The Trinity Nuclear Test

This episode delves into the events and implications of the first atomic bomb test, known as the Trinity Test, conducted on July 16, 1945.

1. The Trinity Test was a turning point in World War II and scientific history, representing the first successful detonation of an atomic bomb.
2. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, played a pivotal role but later experienced deep moral conflict regarding his work.
3. The episode details the immediate aftermath of the test, including the strategic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to Japan's surrender.
4. It discusses the broader ethical and political debates surrounding nuclear weaponry, highlighted by Oppenheimer's later life and public ostracization.
5. The long-term implications of nuclear weapons continue to influence global policies and international relations.

1: The Lead-Up to Trinity

This chapter sets the scene at the Alamogordo bombing range, discussing the anticipation and anxiety among the scientists. Robert Oppenheimer: "We knew the world would not be the same."

2: Detonation and Immediate Reactions

Details the moments of the bomb's detonation and the initial reactions of the team, capturing the mix of triumph and dread. Lindsey Graham: "A new age had dawned, one of power and great fear."

3: The Aftermath of Trinity

Explores the global and personal repercussions for Oppenheimer and the world post-Trinity Test. Robert Oppenheimer: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

• Reflect on the ethical implications of scientific advancements.
• Consider the long-term consequences of technological developments.
• Engage in discussions about international disarmament and arms control.
• Educate others about the history of nuclear weapons and their impacts.
• Advocate for policies that promote global peace and security.

July 16, 1945. An atomic bomb is detonated in New Mexico, marking success in the Manhattan Project.

People

Robert Oppenheimer

Content Warnings:

None

Lindsey Graham
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Robert Oppenheimer
Its 05:30 a.m. on July 16, 1945, at the Alamogordo bombing range in rural New Mexico, 41 year old doctor Robert Oppenheimer strikes a match, lights a cigarette, and peers out at the pale sky from behind the concrete walls of a bunker. Even though its early Robert and dozens of fellow scientists have been in position for hours, Robert is nervous, smoking cigarette. After cigarette as he waits for a break in the weather. Persistent rain has threatened to delay the culmination of years of work, but the clouds have finally cleared, and a little over 5 miles away, the first ever atomic bomb is about to explode.

America has been embroiled in World War Two for more than three years. Nazi Germany surrendered two months ago, but their japanese allies continue the fight. So if this atomic bomb works, many in the us government believe it could finally bring japanese resistance to an end. Robert puts out his cigarette and checks. His pocket watch as the last few.

Seconds tick down before detonation through a narrow slit in the bunker wall, he watches the horizon. Then, as the countdown reaches zero, a silent, bright flash signals that the bomb has been detonated. After a few seconds, a fiery ball swells into the sky. And then the sound of the explosion hits, growing louder and louder, like a storm rolling in. The scientists and observers in the bomb bunker applaud and shake hands.

Theyve been working on the bomb for years, and theyre relieved that the test seems to have been a success. But the jovial atmosphere doesnt last long. As a giant mushroom shaped cloud rises into the skies above the test site, the mood in the bunker takes on a more somber tone. The full magnitude of what theyve done is sinking in because Roberts team has just unleashed a devastating new weapon on the world. For the first time in history, humanity has the means to destroy itself.

A few weeks later, atomic bombs are dropped on two japanese cities, and World War Two finally comes to an end. Although Robert Oppenheimer's research brings one conflict to a conclusion, he will worry about. The threat of another, far more deadly one. Breaking out his concerns will eventually cost Doctor Oppenheimer his reputation and his career, but he will forever be known as. The father of the atomic bomb.

Lindsey Graham
After the first nuclear explosion shattered the. Morning peas of New Mexico on July 16, 1945, history daily is sponsored by Audible shh shh. Listen. Listen. You hear that?

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Robert Oppenheimer
From noiser and airship I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is history daily.

History is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is July 16, 1945. The Trinity nuclear test it's spring 1922 among the mountains of New Mexico, 23 years before the detonation of the first atomic bomb. 18 year old Robert Oppenheimer sways gently in his saddle as his horse picks its way across a grassy field.

There's a natural beauty to this area that Robert loves. The wildflowers are in bloom, birds swoop through the air, and in the distance, red rock formations stand like sentinels on the horizon. As much as Robert enjoys trips like this, though, he's not here just for pleasure. His father has sent him here from New York to help him recover after a bad case of dysentery. Roberts father is hoping that the dry desert air will help speed his sons recovery so Robert can attend college as.

Lindsey Graham
Scheduled in the fall. Robert closes his eyes for a few seconds, feeling a warm breeze wash over him, losing himself in the stillness of the moment. When he opens his eyes again, he can see the unnatural straight lines of buildings in the distance. He checks his map and discovers its the village of Los Alamos, a relatively small settlement thats home to just a few hundred people. Robert pays it no mind, focus more on the scenery as he urges his horse forward.

