The Cold War Vault

EP17: Cold War on Ice, Part Two: Camp Century

In this second episode of the series, "Cold War on Ice," we will go under the Greenland Icecap and explore the Army's snowbase Century and its bid for relevance in the race between branches.

EP16: Cold War on Ice, Part One: Operation Bluejay

This is the first episode in a series that will delve into the role that the far north played in the Cold War. This episode deals with Operation Bluejay, the construction of Thule Air Base in Greenland in 1951. From here we'll explore everything that Thule allowed the U.S. Army and Air Force to do in the farthest reaches of the Arctic. 

EP15: News, Missiles, and Radioactive Shrimp

Some interesting Cold War related stories that came across my desk this week. Some scary and some strange, but I hope all will be thought provoking and interesting. We begin with a retro look at some British Cold War civil defense advice, touch on the current state of North Korea, and end with a look under the sea at some radioactive shrimp.

EP14: Chernobyl and the Russian Woodpecker

On this anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, what begins as a film review becomes something more, as we delve into the relationship between Ukraine and Russia and the rise of a new Russian Empire, all the while looking at the fascinating award-winning documentary, The Russian Woodpecker.

EP13: The Otters of Amchitka, Part 3 - "Cannikin 71 and Don't Make a Wave"

In this final episode of the "Otters of Amchitka" series, see how the Alaskan nuclear testing series, the ecological movement, the antinuclear movement, and a general distrust of government agencies led to the birth of the modern environmental movement. Not only that, it brought about a new kind of thinking that hounded government policy until the end of the Cold War. 

EP12: The Otters of Amchitka, Part 2 - "Milrow 69 and Environmental Protest"

The Otters of Amchitka Part Two reveals the birth of the environmental movement and all of the conflicting international forces. 

EP11: Fearmonger Fridays - "Terrorism vs. Apocalypse"

Understand why new nuclear holocausts on film don't work anymore, and why, while, they exist, they have moved past their time. 

EP10: The Otters of Amchitka, Part 1

The first part of a series on the birth of the environmental movement and how it ties in with nuclear testing in Alaska and the conservation of sea otters. As a historian of science, with a focus on environmental science, this story has always fascinated me. Not only does it have implications for environmentalism, but it plants the seeds of serious mass protest that agitate for the end of the Cold War. Otters! Who knew?

EP09: Fearmonger Fridays - "India and Pakistan and Kashmir, Oh My!"

This week on Fearmonger Friday, we look at the week's events in the ongoing drama between India and Pakistan and think about where it might lead and how we might get to World War III. If you're interested in current events, you can get some context here.

EP08: The Story of the Net Evaluation Subcommittee, Part 4 - "McNamara's Wrath and a Window on War"

In the final installment of the NESC story, Kennedy and Johnson get their briefings and the world comes so close to nuclear war. Gosh I just love the Cold War!