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History 498 (Fall 2011) I Am Become Death: a Social History of Nuclear Weapons

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History 498 (Fall 2011) I Am Become Death: a Social History of Nuclear Weapons University of Southern California History 498 (Fall 2011) I Am Become Death: A Social History of Nuclear Weapons Location: SOS B43 Time: Mondays, 2:00pm–4:50pm Instructor: Dr. Matthew H. Hersch Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Wednesdays, 2:00pm–4:00pm and by appointment, SOS 263 This course will examine the history of nuclear weapons through the representative experiences of various people who encountered them during the weapons’ first fifty years: scientists, engineers, casualties, Americans, Japanese, Russians, military strategists, defense intellectuals, social critics, politicians, environmentalists, and others. The course is constructed around important books in the field of nuclear history, many of which were bestsellers when first published. Class meetings will discuss these works at length, supplemented by short lectures and audio-visual materials, including popular films. This course is intended to serve as a thorough historical introduction to the first Nuclear Age, emphasizing the changing ways in which atomic and thermonuclear weapons were understood between 1945 and 1995. This course is appropriate for all students wishing to broaden their understanding of this topic. No prior knowledge of nuclear science and technology is expected. There are no examinations in this course; rather, students will prepare weekly response papers and longer essays on topics of their choosing. Page 1 of 5 A Social History of Nuclear Weapons M. H. Hersch COURSE ORGANIZATION Classes: One two-hour-and-fifty-minute class meeting each week, combining short lectures, audio-visual materials, discussion, and a short break. Readings: Before each week’s class meeting, we will read a single substantial work on the history of nuclear weapons, which we will discuss at length in class. All of the texts for the course are available either online or from the Library, or may be purchased as low-cost paperbacks from online merchants. (Our first substantial reading, Richard Rhodes’s The Making of the Atomic Bomb , is available for purchase at the USC Bookstore). Students may read any edition of these works, new or used, and need not purchase them all. Response Papers: Students will prepare and submit in class a two-page paper each week (except the first and last weeks), commenting upon that week’s reading. The lowest two response paper grades will be dropped. Final Paper: Students will complete a ten-to-twelve-page paper on a topic approved by the instructor, to be discussed during the last class meeting. Grading: Grading will be based upon students’ short papers (60%) final paper (30%) and contributions to the course (10%). COURSE SCHEDULE Part I: Birth of the Bomb Week 1 The Scientists: The Physics of the Bomb Reading: Samuel Glasstone, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1977), ch. 1 (http://www.nucleardarkness.org/nuclear/onlineresources/ ). In-class film excerpt: The Atomic Cafe (1982), directed by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, and Pierce Rafferty. Page 2 of 5 A Social History of Nuclear Weapons M. H. Hersch Week 2 The Engineers: How to Build an Atomic Bomb (Mostly) Reading: Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb (1987), chs. 14–17. In-class film excerpt: Fat Man and Little Boy (1989), directed by Roland Joffé. Week 3 The Leaders: “Moral Scruples” and “Superb Physics” Reading: Richard Rhodes, The Making of the Atomic Bomb (1987), chs. 18–Epilogue. In-class film excerpt: Day One (1989), directed by Joseph Sargent. Week 4 The Targets: Hiroshima and Nagasaki Reading: John Hersey, Hiroshima (1946). In-class film excerpt: Black Rain (1989), directed by Shohei Imamura. Part II: Cold War Week 5 The Cold Warriors: Building a Better Bomb Reading: Richard Rhodes, Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb (1995). In-class film excerpt: Dr. Strangelove (1964), directed by Stanley Kubrick. Week 6 The Enemy: The Soviet Union and “Joe 1” Reading: Andrei D. Sakharov, Memoirs (1990). In-class film excerpt: Come and See (1985), directed by Elem Klimov. Page 3 of 5 A Social History of Nuclear Weapons M. H. Hersch Week 7 The Strategists: Weaponizing the Bomb Reading: Lawrence Freedman, The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy (1983). In-class film excerpt: The Bedford Incident (1965), directed by James B. Harris. Week 8 The Intellectuals: Games, Threats, and Annihilation Reading: Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict (1960). In-class film excerpt: Fail-Safe (1964), directed by Sidney Lumet. Instructor must approve Final Paper topic. Part III: War and Peace Week 9 The Critics: Thinking the Unthinkable Reading: Nevil Shute, On the Beach (1957). In-class film excerpt: On the Beach (1959), directed by Stanley Kramer. Week 10 The Politicians: Flashpoint Reading: Robert F. Kennedy, Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis (1969). In-class film excerpt: The Missiles of October (1974), directed by Anthony Page. Week 11 The Rebels: Revolt of the Scientists Reading: Helen Caldicott, Missile Envy: The Arms Race and Nuclear War (1984). In-class film excerpt: Sakharov (1984), directed by Jack Gold. Page 4 of 5 A Social History of Nuclear Weapons M. H. Hersch Week 12 The Warfighters: First Strike and Assured Retaliation Reading: Dietrich Schroeer, Science, Technology and the Nuclear Arms Race (1984). In-class film excerpt: By Dawn’s Early Light (1990), directed by Jack Sholder. Week 13 The Environmentalists: Nuclear Winter Reading: Paul R. Ehrlich, The Cold and the Dark: The World After Nuclear War (1984). In-class film excerpt: The Day After (1983), directed by Nicholas Meyer. Week 14 Student Paper Discussions/ The Future of the Bomb No assigned reading. Page 5 of 5 .
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