How Whitehall and Westminster planned for a new world order.

No sooner had VE Day arrived in May 1945 than work on Operation Unthinkable began. Though the Allies had been triumphant against Hitler and were confident that victory in the Pacific would soon follow, new threats were emerging. Foremost among them for Britain were the advent of atomic weapons and the prospect of Soviet domination of Europe. In the time between Germany’s surrender and his emphatic defeat in the July general election, Winston Churchill was presented with a top-secret plan to deliver a knockout blow to the Red Army, to check its dominance in central and eastern Europe.

Prof John Bew CMG

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