GBH Openvault
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Visions of War and Peace; Interview with Paul Nitze, 1988
Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.
03/15/1988
Paul Nitze held senior government posts that spanned nearly a half-century and nine presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Ronald Reagan. In the interview Nitze conducted for War and Peace in the Nuclear Age: "Visions of War and Peace," he discusses the purpose of arms control and his conclusions: that the United States and the Soviet Union must both be willing to settle for deterrence, and that to lessen the risk of war, reductions must have a "stabilizing" impact. Throughout the Cold War, Nitze was key in shaping U.S. attitudes toward Soviet intentions and capabilities. He recalls the shock of touring Hiroshima and Nagasaki just after World War II, when he was serving with the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey. He and his team conducted extensive interviews and data analysis to recommend a framework for post-war military organization. Nitze also served as secretary of the navy (1963 to 1967); deputy secretary of defense (1967 to 1969); principal negotiator for the U.S. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (1969 to 1973); head of the U.S. negotiating team at the Arms Control Talks, in Geneva (1981 to 1984); and ambassador-at-large (1984 to 1989). In his interview, he reflects on his analyses of the necessary levels and the proper mix of military forces both conventional and nuclear. He also highlights the immense effort needed to sustain preparedness in order to maintain security into the future. Known for his aggressive style and keen analytical abilities, Nitze describes the principles he used to guide crisis contingency planning throughout his career, the effectiveness of deterrence in preserving peace and liberty, and his approach to arms-control diplomacy as a way to attain U.S. strategic goals.
License Clip
- Series
- War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
- Program
- Visions of War and Peace
- Program Number
113
- Title
Interview with Paul Nitze, 1988
- Series Description
The first atomic explosion in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, changed the world forever. This series chronicles these changes and the history of a new era. It traces the development of nuclear weapons, the evolution of nuclear strategy, and the politics of a world with the power to destroy itself.
In thirteen one-hour programs that combine historic footage and recent interviews with key American, Soviet, and European participants, the nuclear age unfolds: the origin and evolution of nuclear weapons; the people of the past who have shaped the events of the present; the ideas and issues that political leaders, scientists, and the public at large must confront, and the prospects for the future. Nuclear Age highlights the profound changes in contemporary thinking imposed by the advent of nuclear weapons. Series release date: 1/1989
- Program Description
Even in the best international atmosphere, the superpowers face continuing differences about hot to reduce the risk of nuclear war. This final episode analyzes the continuing themes of the nuclear age.
- American attitudes toward nuclear weapons are intertwined with American anxieties about the nature of the Soviet State. - NATO relies on a threat of first use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack even by conventional forces of the Warsaw Pact. - To date, there is no defense against nuclear missiles. - More and more nations are acquiring nuclear technology. - Many people confuse arms control with disarmament.
The challenge of the Nuclear Age is to find a new way for nations to resolve disputes so they will no longer resort to force.
- Duration
01:18:15
- Asset Type
Raw video
- Media Type
Video
- Subjects
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
- United States
- Germany
- Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972
- China
- Japan
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Hiroshima-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945
- Nuclear disarmament
- Nagasaki-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945
- World War II
- Mutual assured destruction
- Nuclear warfare
- United States. Air Force
- Warsaw Treaty Organization
- United Nations
- Soviet Union
- France
- Great Britain
- Deterrence (Strategy)
- Warfare, Conventional
- Nuclear weapons
- Nuclear arms control
- Stalin, Joseph, 1879-1953
- Acheson, Dean, 1893-1971
- Gorbachev, Mikhail
- Locations
- Washington, DC
- Genres
- Documentary
- Topics
- War and Conflict
- Science
- Global Affairs
- History
- Contributors
- Nitze, Paul H. (Interviewee)
- Publication Information
- WGBH Educational Foundation
- Citation
- Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Visions of War and Peace; Interview with Paul Nitze, 1988,” 03/15/1988, GBH Archives, accessed April 18, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_3D799F948E2E47868E11472117801D53.
- MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Visions of War and Peace; Interview with Paul Nitze, 1988.” 03/15/1988. GBH Archives. Web. April 18, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_3D799F948E2E47868E11472117801D53>.
- APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Visions of War and Peace; Interview with Paul Nitze, 1988. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_3D799F948E2E47868E11472117801D53