DIA Connections - Season 2 - Episode 5: INF Treaty Part 1: Missiles & Movies

The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty marked the first time the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals, and is just one example of DIA supporting treaty compliance by extensive on-site inspections for verification. On this episode of DIA Connections, we visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum for an up-close look at nuclear missiles, and then speak with a naval officer at the ready to execute a launch order on a nuclear submarine. Finally, Hollywood director Nicholas Meyer explains how his 1983 television movie, “The Day After,” a raw and vivid look at a nuclear attack on the United States, caused such alarm that psychologists suggested people watch it in large groups for fear of mass hysteria. White House staff members even tried to make changes prior to the movie airing, and may have even been the tipping point for President Ronald Reagan to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev and change the course of history.