Cold War Research Network

🎙️ 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁! We are very excited to share the third episode of our podcast series, ‘‘𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀’’, created in collaboration with the student think tank Think-tank GA-History at Present. In this series, we explore how the Cold War continues to play a role in our present world. This is the last episode made by the previous student team members of the Cold War Research Network, Lars Brull & Judith Buuts in cooperation with GA podcast director Martin Meijburg. 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 3 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄! In this episode, we are honored to welcome 𝗗𝗿. María Gabriela Palacio, assistant Professor in development studies at Leiden University and a permanent staff member at the Institute for History. Together, we discussed the Cold War Legacies of Latin America from a socio-economic perspective, offering some interesting insights into this region. A fascinating discussion that you do not want to miss! So, stream ‘‘The Latin American Way’’ now on Spotify! https://lnkd.in/gwgraFq2

Dear all, One of our CWRN members, Dr. Eleni Braat, is organizing a workshop titled, "𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞", which will take place at Utrecht University on 3-4 November 2025. This workshop explores why some intelligence agencies in Europe are seen as legitimate while others face criticism for authoritarianism and corruption, with a particular focus on the role of political and societal actors beyond formal oversight mechanisms. It aims to explain these striking variations across European national contexts by examining how political and societal actors challenge or support the legitimacy of intelligence services. Moving beyond traditional accountability mechanisms, such as intelligence oversight bodies, the workshop also highlights the role of civil society and expands the geographical scope of research beyond the Anglo-Saxon context. Scholars are invited to submit an abstract (max 400 words) and a CV (2 pages max) to Eleni Braat (e.c.braat@uu.nl) by 𝟏𝟕 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. The workshop aims to contribute to a special issue in a peer-reviewed journal in the field of intelligence and is part of the research project ‘𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑦. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑐𝑒, 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 1945-2015’, funded by the Dutch Research Council. Do apply! For more information: https://lnkd.in/gz2DZtkT

📢 Exciting News! We’re excited to welcome our new student team-members to the Cold War Research Network! A heartfelt thank you to our previous interns Lars Brull and Judith Buuts for their hard work and contributions—you’ve made a lasting impact, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours! 👏 This semester, our team is joined by Fenne Stoelinga, whose research focuses on climate security and global governance; Lion Oshman, who explores the security concerns of smaller states and global power dynamics; and Anastasia Panagiotou who examines oral history, photography in conflict zones, and refugee experiences. Our student team-members bring fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to our exploration of Cold War history, and we’re excited to see their contributions to ongoing research and discussions. We’re excited for the insights they’ll bring to Cold War studies. Welcome aboard! 🚀

🎙️ 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁! We are very excited to share the second episode of our new podcast series, ‘‘𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀’’, created in collaboration with the student think tank Think-tank GA-History at Present. In this series, we explore how the Cold War continues to play a role in our present world. 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟮 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄! In this episode, we are honored to welcome 𝗗𝗿. 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗢'𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆, Associate Professor of International History at Leiden University. Together, we discussed the Cold War Legacies of the United Nations, offering some interesting insights into this international organization. A fascinating discussion that you do not want to miss! So, stream ‘‘The United Nations Crisis and Resilience’’ now on Spotify! https://lnkd.in/ee5JuYYb

The Cold War Research Network is proud to announce the creation of the "Cold War Sources List” featuring useful links to primary and secondary sources for studying Cold War-related topics. The Cold War Sources List consists of five categories, detailed below: 1. Archives: The Cold War Sources List includes numerous archives from various countries and regions. 2. Resource Lists: The Cold War Sources List provides links to websites that refer to other resources, including links to additional archives or related websites. For instance, the Cold War Sources List includes links to Wikipedia articles that link to multiple archives. 3. Websites: The Cold War Sources List highlights websites useful for research purposes. 4. Projects: The Cold War Sources List references ongoing or completed history projects, such as oral history projects. 5. Historical Datasets: The Cold War Sources List also include references to historical datasets. The purpose of the Cold War Sources List is to assist researchers, scholars, and students in locating valuable archives, projects, datasets, websites, and resource lists for their research. Do you want to know more about the Cold War Sources List? Then click on the link: https://lnkd.in/gKy2gMbw

