TEN SECONDS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD

in 5,000 years of recorded history only a handful of days are marked by climactic events one such day will soon begin for a 29-year-old officer and the men in his command gentlemen when we met at Wendover for the first time about 10 months ago I told you at that time that I had great hopes that the mission that we were about to undertake could end the war at the same time I offered to release any man who felt that he could not work under the conditions of mystery and possible danger that might Prevail that offer still goes because this bomb that you're going to use is not an ordinary bomb it's not a th000 pounder it's not a 10 ton Blockbuster this bomb has a strength of 20,000 tons of TNT [Music] August 6th 1945 the day a new era dawned at Hiroshima in the light of an atomic bomb in the 10 seconds That Shook the world [Music] [Music] and Providence made the Raging Sun to burn for endless time and from this flaming orb spring man and life and all the world so man has praised the son and long since time began to find the source that gives it [Music] life the equation E is equal m c² in which energy is put equal to mass multiplied with the square of the velocity of light showed that very small amount of mass may be converted into a very large amount of energy eals MC s the words of Albert Einstein and from this Wellspring science built the atomic age but it took 40 years and all the genius of man in 1905 Einstein produces his startling equation and gives new meaning to Madame Curry's discovery of radium for New Zealand's inest rord radium unlocks the heart of the atom Rutherford's Protege James Chadwick explores the atom and finds the neutron Madame C's daughter Irene Juliet curri experiments with the neutron and her success leads Italy's enrio fery to the brink of the greatest discovery without realizing it fery has split the atom violating a commonly held law of physics that an atom of matter cannot be created or destroyed fery has released the enormous energy foreseen in Einstein's equation E equals MC squared one of F's AIDS will later say we simply weren't prepared to see it but studying the work of fmy and others aroh Han and Fitz stman suddenly realized the incredible truth and become the first men to prove that the atom has been [Applause] split the triumphant Discovery occurs in Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany but ironically the burning of books The Campaign to exterminate 11 million Jews drives out the very men who might have given Hitler Limitless power [Applause] Albert Einstein pleas to the United States He leads a Vanguard of refugee scientists virtually stripping German universities of their best Minds one teacher Compares Einstein's migration to the possible transfer of Vatican City from Rome to the new world the pope of physics has moved he says and the United States will now become the center of the Natural Sciences December 10th 19 38 in Stockholm Sweden's King gusta arrives for the presentation of the Nobel prizes Enrico FY Italy's foremost physicist is honored for achievement in atomic research for fery the Nobel award provides the means to escape the oppression of melini's regime he will use the prize money to take himself and his family from Sweden directly to the United States to freedom in a final gesture of disdain he violates museline his orders by bowing to King Gustav instead of delivering the fascist [Music] salute neither fer nor the distinguished audience in concert hall can know that at this instant in Berlin artoon and Fritz trustman realize that they have split the atom January 1939 as fery arrives in New York to accept a teaching post at Columbia University news of the discovery in Berlin reaches the college Refugee scientists working at Colombia suddenly realize that splitting of the atom places Hitler One Step from making an atom bomb fery and four colleagues decide they must alert the United States government to the danger because he is a Nobel laurate fery will be the spokesman on March 17th 19 39 fery meets in Washington with navy representatives in halting English he tells a story of an incredible new weapon but skeptical officers answer only keep working we'll be untouch with you Desperately Seeking a means to warn the government of the danger Edward Teller and a second associate of enrio fery Leo zad carry their appeal to the only scientist with enough stature to make Washington take notice Albert Einstein the gentle genius refuses the request that he go in person to the president but finally agrees to sign a letter prepared by zalad theoretically the letter says a bomb can be constructed that will destroy an entire Port dated August 2nd 1939 it is addressed to FD Roosevelt the White House at the White House however emergency cabinet meetings occupy Roosevelt as War threatens to engulf all of Europe in this crisis Einstein's letter receives only passing attention and is filed with the note we must do something about this spring 1940 Hitler Blitz Grigg strikes Belgium provides Hitler with uranium and in Denmark he captures physicist Neil's bore Norway's heavy water plant gives him another key to the atom bomb and Paris rewards him with the finest Atomic laboratory in Europe by the fall of 1940 Hitler's Third Reich can produce history's most destructive [Music] weapon in Washington the clamor for large scale research program to develop atomic energy reaches the White House through