When Africa met the Atomic Age

Shownotes

France carried out 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara between 1960 and 1966, continuing after Algeria gained independence. Chloë Mayoux examines how this history connects nuclear ambitions, colonial power and African political agency.

In this episode:
- Why nuclear history and decolonization need to be studied together.
- How Nigeria and Ghana challenged French testing—and why African responses were not uniform.
- British safety assurances, fears of radioactive fallout and unresolved questions about the tests’ legacy.
- Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo’s distinction between civilian nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.
- Pan-Africanism, national sovereignty and the importance of relations between African states.
- Mayoux’s archival research and recommendations for exploring African history and perspectives.

Guest and research:
Chloë Mayoux: https://ifg.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/staff/academic-staff/chloe-mayoux/#c2
University of Vienna, Institute for History: https://ifg.univie.ac.at/en/

Host, music, production and editing: Mario Wasserfaller.
Info-segment narration: Lynn Chiu.

Article about the episode (with images): https://rudolphina.univie.ac.at/en/podcast-episode-27-when-africa-met-the-atomic-age

All episodes: https://rudolphina.univie.ac.at/podcast-an-der-quelle
Contact: podcast.communications@univie.ac.at