GBH Openvault

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

Part of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age.

02/26/1987

Ichiro Moritaki was a Professor emeritus Hiroshima University, a survivor of atomic blast at Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, and a peace activist. In the interview he starts by describing his personal recollections of the atomic blast. He says, "the whole world was wrapped in a whitish-blue light." He lost his right eye to a glass shard from a broken window during the blast. While recovering he began to think about the need for people to join together to get rid of all nuclear weapons. He describes the development of the Japanese Peace Movement, and the eventual split that developed, which he regrets since it weakens the movement as a whole. He describes his views on various non-proliferation policies, including the Japanese three non-nuclear principles and the Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968. He believes that as the nuclear age continues, eventually the people, who do not want a nuclear war, will win out over the threat of nuclear weapons. He ends by discussing the impossibility of completely peaceful uses of nuclear energy.


License Clip
Got it
Series
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
Program
Carter's New World
Program Number

109

Title

Interview with Ichiro Moritaki, 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

00:24:13

Asset Type

Raw video

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Nuclear nonproliferation
Nuclear energy
World War II
Hiroshima-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945
Japan
Peace movements
Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994
Antinuclear movement
United States
Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968)
Hiroshima-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945 -- Personal narratives
Locations
Hiroshima, Japan
Genres
Documentary
Topics
History
War and Conflict
Science
Global Affairs
Contributors
Moritaki, Ichiro, 1901-1994 (Interviewee)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Ichiro Moritaki, 1987,” 02/26/1987, GBH Archives, accessed November 3, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_736841F9F3644E9E96C0A59A6BD23E61.
MLA: “War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Ichiro Moritaki, 1987.” 02/26/1987. GBH Archives. Web. November 3, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_736841F9F3644E9E96C0A59A6BD23E61>.
APA: War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with Ichiro Moritaki, 1987. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_736841F9F3644E9E96C0A59A6BD23E61
If you have more information about this item, we want to know! Please contact us, including the URL.