John William Sutcliffe IV, Ph.D.

Thank you to @vincentintondi.bsky.social , Nic Lewis, and Alex Levy for an engaging roundtable discussion of how, and to what ends, nuclear knowledge was disseminated during the 20th century. And of course, thank you to those who joined us at #AHA26 !

"The Most Awful Responsibility" My new book on Truman and the bomb will be released next week

So, hey, my new book on Truman and the Bomb comes out NEXT WEEK! In this post on Doomsday Machines, I give a rundown of WHAT IT IS ABOUT, and other useful information, including the talk I am giving about it on December 16. doomsdaymachines.net/p/the-most-a...

YouTube video by atomcentral Ivy Mike Countdown and detonation

At this moment in 1952 (7:14:59 AM November 1, local time), the United States tested the first true (albeit undeliverable, weighing a massive 82 tons) hydrogen bomb at Enewetak Atoll. The 10.4-Megaton MIKE explosion vaporized Elugelab Island, leaving behind a crater 1.2 miles wide and 164 feet deep.

France's political upheaval isn't temporary - it's a profound constitutional crisis | Pierre Purseigle The old prime minister is back with a new team, but it can’t last: a democracy can’t have a president with the powers of a king, says French historian Pierre Purseigle

Where I try to explain why France is not going through an ordinary political crisis but that the Fifth Republic is a regime in crisis.
🇫🇷 #france #politics
👇 👇 👇
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

@uni-of-warwick.bsky.social

Screenshot of a Powerpoint slide. The title is "Strategic Effects." It has three bullet points: 1. The physical employment of nuclear weapons at any level requires explicit orders from the President. 2. Nuclear weapons are unique in their destructive power and psychological impact. 3. The use of nuclear weapons represents a significant escalation from conventional warfare. There is then an incongruous illustration: a screenshot of the game MISSILE COMMAND for the Atari 5200 (1982).

Wild illustration choice in this slide from training materials for ICBM launch officers, ca. 2010

Have you ever wondered how state control over nuclear information shapes public perceptions? Please join us at #AHA26 as Vincent Intondi, Nic Lewis, Alex Levy, and I offer new perspectives on the dissemination of nuclear knowledge during the Cold War! #nukesky aha.confex.com/aha/2026/web...

Can Europe defend itself without America? It would need to replace military aid, a nuclear umbrella and leadership

And Mitterand in 1994, highlighting a persistent hurdle: "There will be a European nuclear doctrine, a European deterrent, only when there are vital European interests, considered as such by the Europeans, and understood as such by others". #frenchhistory #nukesky www.economist.com/briefing/202...

"As early as 1962, Pompidou stressed that the nuclear force of a continental European country like France, directly exposed to danger, contributed to strengthening the security of Europe." geographie.ens.fr/IMG/pdf/euro...

The Sanctuary and the Glacis: France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Nuclear Weapons in the 1980s (Part 1) Abstract. This article explores efforts at bridging the nuclear gap between France and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) during the last decade of the Cold War. It does so by examining the various...

February 1986: Mitterrand "issue[d] a formal commitment to consult with Kohl on the possible use of tactical (or 'pre-strategic') weapons on FRG soil." Notably, this came after considerable diplomatic efforts and was never implemented. doi.org/10.1162/jcws...

European nuclear weapons? Zombie debates and nuclear realities In February 2020, French president Emmanuel Macron invited all interested European states to a “strategic dialogue” on the supposed contribution of France’s nuclear arsenal to European collective s...

1992: "France’s then deputy defence minister, Jacques Mellick, launched the idea of a European “concerted deterrence” [...] Per the official justification, such an arrangement would allow France to informally extend a “nuclear umbrella” over other European states." doi.org/10.1080/0966...

Après le revirement américain, Macron relance le débat sur un parapluie nucléaire européen Le président français Emmanuel Macron a relancé, samedi, le débat sur un parapluie nucléaire européen, se disant prêt à "ouvrir la discussion" afin de compenser un éventuel désengagement américain.

As consequential as Macron's overtures may eventually turn out to be, for now the broad brush strokes are in keeping with decades of French policy on Europe and nuclear deterrence. Their significance lies more in the strategic context than in any real policy shift. www.france24.com/fr/france/20...

Without the USA as a steadfast ally, European nations are rethinking their security strategies, which bencenemeth.bsky.social of @dsdkings.bsky.social says offers opportunities as well as challenges.
▶️ www.kcl.ac.uk/a-new-geopol...
Also see his previous article on defending NATO without the US 🔽

Time to Reassess the Costs of Euro-Atlantic Security Increased defense spending in Europe is crucial to deter threats from Russia and China. It is essential to understand and quantify the rising costs of Euro-Atlantic security to determine how allies ca...