scientists like James conand and Carl Compton echoing the fears of their colleagues they finally convince Roosevelt of the need for Action the allout drive is launched it is December the 6th [Music] 1941 by the summer of 19 42 control of the atom bomb project passes to the hands of the army under the code name Manhattan engineering District engineer Chief General Eugene rybold gives command of the Manhattan Project to Brigadier General Leslie Groves the man who built the [Music] Pentagon the security lid is clamped on the Manhattan Project is so secret that only a handful of people know it exists even carefully screened personnel are given only enough information to do their [Music] jobs newspapermen receive a list of words banned for the duration to avoid arousing suspicion the key phrases uranium fish and atomic energy are spotted among fictitious names like yum science editors cannot write about Atomic physics even the comic strip Flash Gordon is censored the word atom disappeared in the vocabulary of America American colleges are now raided for Manpower students are snatched from the campus and drafted into the Manhattan Project Nobel Prize winner nnest Lawrence is thrust into the work along with brilliant young men like J Robert Oppenheimer from Columbia University comes Dr Harold Yuri Nobel laurate in chemistry Dyan another Nobel winner Dr Arthur Compton helps launch a vital experiment from a makeshift laboratory beneath Chicago University stag field here on December 2nd 1942 scientists attempt to start a controlled chain reaction to prove the theory that a bomb is possible but they also face a danger if they lose control of the Chain Reaction stag field May blow up and radiation could endanger the city of Chicago enrio fery ignites the first atomic fire a neutron counter broadcasts activity inside the furnace as the first control rod is withdrawn when the last one is out theoretically a chain reaction will begin at 3 p.m. pery and his assistant gingerly approach the threshold of a new age a coded message called to Washington haralds firy success the Italian Navigator has landed in the New World now Across America nerve centers are chosen for producing an atom bomb Pasco Washington here a giant industrial complex will Blossom wend Overfield Utah will become a special Air Force training base somewhere in New Mexico a test site must be chosen but it is in a secluded Valley near Clinton Tennessee that the first work begins here at Oak Ridge the largest manufacturing plant ever conceived begins to rise it must produce 100 lb of uranium 235 till now a product available only in microscopic quantity date for delivery is less than 2 years away in a nation strained by the demand for wartime Armament an unbelievable amount of Manpower and material is diverted to Oak Ridge but sometimes not enough short of copper wire project officers request the only suitable replacement silver 10 tons of it says an amazed treasury official here we don't speak of silver in tons our unit of measurement is the troy ounce nevertheless $300 million worth of silver is melted down for use as wire in the plant at Oak Ridge the net of security surrounding Oak Ridge keeps most of its 82,000 workers from knowing precisely what they're producing whatever it is says one man they can probably buy it cheaper to maintain secrecy Personnel hired to empty trash cans must be illiterate so they cannot stumble on classified documents one Tennessee native says strange Place everything goes in nothing comes out in Washington the expenditure of almost a billion dollars causes a stir among Congressional leaders the head of the Senate military Affairs committee is about to launch an investigation when Secretary of War Stimson privately tells him I can't tell you what it is Senator Truman but it's the greatest project in the history of the world Truman calls off the investigation [Music] General Grove summons to Washington Dr J Robert Oppenheimer and tells him he will head the largest scientific effort to date the final development of the bomb Groves has been warned that oppenheimer's youthful associations with communist sympathizers may make him a security risk irrespective of information you have Groves will write Oppenheimer is absolutely essential to the project together they decide to choose as their laboratory site an area near upen 's ranch in New Mexico isolated in the foothills of the Rockies a town will grow here known to its residents as Los Alamos but to the world it is simply post office box 1663 March 1943 convoys truck in supplies over primitive roads Days Later scientists and their families suddenly find themselves deposited in this strange new town here they are told you will stay for the duration no leaves no vacations and no one may know where you are or what you're doing in an address to his staff General Grove says your jobs won't be easy at enormous expense we have assembled the greatest collection of crackpots ever seen the crackpots number among them 12 Nobel Prize winners men like fery Lawrence a Melting Pot of Genius a think Factory where under oppenheimer's leadership they must find the answers to questions that have never before been [Music] asked men like Edward Teller once estimated that it would take 20 years to perfect a bomb the time allotted the Manhattan Project is barely 2 [Music] years late in the summer of 1944 the nucleus of the Squadron picked to drop the first atom bomb gathers at Wendover field [Music] Utah