Atoms for Peace

In his speach "Atoms for Peace," President Eisenhower gives us insight into the political struggle that is the nuclear arms race. With the seemingly inevitable process of proliferation in full swing, many people became certain that mankind would soon terminate itself from existence if serious changes were not made. President Eisenhower's speech did an excellent job in fully outlining the total destructive capabilities of the world's nuclear arsenal. After a truly terrible war in Europe, Eisenhowers comment about how a single atomic weapon is more powerful than all of the bombs and guns of World War II combined shed light on just how devastating nuclear war would be if it were to ever happen. He explains that the problem is not one of nation vs. nation, but rather that it affects all mankind, as nuclear war would almost certainly mean the end of life on Earth.

His attempt to unify both East and West however would ultimately be in vain, as the fear of a militarily superior enemy overshadowed the desire for an atomic truce. The nuclear arms race seemed to be an inescapable problem which could not be avoided as long as the two combating sides both were in existence. It seemed that the only feasible way to avoid nuclear war would be through mutually assured destruction of the world, a prospect which neither side wanted.