living with the bomb
TRANSCRIPT
LIVING WITH THE BOMB
America and the Cold War
1945 – 1960
I. LIVING WITH FEARA. Soviet Union
1. Stalin shocked by Truman’s use of nuclear weapons against Japan (1945)a. Afraid Truman would next use nuclear
force against Soviet Union
2. Wanted equivalent weapons as soon as possiblea. Had own nuclear development program
by 1944b.Had spies in US nuclear development program
(Manhattan Project)
I. LIVING WITH FEARB. United States
1. Afraid USSR would acquire nuclear weaponsa. Wanted to be the only country with
nuclear capability
2. Afraid Soviets would use nuclear weapons to expand communism
II. BRINKSMANSHIPA. Term coined by Secretary of State John
Foster Dulles1. Pushing a dangerous situation to the
brink of disaster so maximum advantage can be achieveda. “Playing a game of ‘chicken’”
2. Led to increasing nuclear stockpiles on both sidesa. Eventually both sides had enough weapons
to destroy the world many times overb. Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
III. FIGHTING A COLD WARA. Proxy wars
1. Use smaller, non-nuclear capable groups fighting each other as proxies
a. Chinese Civil War (1945-49)b. Korean War (1949-1953)c. Vietnam War (1954-1975)
III. FIGHTING A COLD WARB. Espionage
(spying)1. Soviets had
spies in USa. Ethel & Julius
Rosenburg tried and executed for giving USSR military secrets including the atomic bomb (1953)
III. FIGHTING A COLD WARB. Espionage
(spying)2. United States
used planes such as U-2 to spy on Sovietsa.Soviets shot one
piloted by Capt. Francis Gary Powers (1960)
b.Incident was embarrassing for Eisenhower administration
IV. THE COLD WAR AT HOMEA. Americans frightened by
Communism and possible nuclear war with USSR
1. Politicians attempted to capitalize on fear by accusing many people of being Communists
a. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated entertainment industry (1947-1961)
1’. Many actors, directors, writers blacklisted
b. Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) used his position as a senator to accuse many people of being Communists
V. MCCARTHYISMA.The practice of accusing
people of disloyalty or treason without proper evidence
B. Term came about because of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s accusations against1.Army2.Presidents Truman and
Eisenhower3.Hundreds of Americans
C. Finally discredited by Edward R. Murrow
VI. DUCK AND COVER