GBH Openvault
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Inder Gujral, 1987
Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.
02/18/1987
I.K. Gujral was an Indian politician and cabinet minister who served as Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1976-1980, and later as Prime Minister of India in the 1990s. The interview begins with a discussion of the debate in India on nuclear weapons in 1964, which, because of the changed international situation, engendered virtually no opposition in Parliament to developing a weapon. Mr. Gujral goes on to discuss conditions under Indira Gandhi, who confronted further changes in the security environment. He gives his reaction to the Sarabhai Profile and the subsequent peaceful nuclear explosion of 1974; to Pakistans nuclear test; and to the NPT debate, in which he participated. Other topics covered include Prime Minister Gandhis stance on nuclear issues, Indias relationship with the United States during her term, India-Soviet relations, and the crisis over Bangladesh in 1971. He provides details of Indias nuclear collaboration with the USSR and of his countrys antagonism with Pakistan.
License Clip
- Series
- War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
- Program
- Carter's New World
- Program Number
109
- Title
Interview with Inder Gujral, 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
00:53:44
- Asset Type
Raw video
- Media Type
Video
- Subjects
- India
- Pakistan
- Nuclear energy
- Nuclear weapons
- Subrahmanyam, K.
- Nuclear nonproliferation
- Gandhi, Indira, 1917-1984
- United States
- Sarabhai, Vikram A., 1919-1971
- Kissinger, Henry, 1923-
- Nehru, Jawaharlal, 1889-1964
- Soviet Union
- Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
- China
- Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)
- Genres
- Documentary
- Topics
- History
- War and Conflict
- Global Affairs
- Science
- Contributors
- Gujral, I. K. (Inder Kumar), 1919- (Interviewee)
- Publication Information
- WGBH Educational Foundation
- Citation
- Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Inder Gujral, 1987,” 02/18/1987, GBH Archives, accessed April 19, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_073A02BCCE8B422B9051759F65B9F5C7.
- MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Inder Gujral, 1987.” 02/18/1987. GBH Archives. Web. April 19, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_073A02BCCE8B422B9051759F65B9F5C7>.
- APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Inder Gujral, 1987. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_073A02BCCE8B422B9051759F65B9F5C7