'A portent of flaming doom': Nuclear antiaircraft arms, continental defense, and the Eisenhower era

This dissertation addresses the thousands of nuclear antiaircraft arms designed, tested and first deployed in the United States in the early Cold War to counter a raid by Soviet bombers laden with atomic weapons. Primarily focusing on the time of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency (1953-1961), it traces this armament from conception through deployment, recounts related official actions, doctrinal decisions, and public policies, and discusses the manifestations of these weapons in popular culture.; Policy makers at the time believed that technological limitations made it difficult to destroy high flying, fast moving attacking airplanes. They thought that nuclear warheads could compensate for this problem without endangering friendly forces or nearby noncombatants. As a result, atomic warheads for ground launched antiaircraft missiles and air-to-air arms became an integral component of American defenses.; The Army's "Nike-Hercules" missile, and the Air Force's "BOMARC" and nuclear "Falcon" missiles and the "Genie" rocket were the focus of considerable attention by senior political and military leaders throughout Eisenhower's term. The Atomic Energy Commission, the Defense Department, Douglas, Boeing, Hughes and other corporations and allied organizations devoted much time and effort to design, test, produce, and field these weapons. They also collaborated in constructing the facilities they required, and instituting the procedures and policies necessary for their integration into American defenses.; The weapons were touted in news releases, featured in films and television episodes, and made visible in many other ways. The need for atomic antiaircraft arms was readily accepted by the American public. Few objected to their existence or ubiquity.; This dissertation provides a brief overview of the formulation of the Eisenhower Administration's broader continental defense policy and provides details about Robert Sprague, a particularly influential presidential advisor who did much to spur the development of the atomic anti-bomber arms and Air Force Colonel Barney Oldfield who worked to publicize their existence. It recounts the circumstances of the advance authority granted to the Pentagon for their use in the event of an attack. It also briefly reviews the withdrawal of these arms, an event which began just a few years after their initial introduction, but which did not conclude until 1986.