Cold War

Topic 9: Cold War

During the cold war, civil defence was subject to considerable changes in ideology and implementation.

Initially the principles and practice that had been developed during the Second World War, continued. However, the increasing destructiveness of nuclear weapons lead to changes away from patrolling and rescue training and towards observation and monitoring. The most permanent result of this was the construction of a network of observation bunkers across the county.

Preserved observation bunker at Holbeach. (Photo: Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire)

In 1995 the civil defence organisations were disbanded and Britain’s defence strategy was based primarily on submarine launched nuclear missiles.

Subsequently there have been reductions to the armed forces, and this has resulted in the closing of military bases across the country, including Lincolnshire.