America’s Cold War Obsession with Greenland

Summary

America’s Cold War Obsession with Greenland – A Detailed Summary

Episode Overview
In the episode titled "America’s Cold War Obsession with Greenland" from the HISTORY® Channel's HISTORY This Week, host Sally Helm delves into a lesser-known yet pivotal chapter of Cold War history. Released on April 28, 2025, this episode explores the strategic significance of Greenland in American geopolitical maneuvers against the Soviet Union, unraveling the intricate negotiations, covert operations, and long-term implications of America's interest in this vast Arctic territory.

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**1. Historical Context and Strategic Importance

The episode opens with a negotiation scenario set on April 27, 1951, between the United States and Denmark, the sovereign nation over Greenland. Denmark, a small European kingdom with a population comparable to that of Massachusetts in the early 1950s, holds Greenland as a colony. Despite the significant size of Greenland, Denmark's refusal to sell the island underscores its strategic value to the United States.

Christian Nilsson, an associate professor of science history at Orus University in Denmark, explains:

"[00:03:19] There was an offer from the US to buy Greenland from Denmark. US$100 million in gold."

This substantial offer, however, was declined, reflecting Denmark's reluctance to relinquish control over Greenland despite American pressures.

Sally Helm provides historical background, noting that Greenland became strategically crucial during World War II. In 1941, the US signed the Defense of Greenland Agreement to prevent Nazi Germany from seizing the island, thereby securing vital resources like cryolite for aircraft production and establishing weather stations critical for wartime operations.

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**2. Post-War Negotiations and Military Installations

As World War II concluded, the geopolitical landscape shifted, intensifying the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. Greenland's location in the Arctic positioned it as a pivotal point for military strategy, especially for establishing radar stations, refueling points for nuclear bombers, and potential missile launch sites.

The 1951 agreement between the US and Denmark, described by Nilsson as:

"[05:51] The 1951 agreement is very significant and it's still standing as of today."

allowed the US to operate military bases on Greenland while keeping the island under Danish sovereignty. This arrangement was strategic, enabling the US to fortify its northern defenses amidst the burgeoning Cold War tensions.

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**3. Camp Century and Project Iceworm

One of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the US in Greenland was Camp Century, an underground military base designed to support America's nuclear deterrence strategy. Paul Bierman, an environmental sciences professor at the University of Vermont, elaborates on the recruitment of Henri Bader, a Swiss geologist, who played a crucial role in designing the infrastructure of Camp Century.

"[11:35] They recruited probably the most pivotal scientist, a Swiss geologist named Henri Bader."

Camp Century was engineered beneath the Greenland ice sheet, featuring advanced facilities powered by a portable nuclear reactor. The base aimed to support a large contingent of troops and serve as a hub for nuclear weapon deployment. Robert Weiss, a former US army doctor stationed at Camp Century, recounts his experiences:

"[23:55] Weiss was a doctor, and he'd asked for a research assignment. He flew to Greenland and made it to Camp Century."

Despite its innovative design, Camp Century faced significant challenges. The dynamic nature of the ice sheet led to structural instabilities, making sustained operations difficult. The ambitious Project Iceworm envisioned a network of tunnels and railways to house and transport nuclear missiles across the ice-covered landscape. However, the project was plagued by environmental challenges:

"[31:29] The idea was that it would be really hard for the Soviet Union to take out all these missiles. Not only were they hidden underground far away in the Arctic, but they were also in this massive area the size of the state of Alabama and constantly being moved."

Ultimately, Project Iceworm was deemed unfeasible due to the unpredictable ice movements, leading to the project's abandonment and the eventual closure of Camp Century in 1967.

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**4. Legacy and Modern Implications

The episode underscores the lasting impact of America's Cold War initiatives in Greenland. The abandoned structures of Camp Century are slowly being reclaimed by the melting ice, a process accelerated by contemporary climate change. Paul Bierman warns:

"[34:15] Frozen for now. But climate change, which was just starting to come into focus back in the 50s, has only gotten worse. And eventually that Greenland ice sheet will melt enough to reveal this underground city."

As the Arctic ice continues to diminish, Greenland's strategic importance is poised to resurface, potentially reopening discussions about sovereignty and control. Christian Nilsson reflects on the future significance of the Arctic:

"[35:37] But as they have been saying for 150 years, Greenland and Denmark aren't interested."

