Cold War Britain & The Bomb (124)

In Britain and the Bomb Bill Nuttall considers Britain's national journey from Empire to Europe and the transition of British nuclear weapons from the Royal Air Force to the Royal Navy.

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Back to today’s episode, the story pivots around a single day in April 1965. The recently-established Labour government very publicly cancelled the much-vaunted TSR2 nuclear strike bomber, causing dismay among aviation enthusiasts. The passing decades have done little to diminish the controversy and a pervasive sense of nostalgic melancholy about a lost Britain.

 We welcome Bill Nuttall to our Cold War conversation…

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0:00 Introduction and overview of the episode

0:37 Bill Nuttall's role in the German Democratic Republic and discussion on "Britain and the Bomb"

2:04 Sponsor: Request for listener support and acknowledgment of patrons

2:31 The cancellation of TSR2 nuclear strike bomber: Insights and Context

7:01 Deep dive into the advanced features and significance of the TSR2 aircraft

12:23 Impact of Duncan Sandy's white paper on the Air Force and industrial policy

15:48 Consequences of Gary Powers incident and the development of standoff missiles

21:28 The Cold War as a technological chess game: Strategic decisions and technological advancements

26:17 Change in UK government and its impact on nuclear decision making

31:53 Understanding nuclear deterrence, Britain's debate, and defense of Moscow

35:17 The impact of technology cancellations on Britain's national image and identity

39:06 Closing remarks and podcast outro

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