Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July from the Cold War Museum! Please have safe travels and stay cool!

Cold War Biographies: Laika

I decided to think outside the box today when I chose this week's Cold War biography. Laika is not your average Cold Warrior, but she is such an important part of the space program and the Cold War that I could not overlook her. The Cold Warrior I am going to profile today is Laika, dubbed"Mutt-nik" by the Americans.

Laika was a mongrel who was found as a stray on the streets of Moscow. The Russians believed that a stray dog would be perfect for space travel because they had to endure such tough conditions on the streets. A street dog, it was thought, could hold their own in extreme conditions better than a house pet. Laika was set in a program with two other dogs. They endured harsh training and sterile conditions in order to get ready for space flight.

Laika was trained to stay in one spot through the use of smaller and smaller cages in order to adapt to the short time she would spend in the capsule. She also underwent endurance tests such as the centrifuge to simulate a space shuttle launch. Out of three dogs, she was chosen to be the one to ride into space.

It was never intended for Laika to survive the trip, and it took the Soviet Union a long time to admit that she died shortly after reaching space. However, it was one of the first experiments that paved the way for human occupation of space vehicles. Laika's fate also created a sense of responsibility to both the Soviets and the Americans regarding their treatment of animals in space. Several scientists who worked with Laika regretted that she was never meant to come back home, and the rest of the Soviet missions allowed for the animals to be returned safely home. Laika is revered for her bravery and she has had stamps, days and even a staute erected in her honor.

Friday Movie (Sort Of) Review: DEFCON

I decided that today I would deviate slightly from the normal course of movie reviews by not actually reviewing a movie. Rather, I am going to review one of my favorite computer games: DEFCON.

DEFCON is a computer game created by Introversion Software out of the UK. The goal of the game is to destroy as much of the enemy as possible while saving as many of your people as you can. The game explores the worst case scenario of the Cold War: total annihilation. It simulates any number of scenarios that you can create, and it has a great replay value. You are the leader of a country and control the nuclear arsenal. You are able to manipulate these units and set them against your enemy.

The game starts at DEFCON 5, which allows players to place units and begin to move their fleets into international waters. DEFCON 4 allows you to place radar units and gather information. You can also continue to place units during this time period. When DEFCON 3 takes effect, conventional naval and airborne combat is authorized. The conflict escalates to DEFCON 2 with combat becoming more aggressive. DEFCON 1 is initiated shortly after DEFCON 2, and this authorizes the use of nuclear weapons. ICBM's, submarine nukes and bomber nukes become available for use. The weapons are targeted and launched.

Essentially you are playing a thermonuclear chess match. You need to place your units strategically throughout the game. You also have to defend your most populous cities, while sacrificing others. The game plays pretty much like a real scenario would have been played out during the Cold War. On the map below, you see flight patterns of missiles, the fleets off of the coast and the large white dots are direct hits by nuclear weapons.

The game is not as graphically advanced as the games are today (or in 2006 when it was released), but that is part of the shock of the whole game. All you see is a map of the world with your allies and enemies marked on it and stats listed around the board. It has an incredibly haunting soundtrack, and every once in awhile you hear random soft sobs. Here is a video of a NATO vs. China and Russia scenario. (Make sure you have the sound turned up.)

DEFCON is not a fun game, it isn't a game that you play to enjoy. It is a game of strategy, and it is one of the most challenging games I have every played. There is no winning in this game; you lose every time. This is the only game I know where everyone loses, and the one who loses the least is the one who is declared the victor. Sound a little familiar, my Cold Warriors? I believe that this was the strategy for an actual nuclear war.

I highly recommend playing this game if you have a chance, especially if you are interested in how the actual warfare would have played out during the Cold War. You can set up the enemies and allies which ever way you want and you can play out your own scenario. The first time I played this game, I was all excited to be able to play through all the levels of DEFCON. When the last bomb was launched and I saw how many people had been lost in one encounter, it gave me the shakes. The scenario I played was an all out nuclear encounter between Europe, America, Russia and China. Thousands survived and millions died and I put the game away for almost a year before I dared to play it again.