Despite renewed interest, particularly from leaders like President Trump, Denmark remains resolute in its autonomy over Greenland, maintaining the delicate balance established during the Cold War era.

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**5. Expert Insights and Perspectives

Throughout the episode, experts provide nuanced perspectives on the historical events:

• Christian Nilsson highlights the geopolitical chess game between superpowers and the underestimated importance of Greenland.
• Paul Bierman delves into the scientific endeavors at Camp Century, juxtaposing them against the covert military objectives.
• Robert Weiss offers a personal narrative of life at the underground base, illustrating the human aspect of these grand strategic plans.

Their combined insights paint a comprehensive picture of America's Cold War strategies in Greenland, emphasizing the island's enduring significance in global politics and environmental discourse.

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Conclusion

"America’s Cold War Obsession with Greenland" sheds light on a critical yet often overlooked facet of Cold War history. By examining the strategic motivations, ambitious military projects, and the complex interplay between the US and Denmark, the episode underscores Greenland's pivotal role in shaping geopolitical dynamics. As climate change continues to alter the Arctic landscape, the historical legacy of Camp Century serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring human impacts on both politics and the environment.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Christian Nilsson on the US offer to buy Greenland:

  "[00:03:19] There was an offer from the US to buy Greenland from Denmark. US$100 million in gold."

• Paul Bierman on recruiting Henri Bader:

  "[11:35] They recruited probably the most pivotal scientist, a Swiss geologist named Henri Bader."

• Robert Weiss on arriving at Camp Century:

  "[23:55] Weiss was a doctor, and he'd asked for a research assignment. He flew to Greenland and made it to Camp Century."

• Christian Nilsson on the Soviet threat:

  "[19:16] [Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Bulganin] says that if Denmark allowed the US to place nuclear weapons in Greenland, it would, quote, be synonymous with suicide."

• Paul Bierman on Camp Century's legacy:

  "[34:15] Frozen for now. But climate change, which was just starting to come into focus back in the 50s, has only gotten worse. And eventually that Greenland ice sheet will melt enough to reveal this underground city."

---

Acknowledgments:
This episode features contributions from Paul Bierman, Christian Nilsson, and Robert Weiss, providing expert analysis and firsthand accounts that enrich the narrative of America's strategic maneuvers in Greenland during the Cold War.

Transcript

[Rene Haas]

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[Sally Helm]

The episode you're about to hear is a deep dive into a story about a covert government plan that is also featured on Secrets Declassified, a new History Channel TV series hosted by David Duchovny. Secrets Declassified investigates explosive evidence from newly declassified files that shine a light on what the government does in Secret. Check out new episodes on the History Channel every Friday or stream the next day on history.comhistory this week, April 27th, 1951. I'm Sally Helm. A negotiation has been going on for weeks. On one side, the United States. On the other, a small European kingdom, Denmark. Its population is around four and a half million, a little less than the size of Massachusetts at the time. The two powers are far from evenly matched. But Denmark has something that the US really wants. They've tried to get it before.

[Christian Nilsson]

There was an offer from the US to buy Greenland from Denmark. US$100 million in gold.

[Sally Helm]

Yes, the United States once tried to buy Greenland with gold. That is Christian Nilsson, an associate professor of science history at Orus University in Denmark. He said that bag of gold offer came soon after World War II.

[Christian Nilsson]

And here I quote the Danish foreign minister at the time. We know we owe a lot to the Americans, but. But we don't owe the entire island of Greenland.

[Sally Helm]

To step back for a moment in 1951. Greenland is a Danish colony, but the US has had a foothold there since 1941, when they signed something called the Defense of Greenland Agreement because Germany had just occupied Denmark and the US wanted to protect the this giant icy island in the Arctic, make sure it didn't fall under Nazi control.

[Christian Nilsson]

I think a lot of people in the United States might easily forget about or don't know so much about Greenland, but it's very important.

