Matthew Vargas
Humanities P-03rd
Ms. Fischer
Dr. Strangelove – Movie Analysis
I. Definitions
1. A pre-emptive strike is a first nuclear attack towards an enemy, essentially to prevent the enemy from attacking first. It was presented in the film when the P-52 bomber plane deployed a bomb in Russia.
2. Mutually assured destruction (MAD) is a policy and military strategy that completes annihilation would occur because of the use of high-yield weapons of mass destruction, or nuclear power.
3. Similar to MAD, the doomsday device shown in Dr. Strangelove is a machine designed to detonate after any nuclear attack on the USSR. The doomsday device consists of "Cobalt Thorium G" followed by in each of the 50 buried bombs. It is quoted the aftermath would cause Earth to be "uninhabitable".
4. The cold war is a term to describe two hostile entities, (U.S. and Soviet bloc countries) characterized by measures of propaganda and threats.
5. The B-52's were bomber planes developed in the mid-20th century used in the Cold War and shown in Dr. Strangelove. Its appearance in the film featured Major Kong (pilot) and his crew as they lead themselves to release the first bomb on the missle complex.
6. "Deterrence is the art of producing, in the mind of the enemy, the fear to attack." -Dr. Strangelove. Deterrence in the film was the fear of the consequences of the nuclear attacks. It's significant because it encompasses idea of the Cold War.
7. Retaliation is a return or counter-attack towards a country using military attacks. An example is the idea that between the USSR and the US either would retaliate if the other struck first.
8. The war room is the room in which the war is directed by the military generals and higher authorities. President merkin...
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...ven in the movie is true. The US and USSR both feared that any attack would set off a mass killing. They had known about the Doomsday device, and found that that’s what they feared most. Therefore, they were certain that if they did not stop the planes.
C. Communication is key to every detail and event that occurs within the film. Between Dmitri and President Merkin Muffley on the phone, it was a matter of discussing the bombs and the US air force. It was essential for the president to create a successful plan with Dmitri, otherwise would’ve led into disaster. Another example is specifically the air squadron who lost communication with base, and thus entered the ‘Plan R’ code. It was important that the authorities work together and communicate upon each other. Failure to do so meant the possibly releasing the first bomb for a nuclear war and the loss of many lives.
A war does not necessarily require physical weapons to fight. From 1947 to 1991, military tension and ideological conflicts held place. Cold War is defined as a state of political hostility existing between countries, characterized by threats, violent propaganda, subversive activities, and other measures short of open warfare, in particular. The causes of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union were the mutual distrust that had taken place in World War II, intense rivalry between the two super powers, and conflicting ideologies. The two superpowers differed in views of political and economic principles and were eager to spread their ideologies to other countries.
The Cold War was the most important historic event in the 20th century after the Second World War, from 1945 till 1991 between two most powerful countries in that period – Soviet Union and USA. The Cold War invested a lot in world politics. What is the Cold War? This was a war for dominance in the world. In 1945 the USA was the only one country in the world that had the nuclear weapons. But in the 1949 USSR started to learn their nuclear weapons. In further developments forced the USSR was soon created by nuclear, and then thermonuclear weapons. (Isaacs J, 2008) Fight has become very dangerous for all.
The Cold War was a post-World War II struggle between the United States. and its allies and the group of nations led by the Soviet Union. Direct military conflict did not occur between the two superpowers, but intense economic and diplomatic struggles erupted in the country. Different interests led to mutual suspicion and hostility in a rising philosophy. The United States played a major role in the ending of the Cold War.
Impact of the Film, Dr. Strangelove, on American Attitudes Towards the Atomic Bomb and Cold War
The atomic policy against Japan was closely related to the fear of Soviet expansion in Asia. U.S. leaders were strongly conscious of Russia’s agreement at Yalta to join the war against Japan three months past Germany’s surrender on May 7, 1945 (Fogelman, 124). Among the U.S. invasion of Japan planned for November 1, 1945, U.S. officials were doubtful about the cooperative mission with Russia in which Russia would have power at the peace table. However, the successful detonation at Alamogordo had transformed everything. The bomb guaranteed that the U.S. no longer required Russian aid to win in the Pacific (Wainstock, 132).
As the fighting rages on, another threat heads steadily closer to the sight of the small-scale war: a nuclear missile that was launched by the United Nations in response to the Gulag prison break. Superman recognizes two apparent choices i...
