Peace Movements in Western Europe, Japan and the USA during the Cold War

This volume offers a wealth of empirical information on peace movements in Western Europe, Japan and the USA in the period from 1945 to 1990, discussing anti-nuclear protests in the USA, West Germany and the UK, but also in often neglected countries such as France, Italy and Japan. The contributors provide fresh analytical perspectives on peace protests and reassess their relevance for a history of the Cold War. Several chapters analyze the symbolic politics of peace protests and demonstrate how they were embedded in the political culture of their respective nation-state. Specific emphasis is placed on attempts by artists and peace activists to make the dangers of nuclear war and the need for peace and disarmament visible. Transnational connections between peace protesters and their attempts to establish links with other social movements are another focus of the volume. Based on comparative research, this volume is an important contribution to the history of the Cold War and of social movements in the post-war period..