#CWTEE – Previously in the series Cold War Through Expert Eyes, our members answered the questions ‘‘Why is studying the Cold War significant today?’’ and ‘‘What is the most essential lesson of the Cold War?’’. Today, we finish our series by asking our members the final question ‘‘What does the Cold War mean for you?’’.   📚 Dr. Swapna Kona Nayudu: ‘‘As a historian of India in the Cold War, the period only also makes sense to me as one of widespread and intense decolonisation, both in terms of actual shifts in ruling power but also in terms of political culture as consumed and experienced globally.’’   💡 Dr. Ruud van Dijk: ‘‘It's the era in which I grew up. We didn't consider that it could end, and then we thought it was over, which, it turns out, is incorrect also.’’   📚 Prof. Dr. Sandrine Kott: ‘‘We should not forget that the Cold War was also a time of intense political debate in countries where there was a significant Communist Party, and a time when alternatives seemed possible.’’   💡 Dr. Simeon Hilton Paravantes: ‘‘The Cold War to me is a constant reminder of the need to 'get the details right' in order to avoid catastrophe. Mistakes are unavoidable in life, but utter destruction may be optional.’’   If you want to read their full answers and answers by our other members, please check out our website! (link is in the first comment)   We would like to thank all of our members who contributed to our Cold War Through the Expert Eyes series: Prof. Dr. Johny Santana de Araújo, Dr. Patcharaviral Charoenpacharaporn, Dr. Ruud van Dijk, Dr. Dario Fazzi, Dr. Frank Gerits, Dr. Esmaeil Haddadian-Moghaddam, Professor Dr. Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, Professor Dr. Jan Hoffenaar, Dr. Alessandro Iandolo, Professor Dr. Sandrine Kott, Dr. Jos van der Linden, Professor Emeritus Vojtěch Mastný, Dr. Kona Swapna Nayudu, Dr. Fernando Camacho Padilla, Dr. Simeon Paravantes, Dr. Effie Pedaliu, Dr. Cristina Blanco Sío-López, Dr. Rasmus Sinding Søndergaard, Dr. Liliane Stadler, Prof. Dr. Ioannis Stefanidis, Luke Thrumble, Dr. Debby Esmeé de Vlugt

#CWPC- Last month, student members Lars and Judith recommended several songs as part of the Cold War in Popular Culture series. This month, the focus shifts to movies. Lars suggests watching the movie ‘The Siege of Jadotville’ for the month of January. The Siege of Jadotville tells the story of a small unit from the Irish Army's 35th Battalion, deployed in the Congo during the Congo Crisis (1960–1965) as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo (UNOC). The Congo Crisis began when the Republic of the Congo gained independence from Belgium. After independence, the country quickly faced challenges related to federalism, tribalism, and ethnic nationalism. These tensions led the mineral-rich regions of Katanga and South Kasai to secede from the Republic of the Congo, marking the start of the crisis. The Republic of the Congo requested assistance from the United Nations, which responded by deploying troops as part of the UNOC. The Irish UN forces were stationed in the mining town of Jadotville, located in the self-proclaimed state of Katanga. On September 13, 1961, UNOC launched Operation Morthor. This was a military offensive against Katangan forces. This action provoked a counterattack by Katangan forces, supported by Belgian and French mercenaries who were defending the interests of mining companies in the region. These troops and mercenaries launched an assault on the Irish UN peacekeepers in Jadotville, forcing them to protect the town. The film focuses on Irish UN peacekeepers during the four-day siege, during which 156 Irish soldiers managed to repel repeated attacks by an army of approximately 3,000 soldiers. The movie delves into themes such as UN peacekeeping during the Cold War and the decolonization of Africa. Furthermore, the ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union plays a prominent role in the background of this movie. Click on the link to watch the trailer on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ehzAfQyJ

#CWPC – Student Team Members Judith and Lars recommended several songs and musical events last month. This month, the series on popular culture shifts back to the cinematic universe, recommending several interesting films. Today, Judith recommends looking at a film produced in 2003 called Good Bye Lenin! by Wolfgang Becker.   The film depicts the story of a family of three living in East Berlin during the final years of the Cold War. After seeing her son, Alex Kerner, take part in one of the anti-GDR protests, Christiane Kerner, a devoted socialist, suffers a stroke and falls into a coma. When she eventually wakes up after several years, much has changed: the Berlin Wall is gone, and communism collapsed. However, due to her fragile condition, Christiane cannot handle too much change. To shield her from reality, her son Alex goes to great lengths to make it seem as though the GDR still exists.   This film is an excellent example of the concept of Ostalgie. Ostalgie combines the German word Ost, meaning East, with nostalgia. It describes the nostalgic feelings of East Germans towards certain aspects of their lives during the Soviet era, particularly during the process of reunification. After the reunification of Germany, many inhabitants of East Germany, especially women, lost their social security system and faced unemployment. As East Germany westernised rapidly, some citizens began to miss certain elements of their former lives and developed strategies to preserve aspects of their experiences in the GDR. A notable example of such an element is the famous  Ampelmännchen, which has become an iconic cultural symbol in Germany.   The film Good Bye Lenin! captures this concept by illustrating this fast-paced transition in a humorous and engaging story that is accessible to everyone. Click on the YouTube link to watch the trailer!   https://lnkd.in/eqtefNh