their commanding officer 29-year-old Colonel Paul Tibbits is allowed to tell them only we can shorten the war their orders are simple keep your eyes open and your mouth shut the 509 n composite group starts a unique training program veteran bombardiers must learn a radical new procedure they practice dropping a single bomb from 30,000 ft with uniring accuracy and then get their planes away as fast as they can [Music] in England Allied Intelligence Officers fearing that Germany may also be close to completing an atomic bomb order one of the key manufacturing plants destroyed in Norway the Germans have the only major Center for producing heavy water a vital element in creating the bomb after damaging Commando raids limit production British bombers are sent in to put the plant totally out of commission concentrating on the production of V2 Rockets Adolf Hitler has long ago abandoned atomic energy projects but Allied intelligence reports still predict that Hitler might be close to having an atom bomb and the fear serves as a Spur to American scientists [Music] orad WTO Valley literally the Valley of the Acres of death near Alamagordo New Mexico here in 5 months in July 1945 the first test is scheduled for an atom bomb one of the first pieces of equipment to arrive is a massive steel safe weighing 150 tons and named jumbo a naive plan calls for the atom bomb to be exploded inside this safe so that in case of a misfire a partial dud the precious supply of plutonium won't be scattered over the desert but save to be used again jumbo is insurance for a billion dollars worth of [Music] plutonium the test site is made ready Oakridge and Hanford are producing uranium and plutonium but even now an atomic bomb is still a bit of theory that may yet prove [Music] false the death of Franklin delanor Roosevelt on April 12th 1945 thrusts a little known former senator from Missouri Harry Truman into the office of the presidency on this day for the first time he learns of the manhatt project and the awesome decision he will have to make in the months to [Music] come at the Pentagon in Washington on May 31st 1945 a vital meeting is held at the request of President Truman the interim committee a panel of 12 including scientists businessmen and military leaders must advise the president on whether or not the United States should use the atomic bomb four choices are outlined to the interim committee by Secretary of Wars timson one forgo the bomb and invade Japan two demonstrate the weapon on a deserted island three warn the Japanese in advance of the target City for drop the bomb the First Choice the plans for the invasion of Japan operations Olympic and Coronet are revealed to the committee 5 million men are to be committed to the kind of fighting that has taken such a terrible toll of life in the South [Music] [Music] Pacific The Landings it is estimated will cost1 million American lives and countless millions of [Music] Japanese number two a demonstration for the Japanese on a deserted island proves impractical failure would mean an incalculable lift to Japanese morale the third choice prior warning might cause the Japanese to move American prisoners of War into the target City to thwart the plan the decision of the interim committee is rendered apparently there is no alternative but to use the bomb without prior warning orders are sent to b29 bases in the South Pacific removing four cities from the bombing lists Hiroshima Koto kokura and neata they are prime targets for the first atom bomb to be left undamaged so that the full effect of the explosion may be realized by the Japanese [Music] [Applause] Mass raids on Japan continue however and in one day 850 b-29s are sent to strike at the Japanese empire [Music] over is in one raid 16 square miles of Tokyo are set Ablaze more than 100,000 killed in Tokyo Emperor Hirohito asked his cabinet to end the war but the men who launched Japan on the road to Conquest refuse now to surrender they pray in instead for [Music] miracles Friday July 13th 1945 under armed guard the atom bomb is moved from Los Alamos to horto Valley ground zero for the test is dominated by a 100t tower called the gimmick in a canvas tent at its base scientists assemble the first atom bomb Oppenheimer supervises the final preparations aware that 3 years of intensive effort and $2 billion hang on the balance the nightmare of failure haunts them all and when they take up a pool to calculate the power of this bomb scientists buy for the lowest possible figure a short poem expresses their doubts from this crude lab that spawn the dud they next to Truman's axe uncurled low the UN battled svant stood and fired the Flop heard round the [Music] world press releases are prepared if the bomb works the public will be told that an ammunition dump accident acally exploded should the bomb go off with unexpected Force killing the keyman at the test site the world will learn only that a freak fire at oppen Hammer's Ranch took the lives of America's top physicists the Army disches buses and trucks to the town of caroso 30 m from the test site to stand by in case the population of 1500 must be evacuated airports within 100 miles are told without explanation that all air traffic is banned from the area says a busy switchboard operator something big is sure going to happen on July 15th all non-essential Personnel are ordered out of the test area 150 selected officers and civilian science s will be allowed to witness the payoff to their