There are many conspiracy theories surrounding the events of 25/26th September 1983 (Doomsday), most of which are spread via word of mouth or computer forums, primarily (although not always) in the southern hemisphere and areas less affected by Doomsday. The most popular theories revolve around the idea that the governments of less affected countries (such as Australia and New Zealand) had advanced knowledge of the attacks, or the idea that Doomsday was actually the work of an underground organisation.
Common Theories[]
Foreknowledge[]
By far the most popular conspiracy theory in the southern hemisphere is the belief that Doomsday was a planned event, and the governments of certain countries - primarily in the southern hemisphere - were notified and given time to prepare for the incoming nuclear blasts.
Believers in this theory - usually from the ANZC - often point to the lack of destruction seen in Australia and New Zealand compared to other countries of similar size in the northern hemisphere.
A variant of this theory is that celebrities and high-level politicians who were believed to have died on Doomsday were also notified in advance and given time to shelter themselves. Different theories differ as to where these people live today, although the most popular theorised locations include the Dominican Republic, northern China/Mongolia, and Mount Weather (or other real or theorised underground facilities).
Secret organisation[]
Another popular theory is the individuals who were deemed responsible for Doomsday were actually a part of a secret underground organisation whose aim was to destroy most of the human race and reconquer the world under their own ideology. This theory is popular in the northern hemisphere, both in the former USSR and USA and their former respective allies. The "ideology" of the underground organisation changes according to region; for example, in America and her former allies, the organisation is usually purported to be communist, whereas in the former USSR and her satellite states, the organisation tends to be capitalist or fascist.
Some believers in this theory also claim the organisation to be one of several organisations that existed before Doomsday; the Mujahideen, Kuomintang, the Conservative Party, the Freemasons and NASA have all been blamed as being either partially or fully responsible for Doomsday.
No-Nukes theory[]
This theory is often spread amongst the younger generations in countries that were either hit with no nuclear weapons or very few nuclear weapons on Doomsday. Believers in this theory often try to claim that because most forms of contact with affected areas were cut off on Doomsday, it cannot be proven that any of these places were actually hit by nuclear weapons, or even that they were destroyed at all. Instead - they claim - the government had fabricated Doomsday as an excuse to confiscate resources from the general populace out of greed.
Many governments across the world have taken serious measures to prevent the spread of this type of misinformation - which they regard as dangerous - including harsh punishments against anyone who vocally believes in it.
Some sects of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity also believe that nuclear weapons were not responsible for Doomsday; instead, they believe that the explosions were punishments from God.
Potential Reasons For Popularity[]
Denial[]
This is usually classed as a form of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), and is primarily seen in individuals heavily affected by the events of Doomsday. People affected in this way will try to use various excuses (including the no-nukes theory) to outright deny that Doomsday ever occurred - often as a way to cope with the massive amounts of trauma and loss suffered by the individual.
When faced with overwhelming evidence that Doomsday had, indeed, happened (i.e. seeing footage of an explosion or visiting the bombed-out remains of an affected area), affected individuals have been observed doing a range of different things, including: claiming that what they are seeing is somehow fabricated, breaking down in tears, or simply remaining silent and refusing to comment.