debates over the nuclear deterrent Flashcards
what had the labour government committed Britain to after the war?
an independent nuclear deterrent
what had us started doing?
us stopped sharing its nuclear secrets with Britain, so if Britain wanted to become a nuclear power it had to do so itself
When were Britain’s first tests of the atomic bomb?
1952
the testing of the atomic bomb made Britain?
the third country in the world to develop nuclear weapons after the USA and USSR
-but at this point USA and USS were developing the more powerful bomb
when was Britain’s ‘H’ bomb tested
in 1957
concerns over these developments led to the formation of CND , when?
the campaign for nuclear disarmament in 1958
CND
-rapidly became the most powerful pressure group in Britain
-backed by many intellectuals and mobilising middle-class protestors
what did the CND want
-wanted Britain to reject nuclear weapons and instead follow a policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament
how many people took part in the demonstration at the weapons research base at Aldermaston?
8000 people at the weapons research base at Aldermaston, Berkshire in 1958
second march on Aldermaston when?
in 1959 + was even bigger
CND ‘unilateralism’ became a powerful magnet for anti-gov protest + many labour left-wingers joined in
in the aftermath of war, Britain made two large decisions:
1) become a permanent of the UN security council
2)become an independent nuclear power
USA refusing to share nuclear technology + secrets negatively impacted Britain’s?
aspirations of maintaining its place as a world player
The ability to use nuclear power acted as a large factor in maintaining a nations global status as a great power
when did US once again agree to share nuclear technology with Britain and what was this under?
by 1958 and this was under the mutual defence agreement
what was abandoned in 1960?
Britain’s own rocket project- blue streak
blue streak
-project intended to maintain an independent British Nuclear deterrent, replacing v bomber which would be outdated by 1965
-the operational requirement for the missile issued by 1955, design complete by 1957
-too expensive->had cost up to 300 million£ in late 1959
