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Alas,
Babylon
Background
Notes
Alas, Babylon was written in
1959 by a man named Pat
Frank. His real name was
Harry Hart but he wrote under
a pseudonym. Pat Frank
spent many years as a war
correspondent.
Alas, Babylon
is a postapocalyptic
novel. This
means that
the novel is
set mostly in
a time after a
major
catastrophe.
The novel expresses the
fears and concerns that
Americans had during the
Cold War in the 1950s.
The Cold War refers to a
time of tension and hostility
between the United States
and The Soviet Union, now
known as Russia.
It was called the “Cold”
War because it never led
to direct military
intervention or battle.
After World War II, the United States wanted to spread
Democracy throughout the world, but they feared that the Soviet
Union would spread Communism to other countries.
Wars like Vietnam and Korea were fought to prevent the spread
of Communism.
The United States feared that if these countries became
Communist, other countries would follow. They called this The
Domino Theory.
What is communism you ask? In its
basic definition, it is a classless society
in which all property is owned by the
community as a whole and where all
people enjoy equal social and
economic status.
It sounds good on paper, but it’s hard to
implement effectively.
The Cold War was not fought with bombs
or guns. It was fought with spies and
technology.
During World War II, Soviet spies
infiltrated the Manhattan Project, which
was the scientific project that led to the
development of the atomic bomb.
Sometimes the 1950s is
referred to as The Atomic Age
because the world had just
seen the power of the Atomic
Bomb.
Nuclear blasts could have
devastating effects.
When an atom bomb
explodes, it releases fallout.
Fallout consists of small
particles that settle on the
ground and contain radiation.
Radiation is a type of highly
concentrated atomic energy
that can have devastating
effects on anything it touches.
As tension increased between the
Soviet Union and the United
States, people became more
afraid of attack.
Students had to do Air Raid Drills
where they were told to “Duck
and Cover.”
The government also funded the construction of fallout
shelters, where people could hide in case of a nuclear
attack.
Sputnik – first artificial satellite launched by the Soviets in 1957.
What the Soviets thought it
was:
What Americans thought it was:
What it really was:
Americans were afraid of
Sputnik for three reasons:
1.) They were afraid that
Russia could use Sputnik to
spy on the United States.
2.) If Russia has the
technology to go into space,
they may also have the
technology to bomb the
United States or worse.
3.) The United States believed
that if the Soviets controlled
space, they could also control
the world.
The Cold War officially ended
in 1989 when the Berlin Wall,
which was erected after WWII
to separate Soviet East Berlin
and Allied West Berlin, was
torn down.
Abbreviations / Words to Know
TOT – Time on Target. Launching bombs at
different times so they all hit at once.
SAC – Strategic Air Command. Branch of the Air
Force during the Cold War.
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
There are currently 28 members (countries) in
NATO who work together for peace and safety.
Russia is not a part of NATO.
ICBM – Intercontinental ballistic missile (Can
travel a minimum of 3500 miles)
Abbreviations / Words to Know
NORAD – North American Aerospace Defense Command. An
organization that provides aerospace warning and defense
for North America.
Civil Defense – a non-military effort to prepare Americans for
military attack. Many towns in the 1950s had Civil Defense
workers who would practice drills and have information for
locals about what to do in a war situation.
Western Union – A business that sends/receives telegrams
“The Hole” – A bunker on Offutt Air Force Base that is deep
underground. (Bush was taken here directly following the
9/11 attacks.)
McCoy, Offutt, MacDill – Military bases. Offutt is in Omaha,
Nebraska. McCoy is in Orlando and MacDill is in Tampa.