Negotiating Armageddon: civil defence in NATO and Denmark 1949-59

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article follows NATO civil defence planning in the first decade of its existence and asks if and to what extend this affected civil defence in Denmark, a small member state on the front line. The investigation shows a marked shift in NATO planning from the mid-1950s with the advent of the hydrogen bomb. It also shows that Denmark was not unmindful of NATOs recommendations, but in some cases insisted that regional factors must decide practical outcomes. However, even when it did not decide outcomes, NATO brokered cooperation and served as forum for exchange of knowledge.