British Nuclear Mobilisation Since 1945 - Social and Cultural Histories

This book explores aspects of the social and cultural history of nuclear Britain in the Cold War era (1945-1991) and contributes to a more multivalent exploration of the consequences of nuclear choices which are too often left unacknowledged by historians of post-war Britain.
In the years after 1945, the British government mobilised money, scientific knowledge, people and military-industrial capacity to create both an independent nuclear deterrent and the generation of electricity through nuclear reactors. This expensive and vast 'technopolitical' project, mostly top-secret and run by small sub-committees within government, was central to broader Cold War strategy and policy. Recent attempts to map the resulting social and cultural history of these military-industrial policy decisions suggest that nuclear mobilisation had far-reaching consequences for British life.
The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Contemporary British History.

List of contents

Introduction: social and cultural histories of British nuclear mobilisation since 1945
Jonathan Hogg and Kate Brown
1. Mass observing the atom bomb: the emotional politics of August 1945
Claire Langhamer
2. '...what in the hell's this?' Rehearsing nuclear war in Britain's Civil Defence Corps
Jessica Douthwaite
3. 'Nuclear Prospects': the siting and construction of Sizewell A power station 1957-1966
Christine Wall
4. Weaponising peace: the Greater London Council, cultural policy, and 'GLC Peace Year 1983'
Hazel Atashroo
5. Resist and survive: Welsh protests and the British nuclear state in the 1980s
Christophe Laucht and Martin Johnes
6. Britain, West Africa and 'The new nuclear imperialism': decolonisation and development during French tests
Christopher Robert Hill

Summary

This book explores aspects of the social and cultural history of nuclear Britain in the Cold War era (1945–1991) and contributes to a more multivalent exploration of the consequences of nuclear choices which are too often left unacknowledged by historians of post-war Britain.

Product details

• Authors: Jonathan (University of Liverpool Hogg
• Assisted by: Kate Brown (Editor), Brown Kate (Editor), Jonathan Hogg (Editor), Hogg Jonathan (Editor)
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 25.09.2023
• EAN: 9780367743154
• ISBN: 978-0-367-74315-4
• No. of pages: 132
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; History, European History, HISTORY / Military / General, HISTORY / Europe / General, 20th Century, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Geopolitics, HISTORY / Social History, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Peace, military history, Social & cultural history, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Social and cultural history, Peace studies and conflict resolution, Modern warfare, Peace studies & conflict resolution, The Cold War, Cold wars and proxy conflicts, HISTORY / Wars & Conflicts / General