18 March 2010

Scientific culture and war in Britain

Is the pen mightier than the sword? Not in hand-to-hand combat, according to new research by Univ. Maastricht Professor Geert Somsen about British war propaganda in 1941.

Raining down on France that year were more than 22 million pamphlets, dropped from bomber aircraft, containing stories penned by Britain's top secret Political Warfare Executive.

The so called Forth Fighting Army of Britain, its propaganda campaign, was no less active on the Home front. Former Nature editor Sir Richard Gregory made rousing remarks about the importance of scientific culture at the Science and World Order conference held at London's Royal Institution. Diplomats, politicians, and significantly, famous scientists and science journalists heard Gregory argue that science is a "true democracy and a great democracy".

Professor Somsen noted that many of the assembled luminaries, including Gregory, had openly questioned Western democracy during the decade before. In short, they rallied for the Allied cause and sent a clear message about the democratic, democratizing effects of science and international research culture.

Thanks to the host of Professor Somsen's seminar, the ETH History of Knowledge Centre.