A Guide to Primary Resources for U.S. History : Illustrating the Threat Smithsonian Air and Space Museum: Space Race This project website presents material never before seen in public. During the Cold War, DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) analysis focused on the Soviet military. One product of this effort was a series of illustrations depicting Soviet weapons systems and advanced technology, which were made for official briefings and publications. The artists and intelligence analysts who created them drew upon eyewitness accounts, photography, overhead reconnaissance, and other sources. Many of the illustrations remain classified. But the 12 paintings displayed here depict Soviet systems in four areas of Cold War competition: manned space flight, offensive weapons, defensive weapons, and reconnaissance. (Secondary source material with hyperlinks to some primary source artifacts). The teacher can show a couple of the illustrations, without their captions, to the students and ask them to make an educated guess about their purposes for the Soviets. They can then compare their guesses to the actual purpose. The students can examine the illustrations of the12 Soviet weapon systems/advanced technology and put them on a spectrum from "Most threatening to the United States" to "Least Threatening to the United States." The students should be able to verbalize or write down and explanation of their decision-making.

(d) explaining the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, including the role of Ronald Reagan.

Illustrating the Threat
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum: Space Race

Description: This project website presents material never before seen in public. During the Cold War, DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) analysis focused on the Soviet military. One product of this effort was a series of illustrations depicting Soviet weapons systems and advanced technology, which were made for official briefings and publications. The artists and intelligence analysts who created them drew upon eyewitness accounts, photography, overhead reconnaissance, and other sources. Many of the illustrations remain classified. But the 12 paintings displayed here depict Soviet systems in four areas of Cold War competition: manned space flight, offensive weapons, defensive weapons, and reconnaissance. (Secondary source material with hyperlinks to some primary source artifacts).

Teaching Tips:

"Do Now" Suggestion

The teacher can show a couple of the illustrations, without their captions, to the students and ask them to make an educated guess about their purposes for the Soviets. They can then compare their guesses to the actual purpose.

Suggestion for Using this Resource as Part of a Lesson

The students can examine the illustrations of the12 Soviet weapon systems/advanced technology and put them on a spectrum from "Most threatening to the United States" to "Least Threatening to the United States." The students should be able to verbalize or write down and explanation of their decision-making.