Presidential Power and Nuclear War

Paper Summary:

The paper examines President Eisenhower's secret appointment of CBS head Frank Stanton to administer federal communications authority in event of nuclear war. The paper considers the perceived threat of attack that existed in 1957, the actual Soviet capabilities and also looks at the ethical and legal issues raised by Eisenhower's request.

From the Paper:

"The Case of Eisenhower's Secret Appointments: Introduction: The American public and its political leaders were badly shaken when in October, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first artificial Earth satellite. The Soviet achievement undermined Americans'confidence in their technological and industrial superiority. Even more to the point, any rocket booster that could loft a satellite into orbit could deliver a nuclear warhead over intercontinental distances. No defense existed against such an attack, then or now."

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