I have to give DEFCON a rating of DEFCON 1. The realism in this game is too real, and the emotion you get by playing is real as well.  It gives you the horrible understanding of what would have happened if the bombs fell. 

Cold War Biography

The Cold Warrior I have chose to write this column about today is a pretty important guy. This man was responsible for saving the world from nuclear annihilation. Look familiar?

This man's name is Vasili Arkhipov, and he was the second in command on the Soviet Foxtrot-Class submarine B-59, which was just offshore of Cuba. The date was October 27th, 1962 which was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The USS Randolph began dropping depth charges in order to force the submarine to surface so they could identify them. The captain of B-59, Valentin Grigorievitch Savitsky believed that the charges were the beginning of a nuclear war. He convinced the political officer, Ivan Semonovich Maslennikov, to launch a nuclear tipped torpedo. The two men tried to persuade Arkhipov to go along with launching the torpedo.

The submarine needed three officers to launch the torpedo, and Vasili Arkhipov was against the launch. There was an argument, and Arkhipov convinced Savitsky to surface the submarine and wait for orders. If Arkhipov would have agreed to launch the torpedo, the USA would have surely seen this as a sign of agression and a full out nuclear war would have ensued. It was because of Arkhipov that the disaster was averted and the world did not have to suffer an apocalypse.

Friday Movie Review: A is for Atom

Albert Einstein, the cartoon!

A is for Atom is one of those cutesy little movies that was made to inform the viewer about nuclear energy and atoms. Created in 1952, this movie is an overview of what is known about the atom to that point.

The movie first describes what an atom is, and how atomic energy can create limitless energy. There is information on how an atom works, how it looks and the parts of an atom. There is a short history of atomic energy including artificial transmutation, nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. The Oakridge plant is then discussed, and this leads to a short discussion of the future of nuclear energy. (Including the use of isotopes in medicine and agriculture.)

The dropping of the atomic bomb and the proliferation of nuclear weapons during the Cold War lead to the increased interest in nuclear energy and atoms. This video is a great introduction to the subject.

You can view the whole 14 minute video here, and I highly recommend it!


A is for Atom: DEFCON 2

-educational
-cute
-great vision of the future

I Need You!

Yes, you! I have been writing 3 blogs a week for quite some time now, and while I enjoy it immensely, this blog is really about you! I need your help writing this blog. We have three segments; movie reviews, Cold Warrior biographies and artifacts and events of the Cold War. I need your ideas! What would you like to see? Do you have a story for our biography blog? Do you have an interesting artifact you would like profiled? Was there an event that defined the Cold War for you? I need you to let me know! Friend us on Facebook and tell us about your interest or message me through this blog. I can't wait to hear from all of you!

Cold War Biography

In light of recent events, I decided to dedicate today's blog to Francis Gary Powers. If you are unaware of the most recent news, Mr. Powers is being posthumously awarded the silver star for his "exceptional loyalty" during his terrible interrogation by the Soviets.

Flying a U-2 mission, Mr. Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1st, 1960. He had to endure harsh interrogation at the hands of the KGB. He then had to endure the rough conditions in the prison in which he was held. Two years after he was captured, he was exchanged for a Soviet colonel.

I would like to say he got the welcome home that he deserved, but unfortunately the reception was cold. He was initially criticized for the way he handled the situation. Thankfully, Mr. Powers appeared before the senate and it was determined that he followed orders, did not give any information to the Soviets and had conducted himself “as a fine young man under dangerous circumstances.”

Finally, after all these years, Mr. Powers is getting the recognition he deserves. On June 15, 2012, General Norton Schwartz will present the Silver Star to the surviving family of Francis Gary Powers for his action during the U-2 spy plane incident. This will be a truly remarkable day in Cold War History!