The analysis of postattack recovery problems is approached by means of a 1973 nuclear war scenario which depicts a preattack crisis of several months duration, an urban evacuation, a large Soviet nuclear attack before the evacuation is completed, a calcultion of the casualties, and a discussion of the critical problems at two weeks and at three months postattack. The factors found to affect the recovery most strongly are (1) the survivability of the federal government; (2) the nature of the preattack civil defense plans; and (3) the civilian responses during the preattack crisis. In this scenario an incapacitation of the federal and most state governments leads to major societal changes including the political fragmentation of the nation. Competition for scarce resources leads to authoritatian community governments, riots, and inter-community conflicts as well as great inequities in the distribution of survival supplies. Some low-cost countermeasures which might reduce or prevent the more undesirable development are suggested.