Alas, Babylon Background Notes

Alas, Babylon was written in 1959 by a man named Pat Frank. His real name was Harry Hart but he wrote under a pseudonym. Pat Frank spent many years as a war correspondent.

Alas, Babylon is a post- apocalyptic novel. This means that the novel is set mostly in a time after a major catastrophe.

The novel expresses the fears and concerns that Americans had during the Cold War in the 1950s. The Cold War refers to a time of tension and hostility between the United States and The Soviet Union, now known as Russia. It was called the “Cold” War because it never led to direct military intervention or battle.

After World War II, the United States wanted to spread Democracy throughout the world, but they feared that the Soviet Union would spread Communism to other countries. Wars like Vietnam and Korea were fought to prevent the spread of Communism. The United States feared that if these countries became Communist, other countries would follow. They called this The Domino Theory.

What is communism you ask? In its basic definition, it is a classless society in which all property is owned by the community as a whole and where all people enjoy equal social and economic status. It sounds good on paper, but it’s hard to implement effectively.

The Cold War was not fought with bombs or guns. It was fought with spies and technology. During World War II, Soviet spies infiltrated the Manhattan Project, which was the scientific project that led to the development of the atomic bomb.

Sometimes the 1950s is referred to as The Atomic Age because the world had just seen the power of the Atomic Bomb. Nuclear blasts could have devastating effects. When an atom bomb explodes, it releases fallout. Fallout consists of small particles that settle on the ground and contain radiation. Radiation is a type of highly concentrated atomic energy that can have devastating effects on anything it touches.

As tension increased between the Soviet Union and the United States, people became more afraid of attack. Students had to do Air Raid Drills where they were told to “Duck and Cover.”

The government also funded the construction of fallout shelters, where people could hide in case of a nuclear attack.

Sputnik – first artificial satellite launched by the Soviets in What the Soviets thought it was: What Americans thought it was: What it really was:

Americans were afraid of Sputnik for three reasons: 1.) They were afraid that Russia could use Sputnik to spy on the United States. 2.) If Russia has the technology to go into space, they may also have the technology to bomb the United States or worse. 3.) The United States believed that if the Soviets controlled space, they could also control the world.

The Cold War officially ended in 1989 when the Berlin Wall, which was erected after WWII to separate Soviet East Berlin and Allied West Berlin, was torn down.

Abbreviations / Words to Know TOT – Time on Target. Launching bombs at different times so they all hit at once. SAC – Strategic Air Command. Branch of the Air Force during the Cold War. NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization. There are currently 28 members (countries) in NATO who work together for peace and safety. Russia is not a part of NATO. ICBM – Intercontinental ballistic missile (Can travel a minimum of 3500 miles)

Abbreviations / Words to Know NORAD – North American Aerospace Defense Command. An organization that provides aerospace warning and defense for North America. Civil Defense – a non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack. Many towns in the 1950s had Civil Defense workers who would practice drills and have information for locals about what to do in a war situation. Western Union – A business that sends/receives telegrams “The Hole” – A bunker on Offutt Air Force Base that is deep underground. (Bush was taken here directly following the 9/11 attacks.) McCoy, Offutt, MacDill – Military bases. Offutt is in Omaha, Nebraska. McCoy is in Orlando and MacDill is in Tampa.