Remembering the Cold War

Remembering the Cold War examines how, more than two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cold War legacies continue to play crucial roles in defining national identities and shaping international relations around the globe. Given the Cold War's blurred definition - it has neither a widely accepted commencement date nor unanimous conclusion - what is to be remembered? This book illustrates that there is, in fact, a huge body of 'remembrance,' and that it is more pertinent to ask: what should be included and what can be overlooked? Over five sections, this richly illustrated volume considers case studies of Cold War remembering from different parts of the world, and engages with growing theorisation in the field of memory studies, specifically in relation to war. David Lowe and Tony Joel afford careful consideration to agencies that identify with being 'victims' of the Cold War. In addition, the concept of arenas of articulation, which envelops the myriad spaces in which the remembering, commemorating, memorialising, and even revising of Cold War history takes place, is given prominence.

Autorentext

David Lowe is Professor of History at the Alfred Deakin Research Institute, Deakin University. His research interests include the end of empires in Asia and the uses of history by politicians. He is the author/editor of seven books, including Australian Between Empires (2010) and Menzies and the Great World Struggle (1999). Tony Joel is Lecturer in History at Deakin University. A former German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship holder, his research interests include war memory and commemoration. Publications include The Dresden Firebombing: Memory and the Politics of commemorating Destruction (2013).

Inhalt

Introduction. 1. Conceptualizing Cold War Remembrance 2. Nuclear World 3. Cities and Sites 4. Defining Our Times 5. Endings