Life after the Bomb. Nuclear Fear, Science, and Security Politics in Switzerland in the 1980s.

Berger Ziauddin, Silvia Franziska; Marti, Sibylle (2020). Life after the Bomb. Nuclear Fear, Science, and Security Politics in Switzerland in the 1980s. Cold War History, 20(1), pp. 95-113. Taylor & Francis 10.1080/14682745.2018.1536121

Text Life after the Bomb Nuclear Fear Science and Security Politics in Switzerland in the 1980s.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (1MB)

At the beginning of the 1980s, global aftermath studies prompted new perceptions of a nuclear war’s long-term effects on Planet Earth. Focusing on the Swiss ‘Weiterleben’ (‘to live on’) study, which translated these findings into a local context, the paper sheds light on the intertwined history of global politics, science, national security debates, and nuclear fear. It reveals important socio-political and epistemic shifts in the 1980s. Even in countries with comprehensive civil defence systems like Switzerland, the idea that a nuclear war was manageable came to an end; new forms of planning and types of scientific reasoning evolved that superseded ‘Cold War rationality’; and, finally, emotions became a crucial political factor.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

4 since deposited on 10 Sep 2019
2 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item