[Sally Helm]

That's partly about natural resources. Like During World War II, the US had access to Greenland's deposits of the mineral cryolite, which was important for making airplanes. They also put weather stations on the island that helped them forecast conditions in Europe, important for the war effort. But a lot of Greenland's strategic importance comes down to location. And by 1951, that is really the key reason that the US wants to stay in Greenland. It's in the Arctic right between the US and the Soviet Union, so it has military importance to both countries. It's the perfect place for radar stations, a place for nuclear bombers to refuel, and maybe even a place that could be used to launch nuclear missiles. The US Wants to control it before the Soviets do. So on April 27, 1951, they reach a deal with Denmark to extend that previous Defense of Greenland agreement and let the US operate military bases on the island, amass troops, machinery and weapons. But Greenland will still be formally controlled by Denmark. The two nations sign on the dotted line at a ceremony in Copenhagen.

[Christian Nilsson]

The 1951 agreement is very significant and it's still standing as of today.

[Sally Helm]

And Greenland, even with the Cold War over, it's still really significant too. Today, the United States tries to get its hands on Greenland once the Americans move in. How does their Arctic outpost connect to a massive nuclear secret? And why do they abandon a city beneath the ice? Greenland is a massive northern island, the largest island that isn't a continent. It's not that green, more frozen.

[Christian Nilsson]

There's a big inland ice that covers nearly most of Greenland. It's only the outermost areas that are free of ice. And of course, this is where people live.

[Sally Helm]

People have been living in Greenland for a long time. Inuit people came to the island from North America around 4,500 years ago and. And roughly 90% of Greenlanders today are Inuit. The Vikings also settled in Greenland starting around the year 982. In fact, they gave it that name. It was greener then. They built agricultural towns deep inland. And then the land started to freeze. Part of something called the Little Ice Age. The ancestors of Greenland's indigenous population, the Tule, they survived, living on the western coast where they could hunt seals and caribou. A couple hundred years later, the Danes arrived, searching for lost Viking settlements and hoping to spread Christianity. They've had control over the island in one way or another since the mid-1700s. By the 1800s, the United States is looking to expand new north to get resources and extend their territorial power. And also because the general vibe is manifest destiny that the US has basically been ordained by God to spread across North America. In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. He dreams of controlling Canada too. You know what's close to Canada.

[Christian Nilsson]

There were speculations when the United States bought Alaska from the Russian Empire that Greenland would be a nice sort of purchase.

[Sally Helm]

Seward commissions a report on Greenland and also Iceland. It notes Greenland's excellent coal and fisheries, along with vast quantities of foxes, wolf, reindeer, bear, hare, king duck, eider, duck, Dorskin, petrel. The list truly does go on. The writer concludes we should purchase Iceland and Greenland, but especially the latter. It doesn't happen. Congress balks at Seward's expansionary plans, and he never makes an offer on Greenland. There's another attempt in 1910 to make this complicated trade involving the Philippines. That also doesn't happen. But when World War II breaks out, the US again has its eye on on Greenland. They want a base of operations in the North Atlantic, somewhere to build airfields and install radar and weather stations to help fight the Nazis. But Denmark still owns Greenland and the Danish government has fallen under Nazi control. They're not going to agree to let the US set up military bases there until the Danish ambassador to the us, Henrik Kaufman, decides to take matters into his own hands.

[Christian Nilsson]

He sort of declared himself an independent representative of Denmark because he said, you know, the Danish government who's collaborating with the Germans, we cannot consider that an independent and free nation.

[Sally Helm]

Right.

[Christian Nilsson]

They're doing this. Under severe military pressure, Henrik Kaufmann follows.

[Sally Helm]

His own conscience and hopes the King of Denmark will forgive him. Later, In April of 1941, he signs an agreement giving the US access to Greenland.

[Christian Nilsson]

They agreed that it was better to be under American protection than fearing to be invaded by Nazi Germany.

[Sally Helm]

And so the US moves in to this important strategic spot. Germany knows how important Greenland is. In fact, while the US is building up its bases on Greenland's west coast, the Nazis sneak in on the other side of the island and build some secret bases until war's dramatic action reaches the far north. As coast guardsmen blast their way through ice floes off Greenland in an attempt to break up establishment of Nazi bases. The Allies eventually discover those bases. By 1944 the Nazis are driven out of Greenland entirely. Hidden in icy caves, much scientific equipment was captured along with the crew of the Nazi weather station. Weather plays a huge role in World War II. The stations on Greenland help time the successful D Day invasion. And after World War II is over, the US decides they want to stay in Greenland. With the Soviet Union rising as a rival superpower, that Arctic location is more important than ever. So the US starts working on a long term plan. We heard about it from Paul Bierman, an environmental sciences professor at the University of Vermont.

