Introduction

Holl warns that we must "[b]eware of simplistic, stereotypical history, which draws direct analogies from the past." If this admonition is borne in mind, one can find it extremely rewarding to reflect upon a complex historical event such as Atoms for Peace, in the hopes of fathoming its lessons. Major lessons can be drawn from the three-decade history of Atoms for Peace, on which considerable agreement is evident among the contributors to this volume.