An insane American general feels more and more threatened by the idea of a communist world conspiracy. One day he goes completely crazy and orders a nuclear bombing attack on Soviet Union. Because the general takes the secret of the recall code with him to the grave, the American president Muffley is forced to reveal all details about the approaching bombers to the Soviet primeminister on the Red Telephone, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.