Scott - Planning Armageddon : Britain, the United States and the Command of Western Nuclear Forces, 1945-1964

Planning Armageddon

Studies in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine
Edited by John Krige, CRHST, Paris, France

Studies in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine aims to stimulate research in the field, concentrating on the twentieth century. It seeks to contribute to our understanding of science, technology and medicine as they are embedded in society, exploring the links between the subjects on the one hand and the cultural, economic, political and institutional contexts of their genesis and development on the other. Within this framework, and while not favouring any particular methodological approach, the series welcomes studies which examine relations between science, technology, medicine and society in new ways e.g. the social construction of technologies, large technical systems.

Other Titles in the Series

Volume 1
Technological Change: Methods and Themes in the History of Technology
Edited by Robert Fox

Volume 2
Technology Transfer out of Germany after 1945
Edited by Matthias Judt and Burghard Ciesla

Volume 3
Entomology, Ecology and Agriculture: The Making of Scientific Careers in North America, 18851985
Paolo Palladino

Volume 4
The Historiography of Contemporary Science and Technology
Edited by Thomas Sderqvist

Volume 5
Science and Spectacle: The Work of Jodrell Bank in Post-war British Culture
Jon Agar

Volume 6
Molecularizing Biology and Medicine: New Practices and Alliances, 1910s1970s
Edited by Soraya de Chadarevian and Harmke Kamminga

Volume 7
Cold War, Hot Science: Applied Research in Britains Defence Laboratories 19451990
Edited by Robert Bud and Philip Gummett

Volume 8
Planning Armageddon: Britain, the United States and the Command of Western Nuclear Forces 19451964
Stephen Twigge and Len Scott

This book is part of a series. The publisher will accept continuation orders which may be cancelled at any time and which provide for automatic billing and shipping of each title in the series upon publication. Please write for details.

Planning Armageddon

BRITAIN, THE UNITED STATES AND THE COMMAND OF WESTERN NUCLEAR FORCES 19451964

Stephen Twigge
European Studies Research Institute
University of Salford, England

and

Len Scott
University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales

Copyright 2000 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published by license under the Harwood Academic Publishers imprint, part of The Gordon and Breach Publishing Group.

All rights reserved.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 90-5823-006-6
ISSN: 1024-8048

C onten ts

A cknowledgemen ts

No book is an island. And this one could not have been completed without the support of many individuals and institutions. In particular, we would like to express our thanks to the Nuclear History Program and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales for their generous financial assistance, and to the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth which provided invaluable research support and academic encouragement. We are particularly indebted to the following who read and commented upon various drafts, including the 180,000-word NHP report Fail Deadly? Britain and the Command and Control of Nuclear Forces 19451964, on which this book is based: Dr Richard Aldrich, Professor John Baylis, Professor Ian Clark, Sir Frank Cooper, Professor Peter Hennessy, Group Captain Ian Madelin and Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey. John Baylis and Peter Hennessy provided much needed support and encouragement. We are also grateful to Professor Bob ONeill for his help in relation to the NHP. Guy Finch produced the index and some helpful comments.

Numerous individuals provided us with written or oral evidence: Dr Richard Aldrich; Lorna Arnold; R.G. Bowerman; Squadron Leader Colin Burch; Dr William Burr; Air Vice-Marshal Ian Campbell; Sir Frank Cooper; Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Griffiths; Michael Herman; Group Captain K. G. Hubbard; Peter Jones; T. H. Kerr; Squadron Leader Frank Leatherdale; Group Captain Ian Madelin; Air Vice-Marshal Paul Mallorie; Dr Roger Miller; Flight Lieutenant Dennis Moore; Frank Mottershead; Air Chief Marshal Sir Thomas Prickett; Group Captain Kenneth Pugh; Professor Jeffrey Richelson, Air Vice-Marshal Michael Robinson; Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey; Flight Lieutenant George Stalker; Norman Tindal; Air Chief Marshal Sir Ruthven Wade; Sam Wein; we thank them all. The conclusions and inferences are entirely our own.

Finally, on a personal note the authors would like to thank the following for their help and forbearance in the preparation of this book, Rob Ramwell, Susi Schrafstetter and Frances Gerrard.

Glossary

(for explanation of key terms, see Appendix 1)