[Paul Bierman]

They recruited probably the most pivotal scientist, a Swiss geologist named Henri Bader.

[Sally Helm]

Henri Bader was an expert on snow and ice and permafrost and winter terrain. He'd worked on those topics in Switzerland in the 1930s, where he apparently cared more about skills skiing than studying. Who can blame him? He did love geology. He and his wife spent their honeymoon prospecting for minerals in Argentina. And after the war, in 1945 he settles in as a professor at Rutgers University. And then the US government comes knocking. They're looking for someone who knows a lot about snow.

[Paul Bierman]

And then quickly recruited by the military to go to Europe and to to speak to as many people as he could about the state of glaciology, the understanding of ice in Europe.

[Sally Helm]

Bader becomes an official army contractor.

[Paul Bierman]

He was designing all of these research programs for understanding the basic physics of snow and ice. Not because the government cared about the basic physics of snow and ice, but because they cared about traffic ability and how tracked and wheeled vehicles would work on the ice and whether you could build camps and all those sorts of things.

[Sally Helm]

And you know, where there's a lot of snow and ice. Greenland. The government is preparing to dig in, build a permanent base on this Arctic island. There's only one problem Denmark won't sell. They turn down the offer of a big bag of gold, and eventually they take to the negotiating table. Denmark gets certain concessions. They retain control of Greenland, which boosts their standing in the newly formed NATO alliance. And in 1951, the Americans and the Danes signed that agreement in Copenhagen, the one that is still in effect today. It gives the US permission to build in so called defense areas, but it doesn't say what those areas are or what defense really means. And the US Seems to have a big project in mind.

[Paul Bierman]

When you look at the photographs, it's landing crafts. It looks like an invasion. You know, the front goes down and the bulldozers drive off and the men come in. They recruited, I think 3,000 construction laborers, many of whom were recruited from Minnesota.

[Sally Helm]

Minnesota because it's cold. Many of these construction workers actually don't know where they're headed until they've already left the US On a ship. They just know that it's far away and the pay is good. They work all summer, sometimes through 24 hours of daylight, putting together a massive new military Thule air base. The US Hopes this will give them an edge in the Cold War. But Denmark will end up in the line of fire. History this Week is now in its sixth season. Kind of crazy, and we love bringing you these stories. All of our work is supported by the ads you hear on the show. But if you don't want to hear those ads, we're now introducing history this week plus, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts for just $2.99 per month. You'll get all of our new episodes without any of the ads. And we'll be adding ad free versions of our older episodes too. History this Week plus exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

[Robert Weiss]

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[Sally Helm]

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[Paul Bierman]

The three conspiracies surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death?

[Sally Helm]

These stories and more are told in the new podcast Hollywoodland, where true crime and Tinseltown collide. Hollywoodland is hosted by me, Jake Brennan, creator of the award winning music and true crime podcast Disgraceland. Follow and listen to Hollywoodland wherever you get your podcasts.

[Rene Haas]

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[Sally Helm]

Soon after Thule Air Base opens, there's a change in US military policy. A new theory. Deterrence. Nuclear deterrence. America wants to build up a nuclear stockpile so large and be able to strike so quick that no one would dare attack them with atomic weapons. But they have a few problems to solve.

[Christian Nilsson]

So at the time, in the early 50s, nuclear bombers were not able to fly from the US to the Soviet Union and back again.

[Sally Helm]

Kristian Nilsson.

[Christian Nilsson]

So they needed some kind of refueling station on the way, so to speak. And this was Jul Air Base.

[Sally Helm]

Denmark is right in the middle of these two feuding superpowers, geographically and now with Greenland also politically.

[Christian Nilsson]

In the late 1950s, the Soviet premier sent an open letter to Denmark warning Denmark that if we allowed the US military too much leeway in Greenland, for example, with nuclear bases, then that would be the same as a kind of a suicide pact.

[Sally Helm]

This warning comes from a 1957 letter from Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Bulganin. He says that if Denmark allowed the US to place nuclear weapons in Greenland, it would, quote, be synonymous with suicide.

[Christian Nilsson]

So a very direct threat that, you know, if there's any nuclear war, then Denmark will be your first target for the Soviet Union. Because of this collaboration with the Americans.

