Oppenheimer and the Anti-Nuclear Movement
The release of the movie Oppenheimer this month has sparked a lot of public conversation about nuclear weaponry, how it was first developed, and the moral dilemmas faced by those who worked on the project. This blog post will look at how the story explored in the film links to our collection at The Peace Museum, and at the response from contemporary peace activists working for nuclear disarmament around the world.
J Robert Oppenheimer is the scientist at the centre of the new film, which largely focuses on his work on The Manhattan Project. The US project, which ran from 1942 to 1946, saw a team of scientists develop two types of atomic bombs, one of which was tested in New Mexico in July 1945. This type of bomb would go on to be used in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki less than a month later, an event which Oppenheimer told President Truman made him feel that he “had blood on his hands”. The initial blasts killed an estimated 214,000 civilians, with many thousands more dying in the following years as a result of radiation sickness.
While his opposition to continued nuclear development, and past ties to the Communist Party, saw him go to trial in 1954 and lose his position working with the government, Oppenheimer’s concerns about nuclear weapons did have an impact. His influence on President Eisenhower could be seen within his 1953 “Atoms for Peace” speech, which highlighted the importance of using nuclear research for peaceful development rather than war. Although some have argued that the message of this speech was not meant sincerely, the phrase ‘Atoms for Peace’ was used by peace activists in the years following, as seen on some of these badges from our collection:
One figure from the Manhattan project who didn’t make it to the big screen is Professor Joseph Rotblat. Rotblat was the only scientist who left the project, upon realizing the potential devastation that the atomic bomb could cause, and the fact that Nazi Germany was not developing similar weapons. He spent the rest of his life campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons, including founding the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs; he received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1995 for his work with Pugwash. Upon his death in 2005, The Peace Museum received a number of his personal items, including his glasses, typewriter, and this calculator.
Estate of Joseph Rotblat
The release of the film has led to mixed responses from peace groups, with some suggesting it failed to show the true horrors caused by the testing and deployment of the atomic bombs, and some seeing it as an opportunity to highlight the importance of disarmament today. Amongst those groups keen to use the release of the film to open discussions around nuclear disarmament is the Nuclear Free Local Authorities, who have emphasised that the issues explored in the film remain pertinent today. In a recent media release, NFLA Steering Committee Chair Councillor Lawrence O’Neill said:
“Faced by the awful, awesome might of nuclear weapons, it is understandable for individuals, or even Councils, to feel powerless against the threat, but we can all do something to work to make our world more peaceful and nuclear free. Even Oppenheimer and many of the prominent scientists who played a part in the development of the atomic bomb, such as Albert Einstein and Joseph Rotblat, grew to revile it and to instead dedicate themselves to disarmament.”
The film has certainly made Oppenheimer a household name for a new generation, who may not have been familiar with his work or later opposition to nuclear weapons. At the same time, the film has faced criticism from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, amongst others, for failing to show the negative impact of the project. Carol Turner, co-chair from the London branch of CND, said:
“The overall impact of the film is unbalanced – people leave the theatre thinking how exciting a process it was, not thinking ‘God, this was a terrible weapon of mass destruction and look what’s happened today’”
Oppenheimer’s reservations were in part due to a fear of an escalating arms race if the US was to continue developing more powerful weapons. Since the 1950s, the nuclear arsenals of countries around the world have grown substantially, with 9 countries now possessing nuclear weapons. While these weapons bear some relation to those created during the Manhattan Project, they are much more powerful than those developed by Oppenheimer and his fellow scientists – some are up to 80 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
One of the aims of The Peace Museum is to make our audiences think about violence and experiences of war, and to tell the stories both of peacemakers from the past, and those who are working to make the world a better place now. You can see some of the objects from our collection, including the personal items of Joseph Robtlat, on our collections site here.
NFLA media release,24 July 2023