Japan had been provoking America into a war with naval attacks such as the Panay Incident and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Document A signifies the mischievous Japanese shooting at peaceful Americans and provoking them to get angry. The editorial cartoon, drawn by Dr. Seuss, was published two days after Pearl Harbor, showing that Pearl Harbor was just another tactic to “end the nap” and provoke America into a war. The use of the atomic bomb was a necessity to get the mischievous Japanese to stop disturbing the peaceful Americans. The cartoon, also, depicts the Japanese trying to bring down the Americans; the Japanese would want to challenge America because they were occupying territories close to the Japanese empire. Japan felt threatened by America and was trying to show America who was the superior country, which is why the atomic bomb was necessary to get Japan to surrender.
Ever since nuclear weapons of mass destruction have existed, people have been attempting to create ways to prevent a war that would bring about a worldwide Arma-geddon. Many of today’s top military and government officials have been studying ways in which the United States can protect itself from a nuclear missile attack. What they have come up with is the National Missile Defense program, or NMD. The NMD would consist of a network of satellites, early-warning devices, and missiles pro-grammed to spot an incoming nuclear missile. When a nuclear missile is detected, the NMD would automatically launch the computer-guided interceptor missiles to seek out and destroy the incoming nuclear missile. This program, however, should not be im-plemented or researched any further. There are a few factors to support this claim. First, the NMD program is very costly. According to the website of the Federation of American Scientists, the projected total costs by the year 2005 will be close to $14 bil-lion dollars, obviously a large amount of money that could be well spent elsewhere. Second, the NMD program is ineffective. There are many ways for a rouge state or a terrorist group with nuclear capabilities to get around the NMD. Third, an American development of a NMD program would be a violation one of the most important inter-national nuclear weapons agreements of the nuclear age: the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM).
In the 1950’s, the United States "announced a policy of massive retaliation - a doctrine whereby the United States might respond with nuclear weapons to any Soviet challenge anywhere in the world," (Weapons and Arms Control) Despite America's doctrine and huge lead in the arms race, it achieved little success and did not threaten or suppress the Soviets from continuing to create nuclear weapons.
The purpose of the defense options is to find a means to destroy attacking ballistic missiles before they can reach any of their potential targets.
Retribution – is a correctional aim which is to hold a person who has committed a crime accountable for committing a crime against another or society in the form of punishment. (Stojkovic and Lovell 2013) What we look at in retribution is when someone is punished there is legitimacy in the punishment of a particular crime that was committed. Some of the pros of retribution are retribution can make a person or society feel safer or a feeling of justice being served when a person is punished for the crime they committed. The con of retribution is during court proceedings the prosecution and the offender’s lawyer may come to a plea agreement which could give the offender a lesser sentence than what he or she would have gotten originally. (Stojkovic and Lovell 2013)
What is means is that any weapons that are explosive in nature (i.e. grenade, rocket propelled grenade, bomb, rocket, mine), any weapons other than a shotgun or shotgun shell approved by the attorney general to be suitable for sporting purposes that have a bore of greater than 0.5” are considered Weapons of Mass Destruction under United States Law. It also refers to weapons that use chemicals to cause serious bodily harm or even death (i.e. sarin, VX, mustard gas), any weapon that use a living virus or bacteria to cause bodily harm or death (i.e. Anthrax), and finally nuclear weapons that emit and/or release radiation or radioactive levels dangerous to human life (“What Are Weapons of Mass Destruction”), are all considered weapons of mass destruction. Although, w...
Boom! As B-29 fighter planes are in the air, a bright flash quickly engulfs the city. Citizens look toward the flash but are deleted instantly. They don’t know what hit them. This is the power of the Atomic Bomb. The Atomic Bomb is one of the most powerful military weapons with a very strong destructive force. In World War II, the United States didn’t enter the war to preserve their isolation until an event occurred. In 1941, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, was bombed by the Japan, which were the Axis power (enemies). This is when the United States enters the war. The bomb was created in 1945, during World War II, to force Japan to surrender.
Retribution is what most commonly referred to as the “just deserts” model that says the punishment should match the “degree of harm a criminal has inflicted on their victims” (Stohr, Walsh, & Hemmens, 2013, p.6). In other words, what they “justly deserve”. Where minor crimes should expect a minor punishment, those who commit more severe crimes should expect to be met with just as severe of a punishment in return. An example, some believe that when someone kills someone else, that person should then, in turn, receive the death penalty (depending on the state this would also be allowed or expected by law).
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 2 When someone says weapons of mass destruction, what comes to your mind? Whether it's nuclear bombs, biological weapons, or dangerous chemicals, they can be inimical and formidable to many people all across the world. The thought of what to do if an attack of this nature were to occur can be horrifying. Learning more about these weapons can help to dispel any angst that you have about your personal safety due to these accoutrements possessed by foreign countries. The classification, usage, and effects of these deadly weapons are all essential topics to understand when discussing this subject.