During this activity we will introduce the main objectives of the course - and encourage you to think about one of the RAF's key Cold War roles - the nuclear deterrent - in more general terms.

Dr Ross Mahoney (Aviation Historian, RAF Museum) and I give a general overview of the course, why we selected this particular topic, and hint at what is coming in Week 1.

Taking stock of things: in this, and the following sections, we will review where the RAF was in 1945 after six arduous years of war.

This activity will consider the evolution of the principal new aircraft the RAF acquired in the early Cold War period, with the coming of the jet age.

We have a short discussion of the Korean War in this course relating to the RAF; but for the Cold War itself, it was a significant event

From demobilization at the beginning of the week, we consider a form of conscription (under another name) from the late-1950s

This week we will be including a short quiz on some of the themes we have covered. The questions have multiple choice answers which are not necessarily 'right' or 'wrong' in absolute terms but represent different interpretations.

Here we draw together some thoughts about the first week

This week will look at the RAF beyond Britain and its NATO role, and to deployments and actions across the globe in the Cold War era and the period of decolonization.

The RAF in Germany before RAF Germany - RAF Germany being the RAF organization of their forces in West Germany and then Germany 1957-1995. Here we look at the RAF in the years before RAF Germany was formed.

The Suez Crisis was a low-point in Britain's post-1945 dealings with the world. We briefly essay the circumstances around this disastrous adventurism.

We will spend a great deal of time during this course considering the RAF in Europe and the threat from the USSR. Ross felt we should cast the net wider, and here are a few examples of the RAF in action around the world.

An important part of the RAF in a global role was the participation of the Empire – in the Second World War; and then as members of the Commonwealth.

The Falklands War may be considered as Britain's last imperial war. We consider it here as an action beyond NATO.

This is a short quiz on some of this week's themes.

A few concluding comments for the week as a whole.

This week we will look at the efforts of Britain to become the world’s third atomic weapons state behind the U.S. and the USSR. This meant not only the diversion of resources for atomic research but also for new bombers.

From 1946 Britain found itself cut out of the Manhattan Project and its successors. This prompted the Attlee Labour Government in 1948 to commission Britain’s own Atomic Bomb.

The V-Force became a matter of national pride as well as security in the 1950s. We will look at how these aircraft evolved in their commissioning and in service.

Two U. S. missiles deployed by the RAF, or intended for the RAF’s V-Force, are considered in this activity.

Conclusions drawn from week three of the course.

This week we will be focussing on how the RAF monitored intrusions into British airspace, and the areas over foreign soil and British seas which it had responsibility for.

While we will predominantly deal with how the RAF looked to counter Soviet bombers over Britain, this role also encompassed the seas around this island-nation and the NATO facilities the RAF were responsible for.

We tend not to think of a ‘Home Front’ to the Cold War, but the fear of bombers or missiles coming over was a constant concern, and did intensify at various points in the period, especially the early 1980s.

Defending the skies also meant considerable and constant vigilance. This activity considers this in the context of the RAF over land and sea from the air.

Week 4 Conclusions

As well as dealing with the changing role of the RAF from the 1962-65 period until the end of the Cold War, we will also reflect on the ‘missed opportunities’ associated with cancelled 1960s projects.

In this activity we consider the limitation placed on the RAF’s procurement plans by the Government when it came to the newest technology available in the period 1957-65.

We started off this course saying that the RAF was arguably the finest tactical air force in the world in 1945. After 1968, this again became the RAF’s primary focus, and in a European environment.

The Gulf War 1990-91 was a major engagement for the RAF and other nations aligned to the U.N. - principally the U.S., but also Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as Britain.

Here we round-up this week of work, which largely deals with the last quarter-of-a-century of the Cold War.

During this week, we will look at how the RAF Museums were conceived and built, as well as how the RAF is remembered through public memorials in and around London.

Ross Mahoney discusses with colleagues at the RAF Museum the development of the Hendon and Cosford sites since 1972.

In this activity Emmett Sullivan will look at some of the memorials to the RAF in and around London.

Conclusions - for the course and the week