[Sally Helm]

This sets off a delicate diplomatic dance. Later, in 1957, the US reaches out to Denmark.

[Christian Nilsson]

The US approached Denmark asking if they would mind at all that munitions of a special kind were being installed at Thule Air Base.

[Sally Helm]

Munitions of a special kind, meaning nuclear weapons. They're careful not to put that in writing. Even in a secret letter, you never know what might get leaked.

[Christian Nilsson]

The Danish government said, well, you didn't give us any specific plans, so if you're not saying more about this, then we would not like to hear more.

[Sally Helm]

The reply from the Danish Secretary of State about these munitions of a special kind was classified until 1995. It concludes, I do not think your remarks give rise to any comments from my side.

[Christian Nilsson]

On the one hand, they allowed the US to have nuclear weapons on Thule Air Base in Greenland. But on the other side, they went out in public and said, the Danish policy is not to have nuclear weapons in Denmark in peacetime. Only a very few people in Denmark at the time knew that there was this playing both sides strategy.

[Sally Helm]

Starting in 1958, nuclear bombers routinely move in and out of Thule Air Base. They're part of the airborne alert strategy, which said that there would be nuclear bombs in the air at all times in case a retaliatory strike was necessary. So the US has Thule, a military base near Greenland's coast. But they're also looking to expand inland. They've chosen a spot 138 miles from the coast. The land there is basically a sheet of ice. Winter temperatures hover around minus 50 degrees. They tell the Danes, we're going to build a huge complex beneath the ice. They call it Camp Century.

[Christian Nilsson]

This really puzzled the Danish politicians. You know, what was the real purpose of Camp Sentry? Why would they even think about investing so heavily in such a construction under the ice?

[Sally Helm]

The stated purpose is. Is research. And part of that research is just, can we do this, Build a base underground in the Arctic and have human beings inside it again?

[Paul Bierman]

Paul Biermann Camp Surrender was this incredibly ambitious plan to have 200 men inside the ice, a Main street tunnel that was 1,000ft long.

[Sally Helm]

For this project, the army brings back the Swiss snow expert Henri Bader.

[Paul Bierman]

Bader brought his expertise from Switzerland. With him brought the plows that are used to clear passes in the Swiss Alps to dig these trenches.

[Sally Helm]

This snow milling machine, the Peter Plow.

[Jake Brennan]

Was our pride and joy.

[Sally Helm]

Manufactured in Switzerland, it could handle up to 1200 cubic yards of snow an hour. The army actually releases a documentary bragging about this ambitious project. The basic concept was simple. A system of 23 trenches would be dug into the ice cap and then covered with steel arches and snow, branching off the main communication. The whole thing is powered by an experimental technology, a portable nuclear reactor that's keeping the lights on and providing hot showers for the soldiers at Camp Century. We spoke to one of those soldiers. Dr. Robert Weiss was 26 years old when he learned where he'd be going as a new army recruit. He walked into a colonel's office and.

[Jake Brennan]

Everything he said, I said, yes, sir, no, sir. Yes, sir. And then he said to me, in one week, you'll be getting on a plane and you're going to northern Greenland. And I looked at him, I said, you're kidding. I had lost this. Yes, sir. No, sir.

[Sally Helm]

Weiss was a doctor, and he'd asked for a research assignment. He got it. He flew to Greenland and made it to Camp Century.

[Jake Brennan]

You could see a couple of buildings, small huts that they had built on the outside, but there was essentially nothing. The wind was blowing. It was at least minus 50 degrees on the outside. I was very happy when I got into the tunnel.

[Sally Helm]

Overall, Weiss says it was actually A pretty chill assignment for an army doctor.

[Jake Brennan]

I mean, I was always available. But remember, it's a young group of soldiers, so that the number that got sick was very small. There was injuries, but there weren't a lot of them.

[Sally Helm]

Their quarters are modern, spacious, comfortable, and are not lacking in any detail.

[Jake Brennan]

Food was outstanding. I mean, I think that they calculated 8,000 calories per day per man, which is huge amount of food, except for the fact that they have no windows. The men of Camp Century live exactly.

[Sally Helm]

As do other soldiers. You could almost forget that you were living under the ice. The scientists at Camp Sentry, they are doing some pretty wild experiments, working on cloud seeding machines that could literally control the weather.

