on a new Cold War, the first deployment of the U.S. medium-range weapons, and huge antinuclear demonstrations. After six years of stand-off, a vibrant new leader of the Soviet Union and a second-term U.S president reached a startling agreement: zero American missiles for zero Soviet ones. The INF treaty marked the first time in the nuclear age the superpowers agreed to reduce the number of weapons already in existence. Written and Produced by Ben Shephard, first broadcast March 27, 1989.