The Atomic Age

1. The Atomic Age Modern American History

2. Political Effects • Espionage • The Arms Race • The Space Race • MAD & Second Strike Capability • Efforts to limit nuclear arms

3. Espionage • Alger Hiss – State Dept official accused of passing secrets to USSR (1948) • Klaus Fuchs – physicist admits giving American nuclear secrets to the USSR (1950) • Julius & Ethel Rosenberg (members of Communist Party) found guilty of passing nuclear secrets to USSR (1951) and executed (1953)

4. The Arms Race • Pres. Truman made the decision to keep the bomb from the USSR and not hand over to UN • Once the Soviet Union developed bomb in 1949, US decides to make more powerful bomb… • Leads to a nuclear arms race = each side seeks more powerful and efficient weapons and delivery systems

6. The Space Race • Soviets launch first satellite into orbit in 1957 • Sputnik • Causes panic in U.S. gov’t • US slightly behind USSR in ICBMs • “Missile gap” exaggerated by both sides • U-2 Spy planes over USSR show find few • Investments in math, science, technology, NASA to explore/control space

7. Sputnik

8. Model ICBM Missile Site

9. Nuclear Strategy • NSC-68 – Cold War required massive buildup of conventional and nuclear weapons to deter USSR • Second Strike Capability • Mutual Assured Destruction • Strategic Triad = air, land, sea based nuclear missiles • SAC – Strategic Air Command • 1/3 planes up in air all the time, 1/3 on alert ready to go in 15 minutes, 1/3 in hangars • 1000 ICBMs in concrete silos • Polaris Missile – First SLBM

11. Timeline 1945-1962 • 1945: US uses 2 atomic bombs against Japan • 1949: USSR tests first atomic bomb • 1952: US tests first hydrogen bomb (750x) • 1954: USSR tests first hydrogen bomb • 1957: USSR tests first ICBM; Sputnik launched • 1961: USSR puts first man in space • 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis almost sparks nuclear war

12. Arms Control & Reduction • Nothing gained by using nuclear weapons • Result – constant preparedness, involvement in “minor” escalations around globe • Attempts were made beginning in 1963 to limit nuclear weapons testing • Arms treaties began in 1972 and reduction began in 1991

13. Timeline 1963-2010 • 1963: Test Ban Treaty (ends above-ground testing) • 1968: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) • Non-nuclear states will not acquire • Nuclear states will work to disarm • 1969: US lands first man on the moon – Neil Armstrong • 1972: Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty (SALT) and Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty • Limits certain nuclear warheads & defensive missiles • Countries continue to increase stockpiles with other kinds of warheads and missiles • 1993, 2003, 2010: START treaties between US and Russia to reduce deployed strategic warheads

14. Combined Nuclear Stockpiles

15. Stockpiles Today Sources: U.S. State Dept. & Arms Control Association. Pub. Nov 2013

16. Cultural Effects • Fear of attack and the end of the world • Civilian Defense • Fallout shelters • Pop Culture • Rock n’ Roll • Movies and Television • Fashion & Consumerism • Generation Gap

17. Duck and Cover

18. Civil Defense

19. Bomb Shelters

22. The Atom Bomb & Rock N’ Roll • Bob Dylan 2007 Rolling Stone interview: “I know [the atom bomb] gave rise to the music we were playing. If you look at all these early performers, they were atom-bomb-fueled. They were fast and furious, their songs were all on the edge. Music was never like that before… nobody was singing with that type of fire and destruction.” • Buddy Holly – “Rave On” • Jerry Lee Lewis – “Great Balls of Fire” • Carl Perkins – “Blue Suede Shoes” • Elvis – “Shake, Rattle & Roll” • Chuck Berry - “Maybellene” & “Johnny B. Goode” • Little Richard - “Good Golly Miss Molly” & “TuttiFrutti”

23. The Atom Bomb in Popular Culture • Songs such as “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” (Bob Dylan) “99 Luftballoons” (Nena) “1999” (Prince) • Movies such as Godzilla, Dr. Strangelove, Fail-Safe, James Bond, War Games, Rambo, Red Dawn, Rocky IV, The Hunt for Red October • People were encouraged to live for today and surround themselves with material comforts (as well as keep well stocked for emergencies) • The newly designed bikini (1946) was named after the atomic test at the Bikini Atoll

24. Cold War Generation Gap • The creation of the modern teenager • “A new model of youth: this product-hungry, pleasure-seeking individual was the perfect person to inhabit the new psychology of a world that could be blown up at any moment.” • "No longer could teacher, magistrate, politician, or even loving parent guide the young. Their membership of the H-bomb society automatically cancelled anything they might have to say on questions of right or wrong."

25. The Teenage Consumer • For the first time, the teenage years were recognized as an important and unique developmental stage between childhood and adulthood • Comic books, pimple creams, soft drinks, music and films were all aimed at teenagers with money to spend

26. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) • The story of a rebellious teenager (James Dean) who arrives at a new high school, meets a girl, disobeys his parents, and defies the local school bullies was a groundbreaking attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, critique parental style, and explore the differences and conflicts between generations.

27. Video Links • 99 Red Balloons • Duck and Cover • Nuclear Testing & Arms Race • Rebel Without a Cause