Global History 12

The Atomic Bomb and the Bikini Atoll

Outcomes to be addressed

Understand the impact of technology and societal change in the post World War II era.

examine cause and effect relationships in societal and technological change, e.g., in what ways have technology/technological innovation generated societal change? In what ways has society generated changes in technology?

explore and assess the role of the society/technology link in specific examples of change, both on a global scale, e.g., urbanization, and on a more limited scale, e.g., the role of feminism in changing gender roles in North America

explore and assess the link between societal/technological change and the notion, within and among societies, of gaining/sharing/balancing the power to control social, economic, and political conditions

examine the ethical and moral implications/effects of technology and innovation

Background on Atomic Bomb

Albert Einstein, August 2nd 1939 Nazi Germany and uranium-235

Manhattan Project Worked to find ways to split atom $2 billion

July 16th, 1945: New Mexico- “The Gadget” (aka Trinity testing)

Researchers who created bomb questioned it’s results

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Hiroshima: August 6, 1945 From Enola Gay Little boy, uranium 66 000 killed, 69 000 injured

Nagasaki: August 9, 1945 Fat Man, Plutonium 39 000 killed, 25 000 injured

Impact of Atomic Fallout

Atomic rain Radiation poisoning Leukemia to children of survivors Scrabbles all thing electronic FURTHER testing of impact planned at Bikini

Atoll

Background

joint testing of nuclear weapons would be necessary "to determine the effect of atomic bombs on American warships." – Truman

In February of 1946 Commodore Ben H. Wyatt, the military governor of the Marshalls, traveled to Bikini. On a Sunday after church, he assembled the Bikinians to ask if they would be willing to leave their atoll temporarily so that the United States could begin testing atomic bombs for "the good of mankind and to end all world wars." King Juda, then the leader of the Bikinian people, stood up after much confused and sorrowful deliberation among his people, and announced, "We will go believing that everything is in the hands of God."

Bikini Atoll: Background

3 test bombs planned: “Operation Crossroads” Test Bomb A: “Abe”

July 1, 1946 Set 158 metres above water

Test Bomb B: “Baker” July 25, 1946 Set 27 meters below water

Test Bomb C: “Charlie” 1947 CANCELLED Supposed to be set underwater

"As soon as the war ended, we located the one spot on earth that hadn't been touched by the war and blew it to hell."--Comedian Bob Hope commenting on Operation Crossroads

What about the Bikini’s

162 indigenous of mixed melasion-polynesian decent relocated to Rongerik island (210 km away*) “for the good of mankind”- Americans

Relocated to Ujelang island, 465 km away* 1968: LBJ “Bikini safe”, islanders return Evacuated in 1978- radioactivity in food from

contaminated groundwater Not expected to be acceptable until 2083 (at least)

Reactions?

American? Soviet?

By 1990s, 1400 Bikinians live on island of Kili since 1978

Dying because of no lagoon, weakly “supported” by US packaged foods

Dying from Thyroid cancer, diabetes, liver disease

Suffer from hair loss

Between 1946-1958: 60 plus nuclear devices set off in Marshall islands 23 set off in Bikini Atoll