Dreams for a Decade: International Nuclear Abolitionism and the End of the Cold War

During the 1980s, millions of ordinary individuals mobilized in support of nuclear disarmament, influencing U.S. and Soviet nuclear arms control paradigms and paving the way for the end of the Cold War. Grassroots and government nuclear abolitionists played a pivotal role in the Cold Wars endgame, providing a model for enacting dramatic, positive change in a peaceful manner.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2023
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

During the 1980s, a remarkable movement emerged, with millions of ordinary individuals worldwide mobilizing in support of nuclear disarmament. While U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev were not directly involved in these grassroots initiatives, they shared the common goal of eliminating nuclear weapons. Nuclear abolitionism transcended borders and became a global phenomenon. In her book Dreams for a Decade, Stephanie L. Freeman delves into newly declassified material from various continents, shedding light on the profound influence of nuclear abolitionists on the course of the Cold War's final decade. Freeman reveals that nuclear abolitionism played a significant yet underestimated role in bringing an end to the Cold War. Grassroots and government nuclear abolitionists worked tirelessly to shift the paradigms of nuclear arms control between the United States and the Soviet Union. They advocated for reducing rather than limiting nuclear weapons, paving the way for the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. European peace activists also played a crucial role in influencing Gorbachev's "common European home" initiative and supporting freedom of choice in Europe. This prevented the Soviet leader from intervening to suppress the 1989 East European revolutions, which tore apart the Iron Curtain, symbolizing the end of decades of division in Europe. While grassroots and government nuclear abolitionists were unable to eliminate nuclear weapons, their efforts deserve immense credit for playing a pivotal role in the Cold War's denouement. They provide a valuable model for achieving dramatic and positive change through peaceful means.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781512824223