How did the government attempt to convince British citizens that a nuclear attack was survivable?
Take a look at the “Protect and Survive” booklet from 1980, which was accompanied by a series of animated films that aimed to prepare the public for the possibility of nuclear attack. While the campaign was well intentioned, it incited fear in the population as it affirmed that nuclear warfare was a real and imminent threat. It faced criticism for its simplistic advice and focus on the idea of survival, which many saw as a futile attempt to prepare for the unthinkable, rather than a meaningful effort to prevent nuclear conflict.
You can view the documents featured in this video in our new collection, Britain Under Threat: Civil Defence in the Era of Total War, 1914–1989.