As the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert
Oppenheimer has had more influence than almost any other scientist
in the course of the twentieth century. However, his own encounters
with some of the most significant events of the last hundred years
had an equally great influence on his own life. Were it not for
events such as the Great
Depression, World War
II, and the Cold War, Oppenheimer may have quietly
lived out his professional life in relative obscurity, gaining
the respect of his peers but garnering little national attention
beyond the scope of the scientific community. As it was, and thanks
in large part to the events around him, Oppenheimer was propelled
into public life and gained an international notoriety for his
leadership over the development of the world's first atomic weapon.
The twentieth century began with a period of enthusiasm
and hope for the future. Oppenheimer was born into a world fascinated by
the possibilities of science. Revolutionary technological advances
had changed the way of life for all Americans, as cars, phones,
and electric power all became commonplace.
However, by the time Oppenheimer had reached adulthood,
the outlook for the American future seemed significantly gloomier.
The country had emerged from World War I triumphant, only to plunge into
a drastic and seemingly never-ending economic depression. Known
as the Great Depression, the economic shutdown paralyzed the country.
Few were able to find jobs, money became nearly worthless, and
families starved. Watching the Great Depression destroy his beloved
students helped force the young Oppenheimer to realize that political
and current events might be worth noticing.
As the Depression ended, the world soon faced a new peril: World
War II. Country after country joined the battle, but the United
States abstained from taking part, supporting the Allied forces,
but refusing to get involved. In 1941, Japan forced the country's
hand, bombing the American military base at Pearl Harbor in a deliberate
act of war. The United States immediately entered the world war,
battling both Japan and Hitler's fascist forces across Europe.
Historians have called World War II "the physicists' war," because
of the many crucial contributions to military technology that a
fleet of physicists made through the war years. Perhaps the greatest
of these contributions was the creation of the world's first atomic
bomb. Physicists flocked to join the Manhattan Project, the largest
and most expensive physics program in history. The project was
a success, ushering the world into a new era: the nuclear age. While
there are now those who debate the wisdom and morality of the United
States dropping a bomb on Japan, at the time, the majority of the
country was in full support of the action. It soon became common
wisdom that a strong nuclear arsenal was necessary to the preservation
of national security. This mentality would continue for decades
and lead to a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, as each
country struggled to gain the atomic upper hand over its rival.
Once the United States had vanquished the Axis powers
in World War II, the country found itself with a new enemy: the
Soviet Union. While tension had existed between the United States
and the Soviet Union for decades, the period just after the war
saw a drastic increase in hostilities. The two countries soon found
themselves in what was called the Cold War, a state of hostility
and wariness, as each country continually suspected the other to
be on the brink of declaring war.
The introduction of nuclear weapons into this hotbed of
fear, hostility, and paranoia heated things up even more, magnifying both
fears and suspicions as it became clear that a nuclear war would
mean annihilation for at least one of the powers involved. Powerless
to change things abroad, the United States redirected its fear
of the Soviet Union inward, toward its own people, during the dark
period of McCarthyism. The leaders of this movement believed communism
to be an insidious and powerful force that had already infiltrated
the country. The communist hunters targeted figures from all areas
of American life–Hollywood, the arts, academia, the scientific
community, and the government itself. Oppenheimer was only one
of many to be targeted as a potential communist and drummed out
of public life.
Oppenheimer died in 1967, but his nuclear legacy lived
on. The United States is still wrestling with the question of how
to preserve the safety of a world in which nuclear weapons exist.
Having lost its nuclear monopoly long ago, the country must live
with the fact that the destiny of the world lies in a number of
hands–some friendly, some hostile. Oppenheimer wanted nothing more
than to usher in an age of peace but was instead responsible for
introducing the world to a new way of waging war.
