In his “Atoms for Peace” speech before the United Nations General Assembly on December 8, 1953, President Eisenhower sought to address the perilous balance that resulted from nuclear power resting in the hands of not only the United States and its allies, but also the Soviet Union at the dawn of the Cold War. Specifically, Eisenhower proposed a new International Atomic Energy Agency, under the aegis of the United Nations, that would share nuclear material and capabilities for peaceful ends. How can we understand the Atoms for Peace speech to be not only a humanitarian call to arms, but also a Cold War tactic?
Citation:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. “Address Before the General Assembly of the United Nations on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, New York City.” Transcript of speech delivered at United Nations Secretariat Building, New York, December 8, 1953. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/232498.
Library Item Date:
1953