The film Apollo 11 details the story in which Americans persevered in the space race and meticulously engineered a scientific path to put men on the moon. Locked in intense competition and fearful of the recent Russian satellite put into orbit, the Americans and John F. Kennedy were desperate to show their scientific prominence in the Cold War and send a man to the moon. By painstakingly crunching the numbers and knowing that one misstep could result in a failure of massive proportions, the NASA engineers pushed on and astronauts were chosen for the perilous task. The lives of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins were detailed both before and after their trek into space. After initial qualms about the mission and a series of on-board difficulties that at first seemed disastrous and insurmountable, the fearless spacemen were able to succeed in their mission, be the first to set foot on the moon, and return safely without harm. Additionally, the tremendous step for man kind was broadcasted live on television to the entirety of the world back home, effectively shouting the American’s victory in the space race from the rooftops. This sparked an overwhelming amount of patriotism and nationalism that brought together the people of the United States in a seemingly endless struggle that was the Cold War. The movie featured never before seen, cinematic film of the actual footage from the mission and was masterfully combined into a coherent film. The actors and stakes that are presented are very real. Without the efforts of the astronauts and the mission’s success, morale could have caused the outcome of the Cold War to be very different.
I find it interesting how you recognize that without the patriotic effects of Apollo 11, the outcome of the Cold War could have been drastically dissimilar. Your final statement, “Without the efforts of the astronauts and the mission’s success, morale could have caused the outcome of the Cold War to be very different,” provides insight into how patriotism and nationalism effect military affairs. The Cold War appeared to be endless to many United States citizens as well as many worldwide. Americans saw the first step on the moon as a win in itself and instilled a sense of national pride amongst the country. It was broadcasted everywhere. Many find that this event demonstrated the dominance of the United States, as this was they were the first to successfully complete a mission of this immensity. An event such as this can still even provide pride to our country to this day as we watch the real-life footage that is presented in this film.
This ERA shows a lot of the emotional aspects of the space race by including the reference to the danger and competition that was heavily involved. I find it interesting that you mention how different the outcome of the Cold War could have been had the astronauts and everyone else at NASA not been so brave to successfully complete the mission. I believe that is very true, and that much of the dynamic of our country would have changed in a negative way had Russia won the Cold War. It was mentioned in chapter 10 of Who Are We? that America’s lack of an enemy after the Cold War left the American people without something in common that bonded them and kept them motivated. The way in which you wrote this ERA makes me believe otherwise, because I agree with you that this accomplishment made American morale high.