The Deadly Cyclone That Changed the Course of the Cold War

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Mar 24, 2022 6:00 AMA 1970 storm that killed half a million people became a flashpoint for political upheaval in Pakistan—and ultimately brought America and Russia to the brink of war.

The mostly Muslim country of Pakistan was born when the British partitioned India along religious lines in 1947. In November 1970, just two weeks before Pakistan's first attempt at a free and fair election, a tropical storm roared through the Bay of Bengal. East Pakistan was home to 60 percent of the population and was in the direct path of the storm. The Great Bhola Cyclone killed half a million people and destroyed a fragile political system. The story of the storm is how it brought together two Cold War powers who were threatening to destroy the world.