Résumés
Abstract
This paper explores a vacant spot in the Cold War history of science: the development of research activities in the physical environmental sciences and in nuclear science and technology in Greenland. In the post-war period, scientific exploration of the polar areas became a strategically important element in American and Soviet defence policy. Particularly geophysical fields like meteorology, geology, seismology, oceanography, and others profited greatly from military interest. While Denmark maintained formal sovereignty over Greenland, research activities were strongly dominated by U.S. military interests. This paper sets out to summarize the limited current state of knowledge about activities in the environmental physical sciences in Greenland and their entanglement with military, geopolitical, and colonial interests of both the USA and Denmark. We describe geophysical research in the Cold War in Greenland as a multidimensional colonial endeavour. In a period of decolonization after World War II, Greenland, being a Danish colony, became additionally colonized by the American military. Concurrently, in a period of emerging scientific internationalism, the U.S. military “colonized” geophysical research in the Arctic, which increasingly became subject to military directions, culture, and rules.
Résumé
Cet article s’intéresse à un aspect méconnu de l’histoire des sciences de la Guerre Froide : le développement au Groenland d’activités de recherche dans les sciences physiques de l’environnement et les sciences et technologies nucléaires. Lors de la période d’après-guerre, l’exploration scientifique des régions polaires est devenue un élément stratégique important dans les politiques de défense américaine et soviétique. Les champs de recherche géophysique tels que la météorologie, la géologie, la sismologie et l’océanographie ont particulièrement profité de l’intérêt militaire. Si le Danemark conserve sa souveraineté formelle sur le Groenland, les activités de recherche se voient toutefois fortement dominées par les intérêts de l’armée américaine. Cet article cherche à faire le point sur l’état limité des connaissances en matière d’activités de recherche en sciences physiques de l’environnement au Groenland, et de leur intrication avec les intérêts militaires, géopolitiques et coloniaux à la fois des États-Unis et du Danemark. Nous dépeignons la recherche géophysique au Groenland durant la Guerre Froide comme une entreprise coloniale multidimensionnelle. À l’ère de la décolonisation suivant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le Groenland, une colonie danoise, se voit également colonisé par l’armée américaine. Du coup, au moment où émerge un internationalisme scientifique, l’armée américaine «colonise» la recherche géophysique dans l’Arctique, qui devient de plus en plus soumise aux directives, à la culture, et aux règles militaires.
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Biographical notes
Matthias Heymann is associate professor of history of science and technology in the Department of Science Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark. His has among others published on the history of energy technologies and on the history of computer simulation. His current research focuses on the history of atmospheric and climate research after World War II.
Henrik Knudsen is a post-doc in the history of science in the Department of Science Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark. He is author of a biography of Poul Brandt Rehberg, a leading Danish research politician during the cold war era. His current research focuses on the history of ionospheric research in Greenland.
Maiken L. Lolck is a PhD student in the history of science in the Department of Science Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark. Her research is focusing on the history of ice core research in Greenland.
Henry Nielsen is associate professor emeritus of history of science and technology in the Department of Science Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark. He has among others published on the history of nuclear research in Denmark. His current research focuses on nuclear science and technology in Greenland during the Cold War.
Kristian H. Nielsen is an associate professor of history of science and science communication in the Department of Science Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark. He has among others published on scientific expeditions. His current research focuses on science communication during the Cold War.
Christopher J. Ries is post-doc in the history of science in the Department of Science Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark. He has done research on Danish arctic geology 1900-1940. His current research focuses on the history of palaeontology, geology and cartography in Greenland and Denmark.