28 November 1957: New Draft

In this draft, the earlier paper, “Conditions Under Which Mobilization Might Take Place,” has been combined with “Concept of Operations Following the Initial Phase of a Major War” to make a larger document, simply titled “Concept of Operations.” This new iteration of the Concept document outlines the military plans for both the first and second phases of a major war. Although the document still states that ICBMs “will not be in use operationally by either side,” there is a notation beside this line. Much of the paper itself is dedicated to the “nature and scale” of a Soviet attack and includes estimates of which cities will be attacked, as well as a list of the high priority cities for evacuation. Appendix C provides examples of the potential effects of an attack on Halifax or Montreal. The government predicts mass loss of life, confusion, lack of essential support services, and terror leading to “panic, looting, rioting, apathy, and even anarchy.”