This Cold War era color (with B&W segments) educational film is about the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact’s threat towards the United States and the Free World. This film was produced by the American Security Council Educational Foundation in affiliation with the AFL-CIO. It argues that there is a growing defense gap between the Warsaw Pact and NATO and strongly advocates for a military build-up. Interestingly, the film advertises an opportunity for the audience to provide feedback via a “Peace Poll”. The film was released in late 1976 or early 1977 and adopted as an Armed Forces Information Film by the U.S. military. ASCEF was apparently a short-lived organization; it is best known today for suing CBS News for allegedly showing negative bias in reporting of proposed military budgets.

Opening: President John F. Kennedy speaks on TV on October 22, 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Credit: The Price of Peace and Freedom (:07-1:05). Battleships at sea. Soviet troops march alongside military transports and ICBM carriers in Moscow’s Red Square (1:46). At the 25th Communist Party Congress in February 1976, Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union, speaks. People clap. February 1974, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, exits a train. Solzhenitsyn was a Russian novelist, philosopher, historian, and political prisoner. Solzhenitsyn was also an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and Communism. He spoke an an AFL-CIO dinner honoring him (1:06-3:15). Brezhnev speaks about Vietnam. Solzhenitsyn speaks about Communism. Communist Party members clap for Brezhnev (3:16-4:27). Soviet pilots scramble towards Mig fighter jets (4:29) and anti-aircraft missiles track aircraft. Soviet Tupolev Tu-22M (4:50) strategic bombers are shown on the runway. Mobile ICBM missiles are shown erected in Eastern Europe. Military exercise with Soviet armor, amphibious tanks (5:39) jeeps, and artillery. Rockets are fired (5:52). Mig-21 in flight (5:59) and air-to-ground bombing run. Exterior of NATO headquarters. Admiral of the Fleet – Sir Peter Hill-Norton speaks. Soviet Navy shown on the high seas. Soviet submarines at sea, with discussion of 3:1 ratio vs. western fleets. Full scale naval exercise with Russian fleet, including vessels of all kinds (6:15-9:33). Zvezda Kh-35 (Russian: Х-35 , AS-20 ‘Kayak’) (9:19). Building: Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Admiral Isaac Kidd, Jr. speaks. Soviet fleet at sea including helicopter aircraft carrier (10:13). Soviet nuclear test (10:56), mushroom cloud forms. Soviet ICBM missile launched from silo. Most ICBM sites are camouflaged; silo door opens (11:40). Soviet atomic bomb test (11:53) at sea (or possibly Operation Crossroads footage). Soviet parade of missiles in Red Square, Moscow. Brezhnev watches. The SS-9 ICBM seen it is silo, and launch (12:55). Nuclear blasts as part of atomic bomb tests (12:56). Yankee Class Soviet ballistic submarine, a nuclear powered sub that can fire ICBMs. SSN-8 missile on Delta class submarines. (10:53-13:52). Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber (14:00). Tu-22KD “Shilo” Medium bomber (14:10). A model of the new Backfire bomber, it is considered secret and no footage exists. A chart of the strategic offensive weapons comparison between the USA and the USSR. Megatonnage comparisons between the two nations. Missiles being moved by heavy mobile missile launchers in a wooded area. The Soviets have many different models of mobile launchers with SS-16 and SS-20 missiles. A missile is fired (13:53-16:31). Strategic Air Command where General Russell Dougherty speaks. Radar antennas spin in various locales. Men watch radar screens. Soviet missiles at the ready. Anti-aircraft missiles are fired in an exercise and destroy a target aircraft. Mig-15 or Mig-21 fighter aircraft. Tupolev Tu-22M (19:35). Soviet Interceptors fly and practice shooting drills (16:32-19:46). NORAD, Cheyenne Mountain bunker complex, General Daniel James speaks. Russian Military weapons parade. Chart of Strategic Defensive Weapons comparison between USA and USSR. 1976 Bicentennial celebration in NYC. Dr. Leon Goure, expert on Soviet civil defense (19:47-23:16). Princeton University, Dr. Eugene Wigner, a nuclear physicist speaks. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn speaks (23:17-25:08). J. William Middendorf II, Secretary of the Navy speaks. President JFK speaking in 1962. If you feel America should regain military superiority then write to Peace Poll (25:09-27:26). End credits (27:27-27:39).

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com