Oppenheimer na harakati za kupambana na silaha za nyuklia: Utangazaji wa filamu ya Oppenheimer mwezi huu umesababisha mazungumzo mengi ya umma juu ya silaha za nyuklia, jinsi ilivyotengenezwa kwanza, na matatizo ya kimaadili yaliyokabiliwa na wale waliofanya kazi kwenye mradi huo. "Kutoka kwa makala hii, tutaangalia jinsi hadithi iliyochunguzwa katika filamu hiyo inahusiana na mkusanyiko wetu katika Jumba la Makumbusho la Amani, na majibu kutoka kwa wanaharakati wa amani wa kisasa wanaofanya kazi kwa ajili ya silaha za nyuklia ulimwenguni kote. """ J. Robert Oppenheimer ni mwanasayansi katika kituo cha filamu mpya, ambayo kwa kiasi kikubwa inazingatia kazi yake kwenye Mradi wa Manhattan. Mradi huo ulianza mwaka 1942 na ulifanyika mwaka 1946 na ulisababisha timu ya wanasayansi wa Marekani kutengeneza aina mbili za bomu la atomu, mojawapo ikijaribiwa huko New Mexico mwezi Julai 1945. Bomu la aina hii lilitumiwa katika mabomu ya Hiroshima na Nagasaki chini ya mwezi mmoja baadaye, tukio ambalo Oppenheimer alimwambia Rais Truman lilimfanya ahisi kwamba alikuwa na damu mikononi mwake. Mlipuko huo ulisababisha vifo vya raia wapatao 214, 000 na maelfu zaidi waliokufa katika miaka iliyofuata kutokana na mlipuko huo. Wakati upinzani wake kwa maendeleo ya nyuklia na uhusiano wake wa zamani na Chama cha Kikomunisti ulimfanya apelekwe mahakamani mnamo 1954 na kupoteza nafasi yake ya kufanya kazi na serikali, wasiwasi wa Oppenheimer juu ya silaha za nyuklia ulikuwa na athari. "Mfano wa kuvutia zaidi wa kuvutia wa Eisenhower ni hotuba yake ya 1953 ""Atoms for Peace"" ambapo alisisitiza umuhimu wa kutumia utafiti wa nyuklia kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya amani badala ya vita." Ingawa baadhi ya watu wamesema kwamba ujumbe wa hotuba hii haukukusudiwa kwa dhati, maneno "Atoms for Peace" yalitumiwa na wanaharakati wa amani katika miaka iliyofuata, kama inavyoonekana kwenye baadhi ya beji hizi kutoka mkusanyiko wetu: Mtu mmoja kutoka mradi wa Manhattan ambaye hakufika kwenye skrini kubwa ni Profesa Joseph Rotblat. Rotblat alikuwa mwanasayansi pekee aliyeacha mradi huo baada ya kutambua uharibifu ambao bomu la atomu lingeweza kusababisha, na ukweli kwamba Ujerumani ya Nazi haikuwa ikitengeneza silaha kama hizo. Katika miaka ya mwisho ya maisha yake, alishiriki katika kampeni ya kuondoa silaha za nyuklia, na kuanzisha Mkutano wa Pugwash juu ya Sayansi na Masuala ya Ulimwengu, na alipokea Tuzo ya Nobel ya Amani mnamo 1995 kwa kazi yake na Pugwash. Baada ya kifo chake, Jumba la Makumbusho la Amani lilipata vitu vyake vya kibinafsi, ikiwa ni pamoja na miwani yake, mashine ya kuandika, na mashine hii ya kuhesabu. "Kutolewa kwa filamu hiyo kumesababisha majibu tofauti kutoka kwa vikundi vya amani, na baadhi ya watu wakidai kwamba ilishindwa kuonyesha hofu halisi iliyosababishwa na majaribio na kupelekwa kwa mabomu ya atomu, na wengine wakiona kama fursa ya kuonyesha umuhimu wa kutokuwa na silaha leo.""" Miongoni mwa makundi hayo yanayotaka kutumia kutolewa kwa filamu hiyo kufungua majadiliano kuhusu kuondolewa kwa silaha za nyuklia ni Mamlaka za Mitaa zisizo na nyuklia, ambao wamekazia kuwa masuala yaliyochunguzwa katika filamu hiyo bado yanahusiana leo. "Katika taarifa ya hivi karibuni ya vyombo vya habari, Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Usimamizi wa NFLA, Mshauri Lawrence O'Neill alisema: ""Kukabiliwa na nguvu ya kutisha ya silaha za nyuklia, ni jambo linaloeleweka kwa watu binafsi, au hata Baraza, kuhisi kutokuwa na nguvu dhidi ya tishio, lakini sote tunaweza kufanya kitu kufanya kazi ili kufanya ulimwengu wetu kuwa na amani zaidi na bure ya nyuklia." Hata Oppenheimer na wanasayansi wengi mashuhuri ambao walihusika katika maendeleo ya bomu la atomu, kama vile Albert Einstein na Joseph Rotblat, walikua wakilidharau na badala yake kujitolea kwa kuondoa silaha. <unk> Filamu hiyo hakika imemfanya Oppenheimer kuwa jina la kaya kwa kizazi kipya, ambao wanaweza kuwa hawajui kazi yake au upinzani wa baadaye kwa silaha za nyuklia. Filamu hiyo imekabiliwa na ukosoaji kutoka kwa kampeni ya kuondoa silaha za nyuklia, miongoni mwa wengine, kwa kushindwa kuonyesha athari mbaya za mradi huo. "Carol Turner, mwenyekiti mwenza wa tawi la London la CND, alisema: ""Tokeo la jumla la filamu hiyo halina usawa, watu wanaondoka ukumbini wakifikiria jinsi ilivyokuwa mchakato wa kusisimua, sio kufikiria ""Mungu, hii ilikuwa silaha mbaya ya uharibifu mkubwa na angalia kilichotokea leo.""" Tangu miaka ya 1950, silaha za nyuklia za nchi mbalimbali duniani zimekua kwa kiasi kikubwa, na sasa nchi tisa zina silaha za nyuklia. Ingawa silaha hizo zinafanana na zile zilizotengenezwa wakati wa mradi wa Manhattan, zina nguvu zaidi kuliko zile zilizotengenezwa na Oppenheimer na wanasayansi wenzake - baadhi yao ni nguvu mara 80 zaidi ya bomu lililopigwa Hiroshima. "Mmoja wa malengo ya Jumba la Makumbusho la Amani ni kuwafanya watazamaji wetu wafikirie juu ya vurugu na uzoefu wa vita, na kuwaambia hadithi za watengenezaji wa amani kutoka zamani na wale wanaofanya kazi kufanya ulimwengu uwe mahali pazuri sasa. """ Unaweza kuona baadhi ya vitu kutoka mkusanyiko wetu, ikiwa ni pamoja na vitu vya kibinafsi vya Joseph Robtlat, kwenye tovuti yetu ya makusanyo hapa. Taarifa ya vyombo vya habari ya NFL, Julai 24, 2023