FREE ESSAY ON AFTER THE ATOMIC BOMB

AFTER THE ATOMIC BOMB

Introduction
The development and usage of the first atomic bombs has caused a change in military,
political, and public functionality of the world today. The bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki revolutionized warfare by killing large masses of civilian population with a
single strike. The bombs' effects from the blast, extreme heat, and radiation left an
estimated 140,000 people dead. The bombs created a temporary resolution that lead to
another conflict. The Cold War was a political standoff between the Soviet Union and the
United States that again created a new worldwide nuclear threat. The destructive
potential of nuclear weapons had created a global sweep of fear as to what might happen
if these terrible forces where unleashed again. The technology involved in building the
first atomic bombs has grown into the creation of nuclear weapons that are potentially 40
times more powerful than the original bombs used. However, a military change in strategy
has came to promote nuclear disarmament and prevent the usage of nuclear weapons. The
technology of building the atomic bomb has spurred some useful innovations that can be
applied through the use of nuclear power. The fear of a potential nuclear attack had been
heightened by the media and its release of movies impacting on public opinion and fear of
nuclear devastation. The lives lost after the detonation of the atomic bombs have become
warning signs that changed global thinking and caused preventative actions.
The Atomic Bomb
The devastation brought about by the atomic bomb has caused fear among all the people
that have realized the potential destructive power of its invention. The atomic bombs
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945 completely obliterated both
cities (Lanouette 30). "Little Boy," the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 70,000 people
with an additional 66,000 injured (30-39). "Fat Man," the bomb dropped on Nagasaki also
carried its "share of America's duty" by killing 40,000 people and injuring another
25,000 (30-39). The bombs also killed an estimated 230,000 more people from the after
effects of the two explosions (30). The two bombings had opened the world's eyes to the
destructive power that could be unleashed by man. 
The bombs had raised hell on earth for those few minutes and produced a tremendous amount
of casualties. The way people had died was shocking. More than 75% of the people killed
died from the instantaneous heat and light at the moment of explosion called "flash
burns" ("Summary of Damages and Injuries" 3, 25). During the first minute of the
explosion many injuries where caused by the instantaneous penetrating radiation from the
nuclear explosion (3). Other casualties came from burning fires that had ignited
throughout the cities from the tremendous heat of the blast (3). The pressure of the
blast waves created flying debris, collapsed buildings, and forcibly hurled people to
their death (3). Undoubtedly those who survived the initial effects of the blast were
very lucky.
The amount of deaths caused by the blast itself was incomparable to the number of lives
lost to the other effects after the initial explosion ("Summary of Damages and Injuries"
3). The inferno created by the bomb wasn't from the explosion itself, but the after
effects of fires, collapsed buildings, and flying debris (3). "In Hiroshima fires sprang
up simultaneously all over the wide flat central area of the city;" these fires combined
to form immense fire storms which continued to destroy anything that had not already been
destroyed by the blast. Buildings that had encountered considerable structure damage
collapsed and continued to take even more lives (13). In the end both cities were left
totally obliterated with nearly all of their residential districts and businesses
flattened and most of their citizens dead (14).
The technology that had built the atomic bomb helped the "world [get] a glimpse of its
own mortality" (Lanouette 28). The power of mass destruction had been taken out of
nature's hands and was now controlled by people. This created a worldwide anxiety of how
this newly cast power could be used and changed how the world functions today. The atomic
bombs may have resolved one conflict, but with that resolution arose many more. The
controversy over nuclear weapons would soon take on a new meaning during the Cold War.
Political Change in Thinking
The Cold War between the capitalist, democratic Western powers and the Soviet Union was
the center of the change in political thinking caused by nuclear weapons ("Cold War" 1).
Diplomatic relations became strained with massive military buildups once the Soviet Union
had developed the H-bomb. Two world powers were now under hostile relations, both with
dangerous and intimidating nuclear power. The Cold War thrived on the disagreement
between the East and West about the reunification of Germany (1). In response to the
tensions, the Western powers formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in
order to guarantee an alliance and safeguard from any attacks from the Soviet Union (1).
In return, the Soviet Union instituted the Warsaw Treaty Organization with the
Eastern-controlled countries as a safeguard from the West (1). The conflicts between the
East and West continued to escalate and World War III was a dangerous possibility.
