STUDENT AND PEACE MOVEMENTS
Protest movements
Questioned traditional practices about how people were treated and this inspired movements to
fight against injustice
Did not use traditional political activity - took more direct action
Used: public marches, sit ins, rallies, petition drives and teach-ins
Reasons for change and protests
Contradictions at home
- America as a global power provided people advocating social change with a powerful
argument - how can they reject communism and advertise America if inequality and
racism is what they are promoting
- America's global leadership made this an international problem
Unequal economic prosperity
- Incomes increased after WW2 in US
- More americans enter middle class and better off financially
- BUT not everyone shared national prosperity
- Larger disparity between rich and poor
- Discriminated blacks and women from jobs
Baby boomers
- Lots of babies after WW2 who spent more time in school and were more affluent
- Spent school years and college with peers who had lots of influence on each other
- Started movements involving students
Changing role of federal government
- Americans believed federal government should protect them
- They pressured all branches of government to remedy the injustice
The new left
- Broad political movement in 1960/70
- Activists in Western world campaigning for: civil and political rights, feminism, gay rights,
abortion rights, gender roles and drug policy reforms
, PEACE MOVEMENTS
Context
Einstein moved to USA after Nazis came into power
Encouraged American government to build nuclear weapons before Germany did
USA set up Manhattan project to build atomic bomb (1945)
Bomb was dropped on Japan Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end WW2
USSR developed atomic bomb
Fear Cold War would escalate to a nuclear war
Britain developed nuclear bomb in 1952
1950/60 all the powers tested more nuclear arms
Protest against nuclear weapons
- Protestors concerned nuclear testing would negatively impact people and environment
- Einstein and Oppenheimer spoke out about dangers of nuclear weapons
- UK 1957 Direct action committee (DAC) and Campaign for nuclear disarmament (CND)
formed by pacifists demanding total renunciation of nuclear war by UK and all other
countries
- 1958 famous world peace sign was designed
March on Aldermaston (1958)
→One of biggest march ever organised against development of nuclear arms by DAC & CND
→March lasted 4 days over Easter weekend from Trafalgar Square to Aldermaston
→Aldermaston where British Atomic Research Establishment was
→”Ban the bomb”
→Marched repeated for many years and gained support across UK
Consequences of march
- Organisations like CND formed across world
- “Ban the bomb” marches headlined in many newspapers → media exposure
- Large cross section of society supported this march
- Partly as result of marches US UK and USSR signed Antarctic treaty in 1959
banning all nuclear testing in Antarctica (land not seas)
- 1970s CND held several peace conferences leading to creation of World
Disarmament Campaign in 1980 which brought attention to destruction of nuclear
weapons via media and mass marches
Protest movements
Questioned traditional practices about how people were treated and this inspired movements to
fight against injustice
Did not use traditional political activity - took more direct action
Used: public marches, sit ins, rallies, petition drives and teach-ins
Reasons for change and protests
Contradictions at home
- America as a global power provided people advocating social change with a powerful
argument - how can they reject communism and advertise America if inequality and
racism is what they are promoting
- America's global leadership made this an international problem
Unequal economic prosperity
- Incomes increased after WW2 in US
- More americans enter middle class and better off financially
- BUT not everyone shared national prosperity
- Larger disparity between rich and poor
- Discriminated blacks and women from jobs
Baby boomers
- Lots of babies after WW2 who spent more time in school and were more affluent
- Spent school years and college with peers who had lots of influence on each other
- Started movements involving students
Changing role of federal government
- Americans believed federal government should protect them
- They pressured all branches of government to remedy the injustice
The new left
- Broad political movement in 1960/70
- Activists in Western world campaigning for: civil and political rights, feminism, gay rights,
abortion rights, gender roles and drug policy reforms
, PEACE MOVEMENTS
Context
Einstein moved to USA after Nazis came into power
Encouraged American government to build nuclear weapons before Germany did
USA set up Manhattan project to build atomic bomb (1945)
Bomb was dropped on Japan Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end WW2
USSR developed atomic bomb
Fear Cold War would escalate to a nuclear war
Britain developed nuclear bomb in 1952
1950/60 all the powers tested more nuclear arms
Protest against nuclear weapons
- Protestors concerned nuclear testing would negatively impact people and environment
- Einstein and Oppenheimer spoke out about dangers of nuclear weapons
- UK 1957 Direct action committee (DAC) and Campaign for nuclear disarmament (CND)
formed by pacifists demanding total renunciation of nuclear war by UK and all other
countries
- 1958 famous world peace sign was designed
March on Aldermaston (1958)
→One of biggest march ever organised against development of nuclear arms by DAC & CND
→March lasted 4 days over Easter weekend from Trafalgar Square to Aldermaston
→Aldermaston where British Atomic Research Establishment was
→”Ban the bomb”
→Marched repeated for many years and gained support across UK
Consequences of march
- Organisations like CND formed across world
- “Ban the bomb” marches headlined in many newspapers → media exposure
- Large cross section of society supported this march
- Partly as result of marches US UK and USSR signed Antarctic treaty in 1959
banning all nuclear testing in Antarctica (land not seas)
- 1970s CND held several peace conferences leading to creation of World
Disarmament Campaign in 1980 which brought attention to destruction of nuclear
weapons via media and mass marches
