War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Masashi Ishibashi, 1987

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

02/24/1987

Masashi Ishibashi was Chair of the Japan Socialist Party in the mid-1980s. He describes the growing sense of disgust in Japan after the war as the import of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings became more evident. Against that background, the Japanese government could not adopt a nuclear weapons program, he says. More controversial was the notion of civilian uses of atomic energy, which his party eventually endorsed. Discussing Japans role in the anti-nuclear movement, he recalls a number of key events including the transit of U.S. Navy nuclear vessels through Japanese waters, and the Chinese nuclear test of 1964. The Socialist Party, he notes, was split over the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968, but he has been deeply concerned personally about proliferation and believes strongly that it is unacceptable to rely on nuclear arms for security. He believes that the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, adopted by the Diet in the late 1960s, are not strong enough, and that the public is being lied to about the admittance of nuclear vessels into Japanese waters. He opposes the idea of Japan being covered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella and worries that the construction of U.S. bases and signing of military agreements may expose Japan to attacks by enemies of the United States.

License Clip

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Series

War and Peace in the Nuclear Age

Program

Carter's New World

Program Number

109

Title

Interview with Masashi Ishibashi, 1987

Series Description

The first atomic explosion in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945, changed the world forever. This series chronicles these changes and the history of a new era. It traces the development of nuclear weapons, the evolution of nuclear strategy, and the politics of a world with the power to destroy itself.

In thirteen one-hour programs that combine historic footage and recent interviews with key American, Soviet, and European participants, the nuclear age unfolds: the origin and evolution of nuclear weapons; the people of the past who have shaped the events of the present; the ideas and issues that political leaders, scientists, and the public at large must confront, and the prospects for the future. Nuclear Age highlights the profound changes in contemporary thinking imposed by the advent of nuclear weapons. Series release date: 1/1989

Program Description

President Carter comes to office determined to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and to improve relations with the Soviet Union. His frustrations are as grand as his intentions.

Carter had hoped the United States and the Soviet Union would reduce their reliance on nuclear weapons. He stopped production of the B-1 bomber. He believed the SALT II negotiations would be a step toward eliminating nuclear weapons. But his intentions were frustrated by Soviet actions and by a lack of consensus among his own advisors, including Chief SALT II negotiator Paul Warnke and national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski (who was dubious about arms control). Carter balanced Soviet aggression in Africa by improving American relations with China. He withdrew SALT II treaty from Senate consideration but its terms continued to serve as general limits on strategic nuclear force levels for both the United States and the Soviet Union.

Duration

00:43:16

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects

Hiroshima-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945

Nuclear weapons

Nagasaki-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945

Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)

Nuclear nonproliferation

Renunciation of war -- Japan

Gorbachev, Mikhail

Nakasone, Yasuhiro, 1918-

Locations

Genres

Topics

Contributors

Ishibashi, Masashi, 1924- (Interviewee)

Publication Information

WGBH Educational Foundation

Citation

Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Masashi Ishibashi, 1987,” 02/24/1987, GBH Archives, accessed April 23, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_65558E5C736D4A60B9A555A58CB3009D.

MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Masashi Ishibashi, 1987.” 02/24/1987. GBH Archives. Web. April 23, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_65558E5C736D4A60B9A555A58CB3009D>.

APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Masashi Ishibashi, 1987. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_65558E5C736D4A60B9A555A58CB3009D

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War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Masashi Ishibashi, 1987