Self‐annihilation, nuclear play and West Germany's compulsion to repeat

Journal article

Abstract:: This article investigates Fallex 66, the first of a string of NATO war games that the West German government played in its command bunker between 1966 and 1989. During this exercise, the Bonn Republic simulated nuclear strikes on its ‘own’ targets and the resupply of NATO forces after a nuclear war on German territory. While in line with West German deterrence at the time, Fallex was read in East Berlin as an excessive game of playful self‐annihilation in ways that invite a psychoanalytic int...
Expand abstract
Collapse abstract

Institution:

University of Oxford

Division:

SSD

Department:

SOGE

Sub department:

Geography

Oxford college:

St Anne's College

Role:

Author

Publisher:: Wiley Publisher's website
Journal:: Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers Journal website
Volume:: 41
Issue:: 2
Pages:: 109-120
Publication date:: 2016-01-22
DOI:: 10.1111/tran.12108
EISSN:: 1475-5661
ISSN:: 0020-2754

Keywords:: SBTMR

archival research

cold war

ludic geopolitics

psychoanalysis

Germany

bunkers
Pubs id:: pubs:822780
UUID:: uuid:6a125735-0c22-48da-b2d0-ab2ca9aa3e41
Local pid:: pubs:822780
Source identifiers:: 822780
Deposit date:: 2018-02-03

Copyright holder:: Royal Geographical Society
Notes:: ©2016 Royal Geographical Society. This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Wiley at: https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12108

Licence:: Terms and Conditions of Use for Oxford University Research Archive

If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record