War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

12/12/1988

FULL MIX / M&E

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Series

War and Peace in the Nuclear Age

Program

Reagan's Shield

Program Number

112

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

President Reagan introduces the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative, an idea he believes will make nuclear weapons”Impotent and Obsolete.”

In 1983 President Reagan envisioned a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) that could intercept and destroy Soviet strategic ballistic missiles before they reached the United States. Skeptics dubbed the idea “Star Wars.” It was hard for Reagan to accept the idea of deterrence based on mutual destruction. He believed SDI offered a solution. His science advisor George Keyworth says SDI was “thoroughly created and invented in Ronald Reagan’s own mind and experience.” According to defense scientist Ashton Carter, “The concept is fine. What is not fine is implying to the public that the solution to the nuclear puzzle is at hand.” SDI became the focus of a national debate about nuclear weapons and nuclear strategy, and a stumbling block in strategic arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union. The final months of the Reagan Administration brought a drastic reduction in the scope and size of SDI efforts.

Duration

00:66:00

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

Genres

Topics

Citation

Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield,” 12/12/1988, GBH Archives, accessed December 26, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_88D3777FF7124A58B761DE9FFF449767.

MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield.” 12/12/1988. GBH Archives. Web. December 26, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_88D3777FF7124A58B761DE9FFF449767>.

APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_88D3777FF7124A58B761DE9FFF449767

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War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Reagan's Shield