1. 1964 political advertisement for Lyndon B. Johnson
1964 political advertisement for Lyndon B. Johnson

2. EQ: How should the U.S. government and the American people respond to the threat of nuclear weapons?

3. Differences in Cold War policy
Truman ( )
Sec. State Dean Acheson
Containment
Truman Doctrine
Eisenhower ( )
Sec. State John F. Dulles
“new look”
Massive retaliation
“brinkmanship”

4. U.S. response to discovery of Soviet nuclear weapons
GOVT DEFENSE PLANNING
GOVT SUSPICION / TENSION
ARMS/SPACE RACE
PREPARATION FOR NUCLEAR WAR
OPPOSITION TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS

5. GOVT DEFENSE PLANNING Federal Civil Defense Administration (1950)
Educate people how to survive atomic blast

6. ARMS RACE /SPACE RACE Build-up of nuclear weapons
Sputnik – Oct. 4, 1957
First artificial satellite
1958 National Defense and Education Act
1958 NASA program

7. GOVERNMENT SUSPICION/TENSION
“Spirit of Geneva” (1958)
Eisenhower and Nikolai Bulganin
“open skies” rejected
U-2 Spy Incident (1960)
Col. Francis Gary Powers’ spy plane shot down over USSR

8. OPPOSITION TO USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE)

9. PREPARATION FOR NUCLEAR WAR
Fallout shelters

10. Surviving in a fallout shelter
Work collaboratively in groups to determine the most important items needed to survive a nuclear attack

11. Answers (according to Dept. of Defense)
1. Containers of water  - at least 1 quart of liquid per day per person
2. Canned & dried foods - should have enough food to feed everyone for 2 weeks
3. The garbage cans - the next most important concern is sanitation (toilet/garbage)
4. First aid kit - iodine can also be used to sterilize water
5. Battery-powered radio - useful for obtaining info about what is happening outside and when it is safe to leave
6. Soap and towels - sanitation
7. Liquid chlorine bleach - can control germs/odor, can also sterilize water that might contain bacteria
8. Matches and candles - source of lighting
9. Blankets - heat/comfort
10. Flashlight and batteries - lighting
11. Cooking and eating utensils - useful in preparing and serving food, not essential
12. Broom -useful for brushing off radioactive material off anyone who needs to leave shelter for emergency purposes
13. Canned heat stove - helpful for heat but only if there is adequate ventilation for the fumes
14. Geiger counter - unnecessary because info about radiation levels could be obtained from radio
15. Vaporizing fire extinguisher - could be useful for fighting fires outside but could not be used within shelter because of danger from the fumes

12. DISCUSSION Qs:
How well did your group collaborate in making decisions for your survival?
How did this activity highlight the concerns of Americans living in the 1950s?

13. DISCUSSION Qs:
How would you compare current U.S. fear of nuclear war to the 1950s? (Do you ever think about it?)
How should the U.S. government respond to the threat of nuclear weapons today?
How should the American people respond to the threat of nuclear weapons today?

14. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address (1961)
“A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be might, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction. . . This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. . . Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”