Fear and Fearless in the 50’s

1. How does the song "Let Me Die In My Footsteps" serve as a protest song to the changes that took place in the 1950’s:

    

2. The H-Bomb

• 1949 Soviets explode the atomic bomb
• Federal Civil Defense Administration established
• 1952—"Mike", the H-Bomb is tested
• The arms race heats up

• Eisenhower wins the election of 1952 against A. Stevenson—accused Democrats and Truman of poor management of the Korean War
• Eisenhower focuses on Korea
• Stalin dies in 1953
• Peace in Korea---July 1953---North and South Korea divided at the 38^th Parallel

• Eisenhower appoints Dulles as his Secretary of State
• Strong anti-Communist
• Effective diplomat

5.   Massive Retaliation:

• A new containment policy
• Instead of costly armies---Eisenhower and Dulles rely on strong air power and nuclear weapons.
• The New Look Policy retires 500,000 soldiers, 100,000 sailors and increases the Air Force by 30,000.
• Policy saves $4 billion a year—"More Bang for the Buck"
• Policy based on massive retaliation—Any attack on the USA or its friends would result in a full nuclear attack on a place of the USA’s choosing.
• Policy leaves the Soviets guessing
• Dulles and Eisenhower work out mutual defense treaties with 43 countries around the world.
• Critics call Eisenhower’s policy "Brinkmanship"
• Two choices: Fight a nuclear battle or do nothing
• July 1953---Soviets explode their own H-Bomb
• Churchill sees the world as a Balance of Terror

• Eisenhower recognizes the risk of nuclear war and radioactive fallout.
• Eisenhower sees Stalin's death in 1953 as a chance for peace.
• Appeal for nuclear disarmament
• Eisenhower proposes "atoms for peace" through the United Nations—peaceful use of Atomic Energy---USA/Soviet partnership
• Geneva talks take place in 1954---peace talks—little accomplished, but at least talks were taking place
• Change in Soviet leadership from Joseph Stalin to Nikita Khrushchev decreases Cold War tension.

   

• Condemns Stalin’s crimes against the Soviet people.
• Stated Capitalism and Communism could coexist in the world.
• Tendency toward a free form of communism challenged when Hungary declares neutrality and leaves the Warsaw Pact.
• Khrushchev send in 200,000 troops and 250 tanks to force Hungary back into the Warsaw Pact.
• 1957—The Arms Race heat up with the Soviet launching of Sputnik—a satellite system.
• 1957—Soviet technology results in an intercontinental missile delivery system that can arm a nuclear weapon.
• USA in 2^nd place in the Arms Race
• Eisenhower accused of creating a missile gap
• By 1959 USA budget $5.3 Billion dollars for missile development and at the same time NASA is created (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
• USA creates a strong military-educational-industrial system to close the missile gap.

• 1957---Anti Nuclear Movement starts=SANE---25,000 member.
• Nevil Shute’s novel On the Beach is published.
• 63% of American want H-Bomb test halted
• Soviet Union and USA respond to public pressure by temporarily banning nuclear testing in the atmosphere
• Concern over the USA Military Industrial Complex.