Conceptualized during the early 1960s and released in 1964, “Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” follows US politicians and generals as they try to recall bombers dispatched by a rogue general. Failure to stop every bomber will result in a nuclear first strike by the United States against the Soviet Union, and ensuing Soviet counterattack. Dr. Strangelove also follows the rogue general and his British attaché, as well as the crew of one particular B-52 Stratofortress intent on carrying out their orders to the last man.
Format: In about 1500 words (plus or minus 250, so an allowable 1250 to 1750 words,) write a reaction paper to the film Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. As 500 words is a wide target, I will subtract points if you are over or under the word count (works cited excluded.) Considering citations, properly reference any outside sources you use (including the books) in Chicago style. Use Times New Roman, size 12 font. Points will be subtracted for use of data or opinions other than your own that lack proper citations. Proofread your work before submitting. While all word-processing software now has spell check (and often grammar check) Repeated spelling and grammar errors will carry a penalty. The only file types permitted are .doc, and .docx – these are Word documents. No pdfs or other document types. Word documents only.
Content: please include as much of your own opinions and thoughts on the film as possible, but take care to address the following questions. Respond to and answer the following four or the following six questions. If you answer more than four, I will grade your best four answers. Answers to all of these questions are easily available through the film, the textbook, and rudimentary online research. I am interested in your personal thoughts, critiques, comments and opinions, and look forward to reading them. At the same time, 1250 – 1750 words is sufficient length to include answers to the following questions as well. Points will be deducted for questions that are not answered completely. Papers that mix your own thoughts and comments with answers to these questions in a way that is cogent and coherent (rather than feeling as if I am reading bullet-pointed responses) will score better than those that are disjointed and choppy.
1. (Research outside the books) What aspect of Dr. Strangelove’s plot raised questions about the United States’ control over its nuclear weapons, prompting the Air Force to produce a documentary demonstrating its responsiveness to presidential command over nuclear weapons? Drawing from outside the film and books, what do we know about this now?
2. How does the film explore the policy/theme of Mutually Assured Destruction?
3. In describing the Security Dilemma and nuclear weapons (p. 27.), Kay writes “If two adversarial parties have only a handful of nuclear weapons between them, one state might risk launching a first-strike attack against the other to eliminate the latter’s capability to retaliate. Conversely, a state that feels its retaliatory capability is threatened might opt to launch its weapons arsenal first–a “use it, or lost it scenario.” While in both the film and reality, neither the US or USSR had only a handful of nuclear weapons, how is General Jack D. Ripper’s plan designed to force the US into that “Use it, or lost it” scenario?
4. Upon learning of the use of Attack Plan R, President Merkin Muffley contacts Premier Kissov through the hotline, in an attempt to thwart global destruction. What historical event prompted the creation of a hotline between the US and Soviet leaders? Drawing from outside the film and readings, explain why.
5. As Kay lays out early on in Global Security, deterrence has two levels: conventional and nuclear (p. 33). Explain how the United States and the Soviet Union’s nuclear deterrence strategies were intended to work in the film, and why those strategies ultimately were unsuccessful.
6. In the nuclear age, credibility and having a clear understanding of your adversary’s intentions is extremely important in matters of deterrence. Kay offers an example on p. 35, as he describes the Cuban Missile Crisis (just a few years before Dr. Strangelove). Why are credibility and understanding your adversary’s intentions so important? How is this illustrated in the film?