Eisenhower, Science Advice, and the Nuclear Test-Ban Debate, 1945-1963 / Benjamin P. Greene.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Greene, Benjamin P., Author.

Series:

Stanford Nuclear Age

Stanford Nuclear Age Series

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (376 p.)

Place of Publication:

Stanford, CA : Stanford University Press, [2022]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Based on extensive research in government archives and private papers, this book analyzes the secret debate within the Eisenhower administration over the pursuit of a nuclear test-ban agreement. In contrast to much recent scholarship, this study concludes that Eisenhower strongly desired to reach an accord with the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom to cease nuclear weapons testing. For Eisenhower, a test ban would ease Cold War tensions, slow the nuclear arms race, and build confidence toward disarmament; however, he faced continual resistance from his early scientific advisers, most notably Lewis L. Strauss and Edward Teller. Extensive research into previously unavailable government archival sources and collections of private manuscripts reveals the manipulative acts of test-ban opponents and other factors that inhibited Eisenhower's actions throughout his presidency. Meticulously analyzed, these sources underscore Eisenhower's dependence on the counsel of his science advisors, such as Strauss, James R. Killian, and George B. Kistiakowsky, to determine the course he pursued in regard to several components of his national security strategy. In addition to its comprehensive analysis of the test-ban debate, this book makes important contributions to the scholarly literature assessing Eisenhower's leadership and his approach to arms control.

Contents:

Frontmatter

The Stanford Nuclear Age Series

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1. Eisenhower and the Atomic Age (1945–1952)

2. The Dawn of the Thermonuclear Age (1953)

3. The BRAVO Shot and Rise of the Test-Ban Debate within the International and Scientific Communities (1954–1955)

4. Fallout from the BRAVO Shot: The Test-Ban Debate within the Eisenhower Administration (1954–1955)

5. The Election of 1956: A Moratorium on Candor

6. The Influence of Strauss, the Fall of Stassen, and the Rise of Sputnik (November 1956–October 1957)

7. PSAC, the Test Moratorium, and the Geneva System (October 1957–August 1958)

8. Hard Decisions after HARDTACK II: Stalemate at Geneva (August 1958–December 1959)

9. The Threshold Ban, the Paris Summit, and the Farewell Address (December 1959–January 1961)

Epilogue: The Resumption of Testing and the Limited Test-Ban Treaty (1961-1963)

Conclusion

Notes

Sources

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 31. Jan 2022)

ISBN:

1-5036-2610-5

OCLC:

1294423523