Robert Oppenheimer
Robert enjoys the simple life in New Mexico for a few more months until. Hes strong enough to head back east and resume his studies. Robert has always been interested in science and engineering and over the next few years he discovers a passion for a new branch of physics, quantum mechanics. It's an exciting time to be a scientist. The greatest minds in Europe are developing groundbreaking new theories about how matter behaves at a subatomic level.

Robert wants to join these pioneers and studies and works at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, including Harvard, Cambridge University, and the California Institute of Technology. For his innovative research, Robert becomes well known in the scientific community, but he also draws attention for the company he keeps. As the world beyond America slips into conflict in the late 1930s, the FBI starts keeping a closer eye on any Americans they feel may lack loyalty to the United States. And that includes Robert. A number of people in Roberts social circles have ties to the American Communist Party.

And in March 1941, FBI agents open a file on Robert too, eventually becoming so concerned by his associates that Roberts even added to the custodial detention index a list of people wholl be considered for internment in the event of a national emergency. But despite the suspicions of the FBI in October 1941, Robert is approached by one of his old professors to lead a new initiative. The us military wants him to head a top secret team thatll design and build an atomic bomb. The programs code name is the Manhattan Project and it has the backing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself.

With all the resources of the federal government to call upon, Robert leaps at the chance to put his largely theoretical knowledge into practice. But Robert soon realizes that this weapon hes been asked to build may be used sooner than he thought. Two months after he was approached to lead the Manhattan project, japanese forces attacked the american fleet at Pearl harbor. The United States declares war on Japan and then its ally, Nazi Germany. So Roberts team grows larger as the us military commits huge resources.

But the generals in charge worry that enemy spies will try to infiltrate the program. They decide they need a more isolated location to keep their top secret research safe from prying eyes. And Robert knows just the place. He takes them to Los Alamos, New Mexico, the remote spot where he spent time recuperating from illness 20 years ago. For him, its perfect.

And over the next few months, US army engineers build a state of the art research facility where scientists, engineers and their families will be able to live and work in complete security. The team at Los Alamos works around the clock, worried that the Germans are also developing nuclear weapons and may be. Ahead of the american effort. But their fears prove unfounded. More than three years after the Manhattan project began, on July 16, 1945, Roberts successfully detonates an atomic bomb in a test codenamed Trinity.

The site in New Mexico is flattened by the blast, but that damage will. Pale in significance to the devastation wrought. Only a few weeks later when nuclear weapons are deployed on the battlefield for the first time.

Lindsey Graham
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Robert Oppenheimer
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Robert Oppenheimer
It's 08:00 a.m. on August 6, 1945, in the skies above Japan, three weeks after the Trinity test, Colonel Paul Tibbets Tibets looks out from the flight deck of his b 29 bomber, Enola Gay. In the distance ahead, the japanese city of Hiroshima emerges from the morning haze. Colonel Tibbets and his crew have been in the air for 6 hours, and they're about to reach the critical point in their mission. Colonel Tibbets has piloted aircraft on dozens of bombing runs, but none like this one.

His plane is carrying just a single weapon, an atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy. Three months ago, Adolf Hitler killed himself and Nazi Germany surrendered, ending World War two in Europe. But the Japanese have vowed to fight on. American commanders predict that multiple amphibious landings on the remaining japanese controlled islands would result in hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides. But thanks to doctor Robert Oppenheimers work at Los Alamos, the american armed forces now have another weapon at their disposal.

If Colonel Tibbets and his crew succeed in their mission today, it could be the blow that will shatter japanese resistance once and for all. When the Enola gay is 10 miles. Out from the target, Colonel tibbets hears a crackle of static and a few words over the intercom from the bombardier in charge of releasing little boy. He has the target in sight, a bridge in the heart of Hiroshima. Colonel Tibbets checks his watch, and theyre right on time.

He gives the signal and the bombardier presses a button to release the atomic. Weapon, and the effect of losing 9000 pounds of weight is instantaneous. The nose of the B 29 jerks violently upwards. Colonel Tibbets pulls on the control column, yanking the aircraft into a hard right turn. Hes been told to put as much distance between him and the blast as possible, because only 43 seconds later, the bomb explodes 2000ft above Hiroshima.

Bright light immediately washes over the aircraft, although Colonel tibbets and the rest of the crew have donned dark goggles to protect their eyes. A minute later, the shockwave from the explosion reaches the plane. Theyre 9 miles away from the target. By the time it hits them, but. Its still powerful enough to make the whole plane shudder.

The tail gunner has the best view of the explosion, and he reports that a vast mushroom cloud has appeared over the city. It remains visible to the crew for. An hour and a half as they. Race back to base. What they cant see is the reality on the ground, half of Hiroshima has been instantly obliterated.

80,000 japanese civilians are already dead. Three days later, an american plane drops another atomic bomb on Japan, this time over the city of Nagasaki. This bomb is of a different design, but the results are almost, almost as devastating. 60,000 people are killed in the explosion. Then, on August 15, 1945, nine days after an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the japanese emperor announces his countrys surrender.

