US.78 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats of the fears of Americans about nuclear holocaust and debates over the stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons, including atomic testing, civil defense, bomb shelters, mutually assured destruction, impact of Sputnik, and President Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex.
Imagine living in the 1950's with the threat of a nuclear war a constant reality. How might you prepare in order to protect yourself and your family? Click here to learn about the effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
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Read about Cold War espionage and answer the corresponding questions on the lesson worksheet.
Cold War Espionage
One of the key aspects of the Cold War was espionage. It was the job of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Soviet Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopanosti (KGB) to gather intelligence to forward their country's agenda. In the early days after World War Two, The CIA and the KGB (to include their predecessor agencies) worked feverishly conducting intelligence and counter-intelligence activities. One of the key intelligence goals was gathering information on weapons development, in particular atomic weapons research. Spies were recruited, relaying information to their handlers. It was a time of spy vs. spy...and the stakes were high.
Click on the image to the left to learn more about the CIA. |
The Rosenbergs
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were at the center of the most infamous espionage case of the early Cold War. After refusing to give up names of any co-conspirators, they were found guilty and sentenced to death by the electric chair. Their sentencing was controversial as many believed that there was not enough evidence to justify as death sentence and that the Rosenbergs were executed for their association with communism. Despite several appeals and requests for clemency from the President, the Rosenbergs were executed on June 19, 1953.
To learn about the Rosenberg case in more detail, watch the video below.
Learn about life in the nuclear age and answer the corresponding questions on the lesson worksheet.
Arms Race!
Check out "Ivy Mike", the first test of a thermonuclear device (Marshall Islands, 1952).
Preparation and Protection
With the threat of nuclear war a very possible reality, the U.S. government began to warn its citizens to be as prepared as possible in the event of a nuclear strike. Below are examples of such preparation.
Nuclear Weapons & Policy
Living next to Fort Campbell would possibly affect the Clarksville area in a nuclear conflict. Check out NUKEMAP and view the effects of nuclear weapons on a strike centered on Fort Campbell; from that of a crude terrorist nuclear device to a warhead currently in the arsenal of today's nuclear powers. Be sure to check on casualties and radioactive fallout to get the full picture. (NOTE: This is not to scare you, just to get you to recognize the power and effects of the weapons we possess today compared to those detonated in WW2.)