The Soviet Union now had a weapon that rivaled the American atomic bomb. On August 1953
the Soviet Union successfully tested the world's first transportable Hydrogen Bomb
(Smirnov, Adamsky 1). The United States atomic monopoly was gone and the Soviets had
"over-fulfilled" Stalin's nuclear wishes (1). Avraami Zavenyagin announced that
"…the hydrogen bomb is tens of times more powerful than a plain atomic bomb and its
explosion will mean the liquidation of the second monopoly of the Americans…which
will be an event of ultimate importance in world politics" (Smirnov, Zubov 1). While some
boasted about the new nuclear threat, other Soviets realized the bomb's power and danger
(1). Soviet scientists realized that the arms race had now "reached a new, vastly more
dangerous stage" (1). Defense against nuclear weapons was thought to be impossible and
their use could cause mass devastation throughout the world (1).
In October of 1962, American military planes discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba. The
Cuban Missile Crisis had been the single closest event to bringing the world into nuclear
war ("Cuban Missile Crisis" 1). The Soviet Union had built missile bases facing directly
at the United States (1). In a follow-up action President Kennedy demanded a withdrawal
of the missiles, and created a naval blockade on Cuba (1). Although the crisis was soon
over it importantly started the realization that nuclear war should be prevented at all
costs.
The Cold War indicated both the rise and fall of a worldwide nuclear threat. The Soviet
Union adopted a "first-strike" strategy believing that an exchange of nuclear missiles
would be so devastating to both countries that they would have to cripple the United
States first to avoid retaliation ("Mutually Assured Destruction" 1). The U.S., in
return, publicly said it would never undertake the first strike, deciding instead to
develop a "second-strike" capability that would be so threatening that any retaliation
would be impossible (1). This strategy was known as Mutually Assured Destruction (1).
Once in place, MAD, became a reason for worldwide nuclear disarmament and a political
strategy of avoiding the usage of nuclear weapons (1).
Military Change in Strategy
After the detonation of the atomic bombs a change towards progressive nuclear disarmament
became part of the new military strategy. In 1946 the United Nations created the Atomic
Energy Commission to propose peaceful usage of atomic energy and "eventual elimination of
weapons of mass destruction" ("International Agreements" 1). The Commission's attempt to
somewhat control the usage of atomic energy became a failure when the Soviet Union vetoed
the plan (1). In 1958, however, conferences between the United States, Great Britain, and
the Soviet Union met in Geneva to discuss a treaty banning nuclear testing (1). The three
nations agreed on voluntary disarmament for a full year (1). The voluntary disarmament
seemed like a great leap forward for all three nations until the Soviet Union resumed
testing in 1961 (1). President Dwight D. Eisenhower expressed his frustration shortly
thereafter, "[Not achieving a nuclear test ban] would have to be classed as the greatest
disappointment of any administration, of any decade, of any time and of any party"
("Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers" 1). Soon afterwards the Soviet Union realized its
mistake and reached the Moscow Agreement with Great 
Britain and the United States in 1963; banning testing in the atmosphere, in outer space,
and underwater ("International Agreements" 1).* The Soviet Union's willingness to limit
nuclear testing led to the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) in 1972. In these
"talks" the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to limit antiballistic missiles
(missiles used to track down and shoot intercontinental ballistic missiles, ICBMs) and an
accord limiting ICBMs (1). Two years later the SALT II talks began, further limiting
other weapons, such as Ballistic missile launchers, and now entirely banning ICBMs (1).
Although the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks didn't entirely resolve the global nuclear
threat, they moved the two world powers towards progressive disarmament. In 1982 the
United States and the Soviet Union started a new round of negotiations called the
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) (1). Additional limitations were included in both
START talks (1). Once the iron curtain fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated, Russia
would be removed of its nuclear weapons and the nuclear conflict was resolved (1).
