A Key Date

[dobbins]

Today is the anniversary of a key date in space history that is often overlooked. 64 years ago the United States was suddenly plunged into war by the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. No missiles were launched, on that day, but one effect of that attack was key in developing the cold war mentality that the space race grew out of. Before that attack the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans were viewed as vast moats protecting America from attack. That forever changed on that morning in Hawaii 64 years ago. Even after winning the war Americans didn't feel as safe as they had on December 6th, 1941. The prospect of a devastating sneak attack had entered the American consciousness and it remained there after the war.<br /><br />The Soviet Union had a similar experience on June 22nd 1941 when they were also the victims of a brutal sneak attack, one that had far worse effects on them than the attack the USA had suffered, and like the in United States the possibility of another sudden attack from the West became a prospect in the minds of Soviet citizens.<br /><br />These two attacks are what created the mentality that made the space race almost inevitable.<br /><br />