Nuclear Politics in the Age of Decolonization: France's Sahara Tests and the Advent of the Global Nuclear Order
Speaker: Leyla Tiglay, Ernest May Fellow in History & Policy, International Security Program
Rumors of an impending atomic experiment in Africa circulated in newspapers as early as 1956, four years before France conducted its first atomic test at the Reggane Testing Center in the Sahara in 1960. The late 1950s saw France's technological preparations, strained transatlantic relations due to complex nuclear alignments in Europe, and an unprecedented wave of anti-nuclear mobilization in decolonizing Africa. Using the French tests as a case study, this research aims to refine scholars and policymakers' understanding of how decolonization intrinsically influenced the formation of the current global nuclear landscape during this pivotal era in nuclear politics.
Open to Harvard ID Holders Only: Admittance will be on a first come–first served basis. Coffee &Tea Provided.