“While meeting defense investment targets by more NATO allies signals political commitment, it does not guarantee enhanced preparedness for deterring Russia or addressing other threats.” www.rand.org/pubs/comment...

#BOOKGIVEAWAY Follow @coldwarpod.bsky.social then reshare this post to enter a chance to win a copy of this book.

T&C's here coldwarconversations.com/giveaway/

@fleetstreetfox.bsky.social #nuclearveterans #nucleartests #coldwar @cnduk.bsky.social

NEW EPISODE - The #Secret #History of #Britain's #ColdWar #Nuclear #Experiments with @fleetstreetfox.bsky.social

Listen here 🎧 coldwarconversations.com/episode390/

@nuclearhistory.bsky.social @atomiclabrats.bsky.social @nuclearanthro.bsky.social @nuclearwar.bsky.social #skystorian

Taiwan’s Nuclear What-If: Implications for U.S. Strategy and Global Security — Global Security Review Strategic Adversaries Deterrence

This recent article, coauthored by SSP Military Fellow Lt. Col. Ryan Fitzgerald and Harvard National Defense Fellow Kira Coffey, offers counterfactual historical analysis to examine what if Taiwan was permitted to build a successful nuclear weapons program.

globalsecurityreview.com/taiwans-nucl...

Peter Watkins: "if the harsh reality is that extended nuclear deterrence by French & British forces is the only realistic alternative to the US ...umbrella, then steps to improve their effectiveness through further mutual support ...wd be worth pursuing" www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/r...

Can Europe confront Vladimir Putin’s Russia on its own? An independent army, air force and nuclear bomb would come at a high price

I wrote the latest—post-Merz— version of the “can Europe defend itself without America” piece, with reflections on military capability, money, enablers & nuclear weapons. An enduring topic, but with a new sense of urgency & relevance after the past weeks. www.economist.com/internationa...

#NEW from Vol. 7 of the PONI Nuclear Scholars Journal!

👤from Ashley Wiser at ANSER

"On the Eve of a World Without New START Or: How There’s Still No Such Thing as a ‘Nonstrategic’ Nuclear Weapon"

Read more here: www.csis.org/analysis/hor...

"The humanities may be as necessary, or as dangerous, as any other set of disciplines. They do, however, offer at least a means and a store of evidence for diagnosing our present discontents."

@kfullagar.bsky.social, Vice-President of the ‪@austhistassoc.bsky.social‬.

Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What's Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions

Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What's Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions
theonion.com/historians-p...

The Transatlantic Alliance in the Age of Trump: The Coming Collisions Europe is now staring at the beginning of a new post-American age. The policy collisions to come will be transformative for transatlantic relations and will reshape the transatlantic alliance.

Europe is now staring at the beginning of a new post-American age. The policy collisions to come will be transformative for transatlantic relations and will reshape the transatlantic alliance.

Read more from @erep.csis.org: www.csis.org/analysis/tra...

To be fair, it's easy to look this thoughtful on Valentine's Day when you have the entire White House staff at your disposal.

It was great to hear your presentation today--very informative!

Thank you! Likewise, looking forward to hearing your perspective.

What is "Iron Dome for America" anyways?! Join me w Tom Karako and Kari Bingen Tues 11 Feb for a conversation about the implications of the Iron Dome Exec Order and how it fits with defense and deterrence priorities. @poni.csis.org @csis.org

www.csis.org/events/what-...

Thank you to @poni.csis.org and @mattkorda.bsky.social for the opportunity to speak at PONI's 2025 Winter Conference earlier today. It was a pleasure exchanging views on interallied perspectives with our panel of nuclear scholars. #nukesky

#NEW from Vol. 7 of the PONI Nuclear Scholars Journal!

👤from Samuele Polsinelli, submarine officer within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

"Chinese Coercion: A Nuclear Angle"

Read more here: www.csis.org/analysis/hor...

Books lay open on a reading desk, showing a portrait of a man and a woman.

Interested in gaining research experience at the Library?

Our PhD placement scheme for 2025 is now open, offering doctoral researchers the chance to develop skills and expertise outside the university sector.

View the full list of projects and apply by 21 February: bit.ly/BLPhD2025

In 1940, a book titled "Why Smash Atoms?" was published which argued in favor of apparently useless subatomic research. In a 1946 reprint, a photo of a mushroom cloud was added to before the title page — a striking answer to the question, if a different one from what the author originally intended.