While Americans celebrate the end of the. War, the man who helped bring it. To a close is conflicted. Doctor Robert Oppenheimer feels that the use of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima was a necessary show of force. But he can't help thinking that the attack on Nagasaki was unwarranted.

He worries that he's changed the face of warfare and not for the better. Two days after the end of the war, Robert leaves Los Alamos and travels. To Washington DC to deliver a letter. To the secretary of state. In it, Robert outlines the concerns he harbors about the weapons he helped create.

He's then invited to the White House to meet with President Harry Truman. During their meeting in the Oval Office, Robert tells Truman that he feels like he has blood on his hands after the death of so many civilians. But Truman has little patience for Roberts personal turmoil. He insists that as president, he was. The one who chose to bomb the.

Japanese, and the responsibility for civilian deaths is his alone. Disillusioned, Robert returns to civilian life. But his misgivings over America's policy on nuclear weapons will grow, reigniting old concerns about his loyalties. The FBI will take a renewed interest in the activities of Doctor Robert Oppenheimer. His career and reputation will be shredded.

Lindsey Graham
And the father of the atomic bomb will be prevented from shaping the future. Of his creation ever again.

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historydaily that's Greenlight.com historydaily to try greenlight for free greenlight.com historydaily listening on audible. Helps your imagination soar. Whether you listen to stories, motivation, any genre you love, you can be inspired to imagine new worlds, new possibilities, new ways of thinking. Maybe youll find inspiration in the incredible true story of black female mathematicians at Nassau in hidden figures or the fantasy world of throne of glass. Theres more to imagine when you listen.

Harry Truman
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Robert Oppenheimer
It's December 2, 1963, at the White. House in Washington, DC. 18 years after the detonation of the. First atomic bomb, 59 year old Robert Oppenheimer looks on as President Lyndon B. Johnson addresses a small crowd gathered in the cabinet room.

Lindsey Graham
Roberts here today to receive the Enrico. Fermi Award in recognition of his contribution to nuclear science. By the end of World War two, Roberts work on the bomb had made him one of the most famous men in America. Following the conflict, he joined the Atomic. Energy Committee, a new body advising the.

Robert Oppenheimer
Us government on nuclear policy. In this role, Robert advised caution when developing more powerful nuclear weapons and advocated for international arms control. But in 1953, with the United States embroiled in a new cold war, concerns resurfaced over Roberts past links to the American Communist Party. He was stripped of his security clearance and dismissed from the Atomic Energy Committee. Publicly humiliated, Robert was blacklisted and no longer able to influence how nuclear weapons were to be used.

But that dispute was ten years ago, and President Johnson has decided it's now time to reconcile with the nation's foremost scientist. President Johnson thanks Robert for his expertise and leadership of the Manhattan project in World War two. He draws special attention to the success of the Trinity test in New Mexico. Then President Johnson shakes Roberts hand, gives him a case containing an engraved medal and certificate. Robert gladly accepts the award, although he recognizes that its largely symbolic.

It doesnt restore his security clearance and Robert remains unable to influence nuclear policy in the way he wishes. Not that hed have much ability to do that these days. Roberts Health is failing. His hands tremble slightly as he clutches the award, and he looks gaunt in a suit that appears too large for him. And he seems to have aged much farther than his 59 years.

The reason for Roberts appearance will soon become apparent. Hell be diagnosed with throat cancer and. Die three years after being presented with. This award at the White House. But Roberts legacy will live on long after his death.

Todays nuclear weapons are exponentially more powerful than those Robert created, but it seems. That modern scientists and politicians have heeded. The warnings that Robert issued after he. Gave humanity the ability to destroy the world. The nuclear war Robert Oppenheimer feared has.

Lindsey Graham
Not come to pass, and atomic bombs. Have only been used in combat those two times over Japan since the detonation of the very first bomb on July 16, 1945.

Robert Oppenheimer
Next on History Daily July 17, 1674 the skeletons of two boys are uncovered in London, leading to speculation that they are the bodies of the long lost princes in the tower.

From r in airship this is history daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazib Sound designed by Gabriel Gould by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Rob Scragg. Edited by Scott Reeves managing producer Emily Burke. Executive producers are William Simpson for airship.

And Pascal hughes for R.

Hi, I'm. Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondry's podcast American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in us history, events that have shaped who we are as a country and continue to define the american experience. We go behind the scenes looking at devastating financial crimes like the fraud committed at Enron and Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. American scandal also tells marquee stories about american politics.

Lindsey Graham
In our latest season, we retrace the greatest corruption scheme in us history as we bring to life the bribes and backroom deals that spawned the Teapot dome scandal, resulting in the first presidential cabinet member going to prison. Follow american scandal on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts you can binge this season american scandal, Teapot Dome early and ad free right now on wondery. And after you listen to american scandal, go deeper and get more to the story with Wonry's other top history podcasts, including american history, tellers, legacy and even the royals.