The movement towards worldwide disarmament is now overwhelmingly strong. Many new
organizations have been formed to try to totally abolish nuclear weapons ("Coalition to
Reduce Nuclear Dangers" 1). Here are a few examples of a couple pro-disarmament
organizations and programs:
-  Association of French Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War 
-  Center for Nonproliferation Studies (Monterey Institute of International Studies) 
-  Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers 
-  Comite de St-Etienne du Mouvement de la Paix 
-  Federation of American Scientists, Cooperative Research Program on Nuclear
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament 
-  Folkkampanjen mot karnkraft och karnvapen [Swedish Anti-Nuclear Movement] 
-  Henry L. Stimson Center 
-  Campaign for the Non-Proliferation Treaty 
-  Committee on Nuclear Policy 
-  Eliminating Weapons of Mass Destruction 
-  Nuclear Roundtable 
-  International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War 
-  Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nonproliferation and International Security Division 
-  Nonproliferation and International Security Division brochure 
-  Medical Association for the Prevention of War (Australia) 
-  Non-violent Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons [Gewaltfreie Aktion Atomwaffen
Abschaffen] 
-  Nuclear Abolition Network [Abolition 2000] 
-  Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 
-  Nuclear Free Local Authorities (UK) 
-  Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament 
-  United States, Dept. of Defense, Counterproliferation WebNetwork [CPN] 
-  United States, Dept. of Energy, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Research and Development
Program [CTBT R&D] 
-  United States National Data Center 
-  World Court Project (Listed from "Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers" 1).
Public Change in Thinking
Today the media greatly influences public opinion in matters of nuclear weapons. Movies
such as "Threads," "Dr. Strangelove", "Testament," and "The Day After" have all impacted
on public opinion and caused a fair deal of controversy over content and ideas expressed
("TV's Nuclear Nightmare" 66). "The Day After," a movie made by ABC Productions and
directed by Nicholas Meyer, is a movie with "four minutes of the most horrifically
searing footage ever to pass a network censor…" inspired by the usage of the atomic
bombs and the nuclear weapons controversy (66). "The Day After" has changed the very idea
of television by using it as a source of public influence. The movie had "emerged as the
single biggest mobilizing point for the antinuclear movement…regarded as a two hour
commercial for disarmament" (66). "The Day After" had inspired a nationwide debate about
the horrors of nuclear war and how to increase awareness (66). On November 20, 1983 "The
Day After" premiered on network television that had opened the controversy of a nuclear
threat ("The Day After" 2). "Our twentieth century is the century of fear…" the
movie states referring to almost unavoidable nuclear devastation (2). More importantly
"the threat of annihilation through nuclear war [had] influenced—consciously and
unconsciously—entire generations, coloring their attitudes toward the future,
family, marriage, work, time, leisure, and death" (2). The public's opinion toward
nuclear war had also been heard earlier in the 1960's. Atom Ant was a popular cartoon
broadcast by Hanna Barbera Productions inspired by the atomic bomb tests, the
demonstrations against them, and the concern about nuclear fallout at the time ("Atom
Ant" 1). Atom Ant's battle cry, "up and atom, Atom Ant!" had been a reference to the Cold
War and the situation between the East and West (1). Public opinion undoubtedly expressed
fear and concern as to what could happen if nuclear weapons were to be used again.
Conclusion
I believe that the deployment of the first two atomic bombs has greatly changed today's
political, military, and public opinion of nuclear weapons. A common thread of fearing
nuclear weapons greatly influences the world's opinion. Politically the world has learned
from history, showing that the resolution of World War II with the atomic bomb only
created more conflict, controversy, and caution. The world realized it's own mortality
and that it could be completely obliterated by the endlessly growing size of nuclear
weaponry. People have taken god's judgement into their own hands and could place
punishment towards anyone with a single bomb. I believe its not humanity's place to
control its own destruction. Militarily the world powers have developed a fear of
progressive technology now that they have seen what the atomic bomb has accomplished. Not
only through disarmament but also by creating limitations on research and censorship of
technology. Good examples of these limitations can be found in the new discoveries of
cloning and chemical warfare. Man is rightfully afraid to take the world's fate into his
own hands. Public opinion has also been impacted by the atomic bombs creation. I believe
the public looks back at the bombs with a sense of awe, fear, and sorrow. The fact that
man has created a weapon powerful enough to destroy the earth is astounding. It is also
very frightening. The public is compassionate towards the families and lives lost of both
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I don't believe the world can ever forget how these bombs have
changed our lives, not only changing the process of creating weapons but also changing
the process of discovery.
Bibliography
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