Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On 23 July 1961, Richard Dixon interviewed the leading figure in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Bertrand Russell, about his belief that the ongoing crisis in Berlin risked escalating into nuclear war. One of Britain’s best‑known intellectuals, Russell was a Nobel Prize‑winning philosopher and lifelong pacifist whose activism spanned opposition to the First World War, criticism of totalitarianism and a prominent role in the Cold War anti‑nuclear movement.
The interview was recorded during the Berlin Crisis, a period of acute tension between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies over the future of the divided city. Amid fears that the standoff could trigger a wider conflict, Russell warned that nuclear war might follow within twelve months. Just over two weeks later, on 13 August 1961, East Germany began construction of the Berlin Wall, dramatically intensifying the division of Berlin and marking one of the most dangerous flashpoints of the Cold War.
#ColdWar #ITNArchive #History #NuclearWar #BertrandRussell #Berlin #BerlinCrisis #EastBerlin #BerlinWall #WestBerlin #NuclearArmageddon
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On 23 July 1961, Richard Dixon interviewed the leading figure in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Bertrand Russell, about his belief that the ongoing crisis in Berlin risked escalating into nuclear war. One of Britain’s best‑known intellectuals, Russell was a Nobel Prize‑winning philosopher and lifelong pacifist whose activism spanned opposition to the First World War, criticism of totalitarianism and a prominent role in the Cold War anti‑nuclear movement.
The interview was recorded during the Berlin Crisis, a period of acute tension between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies over the future of the divided city. Amid fears that the standoff could trigger a wider conflict, Russell warned that nuclear war might follow within twelve months. Just over two weeks later, on 13 August 1961, East Germany began construction of the Berlin Wall, dramatically intensifying the division of Berlin and marking one of the most dangerous flashpoints of the Cold War.
#ColdWar #ITNArchive #History #NuclearWar #BertrandRussell #Berlin #BerlinCrisis #EastBerlin #BerlinWall #WestBerlin #NuclearArmageddon
To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/bertrand-russell-interview-england-london-43-hasker-news-footage/1303901977
To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/footage/itn
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) - youtube.com/@FrontlinebyITN
🎥 Follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/ITNArchive
🎥 Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/ITNArchiveITNP
🎥 Check out our TikTok - tiktok.com/@itnarchive1955
