British Military Bases in Germany: Living with the Cold War and its Legacies, 1945-2000

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This project examines British military communities living in Germany during the Cold War and its aftermath. It is underpinned by two distinct strands. First, it will analyse everyday life on the bases and the changing composition, character and collective identities that underpinned community life. Forty oral history interviews form a core part of this project and set it apart from the few previous works on the British in Germany. This project argues that the voices of this diverse group of Cold War warriors are integral to understanding the connected histories of the Cold War, post-1945 Britain and the social history of warfare in the late twentieth century. I will act as an advocate for a refined model of oral history interviewing, arguing that 'militarised' experience transcends the battlefield and urging social historians of warfare to move away from 'action-centred' question formats. I will thus highlight oral history's tremendous potential as a tool for analysing long-term social history. Interviews will take place in two tranches across the project. Second, I will use this fellowship to conduct detailed archival research (National Archives series WO32 and WO 267, IWM and Institute of Education) to ask not only why the British military were in Germany and what role military authorities envisaged them playing in a future Cold War conflict, but how historians should conceptualise the wider constellation of UK base communities across the post-war world, with Germany at its centre. How were the Rhine bases used as staging posts for soldiers bound for Ireland, Kosovo and the Middle East? Was the network akin to the US 'informal empire' of Pacific bases? Furthermore, were garrisons regarded as a key element of Britain's integration in Europe or an impediment to it? And how far did German re-unification in 1990 alter the position of British bases? Moreover, it asks how policies towards British families and communities as 'expatriates' changed over time. For instance, using previously closed material, it asks how plans for the evacuation of British families in the case of a Soviet invasion changed between 1946 and the end of the Cold War. Finally, were there other networks - social, educational or recreational - that bound British people in Germany with other military overseas communities? This project purposefully sits at the intersection between Cold War history and British social history. It demonstrates that bases were more than strategic outposts: they were vibrant British social communities, at once insular and outward-facing, occupying some of the most volatile areas of the Cold War world. Through a major monograph proposal, Living on a Cold War Frontier, I will use this vital case study to advance our understanding of British everyday life in the shadow of the Cold War and the forgotten history of one of the largest expatriate communities in modern British history. It will provide leadership in oral history methodology, through an international workshop on 'Cold War Voices' and co-written article on appropriate oral history methods for social historians of warfare. The project builds on the insights and experience of a British Academy funded pilot project (Small Grant Ref SG152333) where I interviewed ten former military wives, children and personnel. This project would provide me with an unparalleled opportunity to become a leading Cold War historian, accelerating my progression within this research community and building on my keen interest in Higher Education leadership.