Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War

The docuseries offers a well-organized and well-told historical account of the complicated and long-term geopolitical impact of the atomic bomb for over three quarters of a century. It effectively uses the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as the lens through which viewers can make sense of how the nuclear arms race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. began, and why it quickly escalated. While it offers some insight into what was happening in what was then known as the Communist Bloc, the docuseries also localizes discussions about the post-World War II standoff. It contextualizes them within accounts of important moments in U.S. history, including McCarthyism, the execution of the Rosenbergs for espionage, the rise of atomic era-themed pop culture, and the long-term impact the building and stockpiling of thermonuclear weapons had on the national economy. It also underscores the cultural and psychological impact Cold War ideology had on generations of Americans.

Though tempting to put the Cold War in the past, discussions about the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. and the international efforts to ban nuclear weapons will lead to a sense of frustration. The series highlights the breakdown of anti-nuclear treaties, President Vladimir Putin's threats of nuclear war against Ukraine's allies, and the rising numbers of countries with nuclear capabilities. It's a bit harrowing, but Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War is an informative and thought-provoking series that fans of historical and international politics will want to sink their teeth into.