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Political Act. Many U.S. military thinkers believe that the Russian blast of a 50-megaton bomb indicates weakness rather than strength: it could mean that the Soviet Union does not have enough missiles to deliver large numbers of smaller, but perhaps more effective, nuclear warheads. But whatever the Soviet military motives for exploding the monster bomb—and not everyone was as optimistic as the military—the free world had no doubt that one of Khrushchev's chief aims was purely and simply to terrorize and intimidate the world.
For this reason, President Kennedy called the 50-megaton test "a political rather than a military act,'' pointed out that the U.S. could make a 50-megaton bomb any time it wished (for that matter, each SAC B-52 carries two 25-megaton bombs, which the U.S. considers more effective than a 50-megatoner). But, said John Kennedy, such a bomb would presently be "primarily a mass killer of people in war" rather than a nuclear weapon of any real military use. "Fear is the oldest weapon in history," said Kennedy. "Throughout the life of mankind, it has been the resort of those who could not hope to prevail by reason and persuasion. It will be repelled today, as it has been repelled in the past—not only by the steadfastness of free men but by the power of the arms which men will use to defend their freedom."
Calculated Risk. Just how well did Khrushchev's terror tactics work? Though he gloried in his role of modern-day Genghis Khan, the Soviet dictator took a calculated risk that his tests might so enrage the uncommitted nations that they would openly turn on Russia. As it turned out. almost all the neutralist nations professed disillusionment—although often couched in perfunctory language. "It is regrettable that Russia has proceeded with the test in spite of the appeal of the United Nations and other countries not to do so." said India's Nehru. "No amount of argument that it was done in self-defense would wash off the wrong." Brazil's President João Goulart protested "against all forms of international coercion, including the threatened atomic destruction of humanity." Malaya's Prime Minister Abdul Rahman called the Soviet tests "deplorable," said that they showed "utter contempt and disregard for world opinion."
From New York to Los Angeles and from Copenhagen to Delhi, demonstrations were held to protest the Soviet tests. But they seemed, somehow, to have little more fervor than such anti-U.S. demonstrations as those generated by the executions of convicted Atom Spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and Abductor Caryl Chessman. In this sense, Khrushchev appeared to have won his gamble.