[Paul Bierman]

They were launching silver iodide crystals on rockets to try to do this.

[Sally Helm]

They're also drilling deep into the ice sheet. This is Henri Bader's big project. He convinces the government to look into this new question that's just come up. Why does Greenland and actually the whole world seem to be getting warmer?

[Paul Bierman]

This is just at the birth of understanding of climate change caused by humans. The first scientists starting to come out saying, you know, if we're burning all this carbon dioxide, we could change the temperature of the Earth. And Bader argued quite cogently that what they needed to do was core the ice sheet to figure out the climate of the past, to understand whether these five, ten years of warmth were something that had cycled through in the past, or whether this was unusual.

[Sally Helm]

Core the ice sheet. You drill down and bring up a cylinder of ice, the Camp Century.

[Paul Bierman]

The ice at the bottom of that core goes back over 100,000 years. And in that ice is encoded the history of climate.

[Sally Helm]

You can see remnants of volcanic eruptions, little bits of ash.

[Paul Bierman]

There's some fantastic studies looking at the levels of lead in ice cores. And that can be mapped to when the Romans were smelting lead. There's some people who speculate. You can see the plague or crises in the Roman Empire that turned down the lead smelting, all that preserved in ice.

[Sally Helm]

The scientists at Camp Suntry are doing real work, but there is a whole other purpose to this city beneath the ice.

[Christian Nilsson]

It was very important also that it was hidden, all right? It was hidden from view. When you fly over, you can hardly see them. So it was concealed, and it was seen as a way in which you can have these large structures under the eyes that could perhaps conceal nuclear weapons.

[Sally Helm]

That is the secret vision for Camp Century Nuclear. Nuclear warheads under the ice.

[Robert Weiss]

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[Sally Helm]

Each spring, 23 Pulitzer Prizes are awarded for distinguished journalism, books, drama and music. There was disbelief and pride and life changing. My name is Nicole Carroll and I'm a member of the Pulitzer Board and host of Pulitzer on the Road, the official podcast of the Pulitzer Prizes. In each episode, winners reveal how much labor and risk, heart and imagination go into creating their prize winning work. We'll talk with novelists and reporters. We found stuff that no one had heard before or found out. It was exciting critics and playwrights. I do not want to live in a world where we don't go on a stage and tell the truth about who we are and columnists who've risked their lives to speak truth to power. What moral right would I have to call on my fellow Russian citizens to stand up to the Putin dictatorship if I didn't do it myself? The second season of Pulitzer on the Road premiered March 10. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts, the Odyssey app, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast.

[Rene Haas]

I've been counted out, dismissed, passed over.

[Sally Helm]

Told I'd never be a golfer with just one arm. But the only thing that feels better than proving people wrong is out driving them. I'm 14 year old golfer Tommy Morrissey and I want to be remembered for my ability as a champion. Partner of the Masters bank of America supports everyone determined to find out what's possible in Golf and in life. What would you like the power to do? Bank of America bank of America NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Looking back on his time at Camp Century, Dr. Robert Weiss remembers one project that people seem to talk about a lot.

[Jake Brennan]

I was very much aware that they wanted to build a subway system.

[Sally Helm]

A subway system. So they needed a lot of tunnels.

[Jake Brennan]

In retrospect, knowing what Iceworm is and what was planned, I was being told it, but I didn't know it.

[Sally Helm]

Project Iceworm Paul Bierman the Army proposed.

[Paul Bierman]

This kind of fantastical idea that if they had short to medium range nuclear missiles, they could hide them in the ice sheet. And they would hide them in an area about the size of the state of Alabama to put some scale to it. That would have 600 missiles and tunnels crisscrossing it with rails and locomotives that would have moved these missiles back and forth like a giant shell game. There'd be launch stations that the missile could pop up and be launched toward the Soviet Union.

[Sally Helm]

The idea was that it would be really hard for the Soviet Union to take out all these missiles. Not only were they hidden underground far away in the Arctic, but they were also in this massive area the size of the state of Alabama and constantly being moved. So if you wanted to get them all, you'd kind of have to bomb the whole thing, which would be tough, although it also turned out to be pretty tough. To bring this fantastical idea, Project Iceworm, into reality. There were signs that this city under the ice wasn't totally stable structurally.

