Independence and Deterrence
Volume 1: Policy Making
Published on 1. June 1974
Book
Hardback
XIII, 503 pages
978-0-333-15781-7 (ISBN)
Description
Independence and Deterrence , commissioned by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, continues the story of Britain's atomic project begun in Britain and Atomic Energy 1939-1945 , and covers the years from 1945 to the first British bomb test at the end of 1952. Volume 1 studies policy making at the highest levels - the strategic, political and international considerations, the administrative and constitutional machinery. It shows how and why Britain decided to make atomic bombs and follows traumatic negotiations for Anglo-American atomic collaboration and their effect on Britain's relations with Europe and the Commonwealth. There is important material on Anglo-Canadian affairs. The book sheds new light on Britain's rights to consultation on any American use of atmoic bombs. Volume 2 studies the execution of the project. It analyses the cost of the project in money and manpower, the problems of health and safety, secrecy and security, the relationship between government and private industry. Above all it gives a 'nuts and bolts' description of the work of the scientists and engineers in carrying out - with great success - a complex technological project operating on the furthest frontiers of knowledge, which culminated in making and testing the Mark I weapon. There is an illuminating chapter on the origins of Britian's nuclear power programme and her choice of reactor. These chapters emphasise not only ecomomic, managerial and technological aspects, but also the great influence of personalities. This is the first peacetime official history to be authorised for publication. It has been written with free access to official documents and very little has been modified or omitted on public interest grounds. Most of the material is completely new. Ronald Clark wrote of Britain and Atomic Energy , '[Mrs Gowning] has been able to let cats out of bags by the litterful'. This is even more true of Independence and Deterrence.
More details
Edition
1974 edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
XIII, 503 p.
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
816 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-333-15781-7 (9780333157817)
DOI
10.1007/978-1-349-15526-2
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2016
Palgrave Macmillan
€213.99
Available for download
Persons
MARGARET GOWING is Professor of the History of Science, University of Oxford, and Fellow of Linacre College. She is joint author of two books in the civil series of United Kingdom official war histories -
British War Economy
(with Sir Keith Hancock) and
Civil Industry and Trade
(with E. L. Hargreaves) - and author of
Britain and Atomic Energy, 1939-1945
.
LORNA ARNOLD is Departmental Record Officer at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and assistant to the official historian.
LORNA ARNOLD is Departmental Record Officer at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and assistant to the official historian.
Content
List of Plates Preface List of Abbreviations A Note on Documentation PART 1: AUGUST 1945: RETROSPECT AND AGENDA Appendix I: Statements by the Prime Minister and Mr Churchill on the Atomic Bomb, 6 August 1945 PART 2: LABOUR'S MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT Ministers and their Advisory Committees Defence and Production Departmental Organisation Legal and Democratic Control Appendix 2: Diagram of Committees PART 3: EXTERNAL POLICY: BRIEF HOPE OF INTERDEPENDENCE Appendix 3: Letter from Mr Attlee to President Truman, 25 September 1945 Appendix 4: Washington Declaration, 15 November 1945 Appendix 5: 'Groves-Anderson' Memorandum, 16 November 1945 PART 4: EXTERNAL POLICY: HOPES AND DUPES International Control Anglo-American Collaboration Appendix 6: Telegram from Mr Attlee to President Truman, 16 April 1946 Appendix 7: Telegram from Mr Attlee to President Truman, 6 June 1946 PART 5: EXTERNAL POLICY: THE COMMONWEALTH AND EUROPE Canada The Rest of the Commonwealth Europe PART 6: DETERRENCE Programme and Purpose The Decision to Make a Bomb Mainly Military A Hope for Nuclear Power Appendix 8: Atomic Energy: An Immediate Policy for Great Britain (P. M. S. Blackett) PART 7: DETERRENCE RECALCULATED The Size and Shape of the Programme Questions of Priority Towards Nuclear Power PART 8: THE ANGLO-AMERICAN MODUS VIVENDI Appendix 9: The Modus Vivendi Annex 1: Allocations Annex 2: Areas of Co-operation between Members of the British Commonwealth Annex 3: Technical Co-operation PART 9: INDEPENDENCE RECONSIDERED I New Hope of Anglo-American Integration The Doldrums Again The Use of the Bomb PART 10: INDEPENDENCE RECONSIDERED II Canada The Rest of the Commonwealth, and Europe PART 11: THE AREA OF INTERDEPENDENCE: URANIUM The Indispensable Element Combined Operations The Pattern of Supply and Demand Securing Present Supplies Securing Future Supplies Conclusions Appendix 10: Declaration of Trust, 13 June 1944 Appendix 11: Memorandum of Understanding with Belgium, 13 July 1951 Appendix 12: Joint Communique and Annex re American, Belgian and British Understandings in the Atomic Energy Field, 13 July 1951 Appendix 13: Table 1: Estimated Uranium Requirements, Deliveries and Allocations, 1946-52 Table 2: Belgian Congo Uranium Deliveries: Forecast and Actual PART 12: 'WINSTON IS BACK' - AND CHERWELL Unfinished Business Towards a New Organisation Towards a New Programme Appendix 14: Technical Note Appendix 15: Chronology of Events: April 1945-October 1952 References Index