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨! 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐.𝙎. 𝘼𝙞𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬, 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙣𝙪𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣.⚛️ ⚛️ ⚛️ #OnThisDay – In 1961, a B-52 bomber crashed in North Carolina. The aircraft was on a ‘‘Cover All’’ mission, a precursor to Operation Chrome Dome, which took place from 1961 to 1968. During the crash, two nuclear MK-39 bombs, yielding a nuclear power 250 times greater than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, fell into the tobacco fields of Wayne County.   During refuelling, the crew discovered a significant oil leak that quickly worsened. While attempting an emergency landing, they lost control over the aircraft, resulting in a broken wing. The crew decided to evacuate. Unfortunately, only five out of eight men made it out alive. After the crew ejected, the plane exploded midair, leaving behind a debris spread 5.2 square kilometres. However, the two bombs fell to the ground. One of the bombs deployed its parachute, which slowed its descent, causing it to land upright. Fortunately, its arm/safe switch was in ‘safe’ position.   However, with the second bomb, the parachute failed to open, and it crashed directly into the tobacco fields, becoming buried in the soil. The clean-up team immediately began digging until the arm/safe switch was found. Lieutenant Jack ReVelle received the terrifying news that it was in the ‘arm’ position. The bomb had already passed five out of six stages of detonation, and was thus dangerously close to exploding. After carefully continuing the search, ReVelle successfully recovered the radioactive pit containing both the radioactive uranium and plutonium, thereby preventing a potential further environmental disaster.   Declassified sources later revealed that prior to the operation, there were multiple warnings about the dangers of transporting such weapons under those conditions. Despite these warnings, the Joint Chiefs of Staff assured that the risk was ‘negligible’, arguing that the probability of a fatal accident neared ‘zero’. Although the weapons underwent several adjustments, the incident did not affect Operation Chrome Dome which proceeded to transport nuclear weapons by plane until 1968. This operation resulted in several more incidents. 

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨! 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐.𝙎. 𝘼𝙞𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬, 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙣𝙪𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣.⚛️ ⚛️ ⚛️   #OnThisDay – In 1968, an American aircraft carrying a B-52 bomber, part of Operation Chrome Dome, crashed near the Thule Air Base in the Wholsstenhole Fjord, Greenland. This crash marked the end of Operation Chrome Dome, which was initiated by the U.S. to deter any nuclear attack from the Soviet Union.   The flight in 1968 was cold and dark, as Greenland experiences complete darkness from October until February. Feeling uncomfortable, the pilots decided to increase the heat. Unfortunately, one of the heating vents had been blocked with cloth-covered foam cushions, which ignited. Unable to extinguish the fire, six out of seven of the pilots abandoned the aircraft. Sadly, the seventh crewmember did not survive.   The nuclear weapons were destroyed in the crash, which contaminated an area measuring 1.6 by 4.8 kilometres with radioactive elements including plutonium, uranium, americium and tritium. In response, the U.S. and Denmark launched an intensive clean-up operation known as ‘‘Project Crested Ice’’. They received assistance from the Inuit community, who used their dog sleds, constructed igloos as shelters, and helped repair the equipment. Time pressure was of the essence, as the contamination needed to be removed before spring arrived and the ice would start melting. After the operation, the team claimed that ninety per cent of the material was removed.   However, a 2008 report by the BBC revealed a different story based on declassified U.S. government sources. In April 1968, a submarine mission was launched in search for a missing radioactive component, similar to a mission that had taken place in Palomares. Unfortunately, due to the extreme conditions, the mission was unable to recover the missing part. Denmark was never informed about this mission. To this day, it remains unclear which specific part is missing and to what extent it presents a further environmental risk to the area.   As a precaution, fishing and hunting were forbidden in the area. Despite this, Danish and U.S. clean-up teams suffered long-lasting health issues. In 1995, a survey of 1500 Danish workers revealed 410 of them had already died from cancer. No similar survey was conducted among the U.S. or Inuit workers. There has never been an official determination linking these health issues to their exposure to radiation while working at the site. While the Danish workers received 50.000 Kroner from their government, the U.S. and Inuit crewmembers received no compensation.