The Cold War and the Massive Arms Race

The Cold War and the Massive Arms Race

The effects of the Soviets and the Chinese getting nuclear weapons This really began with the bombing of Japan by the United States in 1945. In the context of the Cold War, do you believe the Soviets and the Chinese had any alternative but to try to do the same? • Yes • No

Once the Chinese and Soviets had the bomb, was there any likelihood that the world would sensibly believe in the international control of nuclear weapons? • Yes • No

Once the sensible plan by Bernard Burach failed, was there any alternative to even more powerful bombs and massive retaliation as a doctrine? • Yes • No • Cannot think of one

American perceptions of the global struggle Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union is credited with killing 26 million of his own people. The rhetoric of Communist expansionism was simplified for Americans. Do you see any way that the nuclear arms race (and its environmental consequences) could have been avoided? • Yes • No • I wish I could

Two levels of societal response In your judgment, was the “Bert the Turtle” an appropriate approach to warning children of the consequences of a nuclear attack? • Yes • No

Given the magnitude of the power of nuclear weapons, was the fall-out shelter craze a reasonable response or a perpetuation of a naïve denial? • Reasonable response • Naïve denial

Did the Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. government mislead the country about the danger of nuclear weapons? • Reasonable presentation • Misled the country

The Cold War and the Massive Arms Race