Chapter 16-17 Summary and Analysis

In September 1949, Russia detonated a nuclear bomb. Nuclear disarmament became an interest of Kennan. At this time, Paul Nitze was Kennan's deputy planner. Scientists responded to the Russian bomb by saying that the United States should build a bigger bomb. Acheson was part of a three man commission to study the issue. Kennan believed that a super bomb would escalate the arms race. Nitze was convinced that more defense spending was a necessity as a deterrent to Soviet expansion.

In January 1950, Alger Hiss was convicted of perjury for lying about giving classified documents to a Russian agent. Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy began to investigate communists in the State Department. Acheson damaged his credibility by defending Hiss and others.

Intelligence reports stated that the Soviets were building a nuclear arsenal and this fed fears of war in 1955. Acheson, Lovett, Nitze...