Suggested Research Topics - Civil Defense in the Nuclear Age, 1940s-1960s

From the early years of the nuclear age, the United States government has officially committed itself to a program of civil defense to provide protection for the civilian population in the event of a nuclear attack. The civil defense program, as codified in the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, made the defense of civilians a joint federal-state responsibility. While the planned methods for defense changed over the years, proponents of civil defense continuously portrayed it as a sincere effort to protect the population from the destruction of nuclear war, as an important part of the country's strategy of deterrence, and as an effective tool in crisis management. Although most people probably never gave civil defense a second thought, except in time of an international crisis, the proponents were countered by an influential opposition group. These opponents argued either that civil defense was meaningless given the incalculable level of destruction that would result from a nuclear attack, or that preparations for defense, far from deterring an attack, would destabilize the international situation and make war more likely.

While the debate over civil defense was going on at the national level, at the state level a succession of agencies, developed out of the civil defense needs of World War II, presided over Michigan's civil defense program. The Michigan Council of Defense, created in 1941, was replaced in 1943 by the Michigan War Council and the office of the Director of Civilian Defense. This office lasted into the nuclear age, being superseded in 1953 by the Office of Civil Defense. In 1962, this office was abolished, and its duties transferred to the State Police.

Did state officials believe they had an effective plan to protect civilians against nuclear attack? How did the World War II civil defense experience affect later planning? Did officials understand that the nature of nuclear warfare - and therefore the requirements for civil defense - were different than that of conventional warfare? How did external events (e.g. Russian A-bomb, Korea, H-bomb, and Sputnik) affect civil defense planning?

Examples of Primary Source Collections and Other Sources:


In an effort to encourage creative thinking about possible research topics for students unfamiliar with archives and their inevitable complexities, archivists and student employees of the Bentley Historical Library have authored "suggested research topics ." The purpose of these is not to define a topic but rather to stimulate thinking about a topic where the holdings of the Bentley Library are particularly strong.