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

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

01/22/1987

Shalheveth Freier was director of the scientific department of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in the early 1950s when the country began to explore nuclear energy. Initial attempts to produce uranium and heavy water were controversial but received a major boost in 1953 when the French Atomic Energy Commission offered to buy the process of uranium extraction Israel had developed. He discusses this and other international sources of support for nuclear activities, such as the Atoms for Peace program. The interview also touches on the subject of Israel and the nuclear threshold, and he offers lengthy views on the international nonproliferation regime, Israel's concerns about threats from the Arab states, and the country's dealings with the International Atomic Energy Agency. He also comments on what he sees as the sense of privilege on the part of larger powers that possess nuclear weapons toward smaller countries that do not.

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 Shalheveth Freier, 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

00:45:46

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects

Blix, Hans

Great Britain

Nuclear-weapon-free zones

Ben-Gurion, David, 1886-1973

Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (1967)

International Atomic Energy Agency

Nuclear nonproliferation

Antinuclear movement

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

Palme, Olof, 1927-1986

Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues. Common security

Atoms for Peace (U.S.)

Genres

Topics

Contributors

Freier, Shalheveth, 1920- (Interviewee)

Publication Information

WGBH Educational Foundation

Citation

Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Shalheveth Freier, 1987,” 01/22/1987, GBH Archives, accessed December 22, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_4A5AB872F698402B97ACF6E16B01E83D.

MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Shalheveth Freier, 1987.” 01/22/1987. GBH Archives. Web. December 22, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_4A5AB872F698402B97ACF6E16B01E83D>.

APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Shalheveth Freier, 1987. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_4A5AB872F698402B97ACF6E16B01E83D

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