Kennedy Government Civil Defence Policy Research

The Civil Defense Policy of the Kennedy administration is miniature of the U.S.contest against Soviet during Cold War era.As an important part of the Containment Strategy and one of the national security policies,the Civil Defense Policy plays an important role in winning the cold war.Based on the academic works of the United States,Chinese,as well as many documents or primary sources from the National Archives and Records Administration at College Park,the Foreign Relations of the United States series,Declassified Documents Reference System database,the Digital National Security Archive database,the National Security Council documents,the Public Papers of the President of the United States and several historical newspapers,the main purpose of this dissertation is to review the process of Civil Defense Policy of the Kennedy administration.Chapter one is "civil defense policy in 1950s",and it recalled the Truman and Eisenhower administrations' civil defense policy in the 1950s of the 20th century.Truman administration added the civil defense policy into the containment strategy and the national strategies,and the Truman administration's also developed a nuclear war plan,namely,to establish a series of evacuation plans.Eisenhower administration adjusted the national defense strategy and developed a new Continental Defense plans which included civil defense measures to be a supplement measures.The point is turned to civil defense shelters.The second chapter is "background of civil defense policy of Kennedy administration".It discusses the international and domestic reasons for Kennedy Administration's civil defense policy.In the late 1950s and the early 1960s,long-term U.S.-Soviet arms race and progressive development of the Soviet civil defense activities forced the Kennedy administration to use civil defense activities to protect national security.The third chapter "the formulation of Kennedy administration's civil defense policy and the response of the American society" is to investigate the Kennedy administrations' civil defense policy formulation processes and the public response to this policy.After discussing with the other policy makers,President Kennedy gradually established the civil defense policy and initiated a massive shelter-building activity.In order to lead the public to participate in the sheltering activities,the Government used a variety of media to make people aware of the devastating effects of nuclear war.American citizens were in deeply feared and the society began a debate concerned civil defense activities.The fourth chapter is entitled "adjustment and implementation of the Kennedy administration's civil defense policy",which is reviewed the development and implementation process of civil defense policy.In the end of 1961,the Kennedy Administration adjusted the civil defense policy and decided to build public shelters.In 1962 and 1963,the Office of Civil Defense(Department of Defense)began implementing the "National Shelter Program",which constructed a number of public shelters.During the Cuban missile crisis,Kennedy administration's civil defense was in dilemma,so that the government was looking for many temporary civil defense measures.The last chapter is "the end of Kennedy administration's civil defense policy".It summed up factors that made the Kennedy administration's civil defense policy turn to the end and eventually abandoned by the Johnson administration.Because of insufficient funding and objection bu the public,the civil defense policy of Kennedy administration declined after the Cuban missile crisis,and Johnson eventually gave this policy up in 1964.The Kennedy administration's civil defense policy is different from the other stages and countries in decision mechanisms,content of policy,national defense mobilization and influence.It represents that the cold war policy of Kennedy administration affected the of world situation and that the publicies were due to the social constraints.Although civil defense measure is not the effective deterrence against the nuclear war,Kennedy administration's civil defense policy could provides references and insights for the world in settlement of the international conflict and to create a peaceful international environment.