ABSTRACT
Nations at war have developed the will and the capability to bypass military forces in the field and to initiate direct attacks upon civilian populations. This capability was achieved for the first time during World War I. The civilian population had become a major element of power, and if it could be attacked and destroyed or incapacitated, the military power of the nation would suffer. Civilian participation in the defense effort was extensive, and some of the experience thus gained would have an impact upon subsequent civil defense organization and programs. The implication of the report was that though the atomic bomb was many times more powerful than any weapon ever used before, “it has limits” that can be taken advantage of by “wise planning.” The public release of the Hopley Report in November 1948 was a source of consternation to many individuals and agencies both in and out of government.
