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.
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Show MoreMany movies have been made that depict the what-ifs of a nuclear war. The two I am going to be discussing are Dr. Strangelove and Threads. Dr. Strangelove is about a paranoid Air Force base commander, orders a squadron of B-52 bombers into the Soviet Union to drop hydrogen bombs on military targets. He is the only one who knows the recall code that could be transmitted to abort the mission. At the pentagon, the U.S. President speaks with the Joint Chiefs in the war room to address the problem. General Turgidson sees this as an opportunity to completely destroy the “Commies” and prevent their inevitable retaliation. The president is a pacifist, and he invites the Russian Ambassador into the war room. Together, they call the Russian Premiere to warn of the attack and explain that it was unintentional. Over the telephone, the Premiere discloses the existence of their “doomsday device,” a large cache of atomic bombs that would automatically be detonated in the event of a nuclear strike, destroying all plant and animal life on the earth. This ultimate form of deterrence, while already on line and impossible to shut off, had not yet been announced to the world. At the Air Force Base, an Army unit infiltrates with heavy fighting to get the recall code from Ripper, but he kills himself to avoid torture. His senior officers are able to extrapolate the code “OPE” from Ripper’s scribbling on a pad of paper. The bombers respond to the code and return to base, except one whos radio receiver has been damaged. At the war room, Dr. Strangelove, a disfigured ex-Nazi scientist, suggests a plan to save a few thousand Americans by hiding them in a mine shaft for one hundred years until the radiation returns to a safe leave. Finally, the lone bomber s...
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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...
During Eisenhower’s terms as president the U.S followed a policy of massive retaliation which meant that if attacked the U.S would respond with a large number of nuclear weapons rather than deploying ground forces (Shivley pp,6). As the soviet Nuclear capabilities grew this theory would give way for the idea of mutually assured destruction, which noted that both sides would theoretically be able to destroy the other opponent with nukes. With these elements of danger looming in the background both nations were reluctant to enter into dangerous disagreement or conflicts in fear of causing the other nation to declare war. Even with this knowledge of nuclear weapons both the U.S and soviet came inches away form a nuclear war when in 1962 the U.S became enraged over the placement of Soviet nuclear weapons in its southern neighbor Cuba. The placement of nuclear weapons in this case added ma extra strain to the cold war relations between the two countries and almost led to disastrous war. In the end the thought of a nuclear war along with the rationale following calmer agreement talks ended this
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.
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“Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!” Most famously quoted from the movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, this black and white satiric film produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick in 1964, is a prime example of Kenneth Waltz’s Realist theories in regards to International theory.
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.
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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.