Documenting Armageddon

Immediately following World War II's fiery crescendo brought forth by the Manhattan project the nuclear arms industry of the United States began a massive buildup of both increased production of current weapon designs and the research /development of new ones. This initially scientific and ultimately military endevour would bring the Nations weapons stockpile to incredible (even ludicrous) numbers and would involve contributions from every area of the american economy. Hundreds of thousands of workers across industries would bear the brunt of production bringing the american stockpile to over 31,000 weapons by 1961. With so many people involved in research, design, engineering, raw material production, manufacturing, testing, deployment, and command and control across the north american continent and even around the wold an issue arose of how to keep all those cogs in this massive machine knowledgeable about their piece of the puzzle.

Luckly over the previous decades the medium of documentary film had been developed and used widely in the last war to train every soldier from GIs to Artillerymen to B-17 gunners on their rolls in the conflict. Some documentaries where more propaganda than anything else, others involved simplifying incredibly technical details of operating complex weapons systems and teaching their uses to the massive enlisted audience. This form continued into the nuclear era with both classified and unclassified documentations for every stage of the weapon life cycle (yes, the irony has dawned on me).

Some centered around testing where the main narrative arc introduced the topics of interest, methods used, and conclusions drawn almost like a elementary school science fair project. Others around production of delivery systems like the crash intermediate range ballistic missile program that would bring about the first Atlas missile. Others still about deployment as in a documentary for the general public about the armies M65 280 mm road mobile nuclear cannon nicknamed Atomic Annie, and Corporal missile which where actually deployed in West Germany. Each one is as fascinating as the last both for their scientific curiosity as well as a glimpse of the tone of time an ability to actually listen to the constant drum beat of war the american public and military where subjected to.

Finally there where those involving Command and Control, or weapons use policy. Here is where the rubber meets the road where the rich and sultry voice of the patriarchy explains with zeal and enthusiasm how all the scientific and industrial might of the United States and her allies are brought down upon the enemy and the Lord is let to trample out the vineyard where the grapes of wrath are stored. Never in these films do we lose, never in these films do we capitulate. Our military stares with icy calm demeanor into the face of death knowing fully well the 7th layer they are letting lose above their heads. They sit in war rooms, make phone and video calls, and plot the destruction of our enemies.

A perfect example of this is the 1958 production Power of Decisions which is less of a documentary and more of a feature length film.We are first introduced to Col. Daws at the Strategic Air Command Defense Force Head Quarters in the SAC bunker at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. He gives us an overview of the communication and bureaucratic connectivity of all American air force installations around the world. Among this facility's capabilities are a closed circuit television system for video calls of upper staff. We move from the communication systems to the big board (a must have feature of any respectable underground layer). Here our tour guide explains where american nuclear forces are currently stationed and training around the world and how our policy is to, "encircle the enemy." Our guide explains with confidence only the 50s can provide that the constant combat reediness of our armed forces ensures that, "If the button is every pressed we are all set to go."

At this time almost all nuclear doctrine centered around an exchange primarily involving bomber forces, where the nation would have a matter hours to prepare after notification provided by long range radar stations all across the polar north. This would of course become an out dated policy in little under half a decade as ICBMs would move that response time down to a matter of minuets. Nobody wins in nuclear war...never the less we must never let the enemy impose his will over use through the use of nuclear force."

"We will have to give the soviets credit for picking this place as an important target and lunching several bombers against it"

While most of the military based productions are about efforts within a single branch of the armed services what is interesting about the Power of Decisions is that it is covering Command and Control from the perspective of the Joint Chief's of Staff. So it is not just the Air Force's Strategic Air Command or the Navy's Nuclear Warfare Command but the whole picture of american nuclear forces and how nuclear was will be waged

In the end all of these are lies. Weather to make the classified audience or general public feel more comfortable in the face of impending doom

Sources of Interest:

1. https://fas.org/pir-pubs/the-history-of-the-u-s-nuclear-stockpile-1945-2013/

2. https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/timeline

3. https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-59-the-destroyer-of-worlds/

4. 
   

Acknowledgements:

1. Periscope Films

2. Nuclear Vault