Aimed at building a new generation of experts on the international history of nuclear weapons, the ninth-annual Nuclear History Boot Camp is an initiative of the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project (NPIHP). The continued proliferation of nuclear weapons is one of the most pressing security issues of our time. NPIHP’s Nuclear History Boot Camp is an intensive, ten-day immersion in the history of nuclear matters ranging from the evolution of nuclear technology to the origins and development of deterrence theory and nuclear strategy through the historical roots of today’s global nuclear landscape.

From May 25 through June 3, 2019, 15 graduate students from around the world participated in the Boot Camp alongside 15 Wilson Center faculty. Hoping to understand the international history behind today’s nuclear challenges, students and faculty traveled to the village of Allumiere, located approximately 35 miles north of Rome, Italy. Throughout the experience, participants immersed themselves in nuclear history research, contributing to robust scholarship and policy discussions.

Among this year’s participants include preeminent nuclear historians David Holloway, Joe Pilat and Martin Sherwin – all of whom have been internationally recognized for their leadership and contributions in the field of nuclear history. The event was co-organized by Leopoldo Nuti and Christian Ostermann.