[Jake Brennan]

They spent a huge amount of time scraping the ice from the roofs.

[Paul Bierman]

On average, maybe a foot a year. The walls were coming in, but in warm places because snow and ice flow a lot better when they're a little warmer. Near the dining hall near the nuclear reactor, they were closing at several feet a year, which meant that they were constantly trimming the walls and getting the snow out of there.

[Christian Nilsson]

The ice was, was much more fluid or dynamic than they originally thought. So these tunnels quite quickly became unstable.

[Sally Helm]

Dr. Weiss remembers that the subway tunnel project seemed to run into some problems.

[Jake Brennan]

My recollection was they did this for a couple of days and then had an early storm and blew the tunnel in.

[Paul Bierman]

In actuality, that project got as far as a 1300 foot tunnel length of track at Camp Century.

[Jake Brennan]

It didn't get very far, and I knew that it failed.

[Sally Helm]

Based on these experiments, Project Iceworm is rejected. The army scraps it, and over the course of the 1960s, they dismantle Camp Sentry as the frozen walls start to close in. By 1967, it's abandoned camp Century becomes an icy ghost town.

[Christian Nilsson]

They left most of the buildings and machinery and diesel and chemicals there.

[Paul Bierman]

All the extra food, everything was left behind. They didn't take any of it out.

[Sally Helm]

And all of this stuff has been sinking further and further into Greenland's ice sheet. Camp Century is now about 100ft feet below the surface. There are buildings, fuel, antifreeze, food. Also, this is gross. All the human waste.

[Paul Bierman]

When you put 200 men flushing toilets and taking showers, that's a lot of warm water. And that simply melted its way into the ice and created a giant cavern. All that sewage, millions of gallons, is still there today. Frozen, but still there.

[Sally Helm]

Frozen for now. But climate change, which was just starting to come into focus back in the 50s, has only gotten worse. And eventually that Greenland ice sheet will melt enough to reveal this underground city.

[Paul Bierman]

The time will come, unless we get the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, that Kemp Century will surface. And when it does, there's going to be, you know, canned goods and steaks and latrines and chairs and girly magazines and all those things that were up there that are going to reappear.

[Sally Helm]

It's not clear how long this will take. 100 years, 200 years, but it's coming. And as climate change melts the ice in Greenland, the island will only become more strategically important.

[Christian Nilsson]

With the melting of Arctic ice and the warming temperatures, the Arctic will become more accessible. Nobody really knows how valuable the Arctic will become in the future.

[Sally Helm]

Will the thawing Arctic ice open new shipping channels? Will new natural resources be revealed under Greenland's ice sheet? The island has minerals that are especially important for our technological future.

[Christian Nilsson]

Who knows, you know, in 30 years it may be a very different Arctic that we're looking at.

[Sally Helm]

For now, Greenland is still part of Denmark. It's more autonomous than it was back in the Camp Century days. It has its own parliament and legal system, but the United States still wants it. President Trump has made that goal very clear. He said he wants Greenland for strategic military reasons.

[Jake Brennan]

And I think we're going to get it. One way or the other, we're going to get it it.

[Sally Helm]

But as they have been saying for 150 years, Greenland and Denmark aren't interested. Thanks for listening to History this week, a Back Pocket Studios production in partnership with the History Channel. To stay updated on all things History this week, sign [e-mail] and if you have any thoughts or questions, send us an [e-mail] this episode was inspired by a story from Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny, a new History Channel TV series. Watch new episodes every Friday or stream the next day on history.com special thanks to our guests Paul Bierman, professor at the University of Vermont's School of the Environment and Natural Resources and author of when the Ice Is what a Greenland Ice Core Reveals about Earth's Tumultuous History and Perilous Future Kristian Nilsson, associate professor in science History at the Orus University in Denmark and co author of Camp the Untold Story of America's Secret Arctic Military Base under the Greenland Ice and Robert Weiss, former U.S. army doctor and Donald Guthrie, professor of Urology at Yale University's School of Medicine. This episode was produced and sound designed by Ben Dickstein. It was also produced by me, Sally Helm for Back Pocket Studios. Our executive producer is Ben Dickstein from the History Channel. Our executive producers are Eli Lehrer and Liv Fiddler. Don't forget to follow, rate and review History this week wherever you get your podcasts and we'll see you next week.