10 Weirdest Cold War Stories You Probably Haven't Heard

With the end of the second World War in August 1945, most people looked to the future with renewed hope now the craziness they had known for the past six years was over. Or so they thought. The next 45 years would prove to be one of the tensest periods in human history, with the threat of nuclear war a near constant concern.

Although the Cold War was not technically a war, it was contested in several so-called proxy wars such as Vietnam War and Korean War, to name a few. This period is a melting pot of some truly unbelievable events, such as alien conspiracies, mysterious disappearances, ludicrous battle plans and audacious raids. Throw in a bit of ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time’ and a dash of ‘did they really do that?’ and you have a particularly interesting cake.

For those of you that read 10 Weirdest WWI Stories You Probably Haven’t Heard, this is a perfect complement, showing the weirdness did not stop in 1945. Those that haven’t read it, what are you waiting for?

The 1950s were a strange time to be alive. Rationing was still in effect following the end of the Second World War and the world was gripped in the early days of a continued threat of nuclear war, prompting governments to devise new plans to counter this. The British were no exception.

In 1957, the British government started Operation Blue Peacock, which despite sounding like a strip bar was actually a plan involving nuclear landmines! Picture the scene: the Russian army has deployed on one side, the US army has deployed on the other side and you’re stuck in the middle. (Got to do something, right?) So, they decided to plant TEN nuclear mines as a deterrent against Russia invading into West Germany. Surprisingly, we aren’t even at the crazy part yet! The biggest problem they faced was the unpredictability of the components in cold weather and given that the winters in Germany can be harsh, something needed to be done.

What they came up with proves that this was a time when no idea was dissuaded: surrounding the bombs with chickens. Yes, actual chickens. It was believed that their body heat would keep the parts at the right temperature long enough to retreat to a safe distance to detonate. Could have been a real coop!