Duck Cover: a 1951 educational film on nuclear preparedness

Duck and Cover

Duck & Cover

The 1951 film Duck and Cover was made during the Cold War to teach school children how to react in the event of an atomic bomb attack. This was a period of extreme distrust and tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Before World War II these two countries had portrayed each other as almost evil incarnate, so despite the fact they were allies during the war, after the conflict was over so was the friendship. The atomic age brought with it the possibility of nuclear disaster, and this film helped to perpetuate the tension.

The film creates a state of fear that is similar to the state that was in place when the United States attacked Iraq under the premise that the country was a direct threat to the United States because it planned to use weapons of mass destruction against this country and was involved in the events of September 11th. The demonization of a people or a country in order to control a society and solidify power is not a new idea. In 1932 Adolf Hitler used the propaganda of fear to seize and maintain control of Germany stating, "The streets of our country are in turmoil. The universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country. Russia is threatening us with her might, and the Republic is in danger. Yes - danger from within and without. We need law and order! Without it our nation cannot survive" (Delwiche, 2011).