A Means to an End or a Means in Itself? Nuclear Science and Space Exploration in the Context of US Cultural Diplomacy in Greece, 1955–1967

Abstract: The framing of nuclear science and space achievements in Cold War Greece reveals the strategies of US cultural diplomacy and the pivotal role of the United States Information Agency (USIA) in these strategies. American scientific and technological accomplishments formed a vital component of the American image promoted by USIA, with the "Atoms for Peace" campaign (1953) serving as a particularly decisive propaganda move. Nevertheless, the launch of Sputnik in 1957 challenged American cultural diplomacy by reshaping global public perceptions of the Soviet Union as an advanced technological power. USIA functioned as an agent of science communication within the ideological clash of the Cold War, as evidenced by USIA and State Department archival materials documenting the design and evaluation of cultural diplomacy projects in Greece. USIA opinion poll data from that era serves to illuminate Greek public perceptions. Situating US cultural diplomacy initiatives within Greek public debates on nuclear physics and space exploration reveals both the strategic significance of US efforts to advance American foreign policy objectives within the US-Soviet rivalry and the complexity of Greek public opinion.