work some are sent to an observation post called CIA Hill 20 mi from Ground [Music] Zero at the last moment jumbo the huge steel safe has been abandoned scientists suddenly realize that a successful explosion would Hur 150 Tons of Steel across the countryside like so much shrapnel instead jumbo is set up 2,000 yd from Ground [Music] Zero the central control point is 5 1/2 mil from the tower lines connected to reinforced observation posts in the inner [Music] perimeter everything is in place at 0 - 12 hours on this day President Truman arrives in Berlin for the pdam conference a meeting with Stalin and Churchill Truman is aware that the test is proceeding on schedule in New Mexico by chance Stalin's late arrival will delay the start of the conference until tomorrow by then a successful test might mean that the United States will not need Stalin's help to end the war with Japan the outcome of the negotiations at pdam may radically change in the next few hours [Music] at Alam magodo a flare lights the night sky signal that the countdown has started an automatic timing device Now controls the test 40 39 38 37 to the machine is ined the future of man4 33 32 31 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 at 29 minutes and 50 seconds 5 a.m. on July 16th 1945 the last flare is fired 0 - 10 seconds 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 one no [Music] spawn by The Genius of man a new age is born in the Roar of Thunder and the fire of the Sun in this instant Robert Oppenheimer recalls a passage from a sacred book of the Hindus I am become death the shatterer of [Music] worlds on the first day of the atomic age a handful of men surveyed the fringes of the test site for a brus demanding General and a gentle determined scientist this is a day of Triumph and at lamus the night of celebration for enrio fery and Edward Teller a six-year struggle has ended for Ernest Lawrence and hundreds of others a mood of jubilance tempered by a single question what have we [Music] wrought Truman receives news of the test at pdam and now the final decision is his among top army officers opinion varies General eisar will tell Stimson we shouldn't introduce him to war something as horrible as this weapon Truman's top Aid Admiral Ley still maintains that the weapon is nothing more than a professor's dream at Potsdam Truman fulfills a pledge made to Winston Churchill 2 years before President Roosevelt had agreed that Britain would be consulted before a final decision was made regarding an atomic bomb Churchill tells Truman there is no question that the bomb must be used in later years he will write of this day we seem suddenly to have become possessed of a merciful abridgment of the slaughter in the East Stalin poses a problem for Truman and Churchill should they tell him of the new weapon both leaders decide that to show their good faith they will inform their intransigent Ally of the successful test Truman chooses an informal moment to relate the story but the Russian Premiere simply shrugs 3 days ago the news had been given to him by Russian spies the time for decision has come in Truman's own words I did not like the weapon but I had no qualms if in the long run millions of lives could be saved on July 25th the order is issued use of the bomb approved to the Pentagon to lamus to the island of tinan goes the alert critical bomb Parts start the trip to the air base in the South Pacific on the island of tinian where the 509th the atom bomb Squadron has already been stationed by air scientist who will make the final bomb assembly leave the United [Music] States on this day the cruiser Indianapolis arrives at tinian carrying the casing to the bomb and part of the critical block of uranium needed to set off an atomic [Music] explosion greetings everybody this is your number one enemy your favorite Playmate aranan a to the little Sunbeam Thro like to cut in her broadcast Tokyo Rose taunts the 509th Squadron saying we know you're there but why aren't you doing anything throughout the air base at tinian the same question is being asked other units called The 509th Glory Boys writes one wi into the air their secret Rose where they're going no one knows but take it from one who knows the score the 509th is winning the war more than 1,000 highly trained Specialists grin Barrett and sweat out each day wondering [Music] when July 28th 1945 in Tokyo an emergency meeting at the Japanese cabinet is summoned to consider Allied demands for immediate unconditional surrender the decision moku satsu answer only with silence August 1st General Curtis L outlines plans for the first atomic bomb raid because Hiroshima has no reported prisoner of war camps it becomes primary target the date for the raid is set August the 6th [Music] on August 2nd President Truman begins his trip home stopping briefly in England to meet with King George during an informal talk with the president and Admiral Ley the king mentions the atomic bomb says Ley had W work to the Admiral's surprise the king answers would you like to make a bet on that [Music] on the island of tinan it is Sunday August the 5th and a single b29 is brought under armed guard to an isolated corner of Northfield Sleek stripped of all but essential equipment a million dooll plane is assigned to carry a $2 billion cargo colonel tibits in honor of his mother has named his plane the anola gay Prime concern on this day is the possibility that the anola gay May crash on takeoff and blow up all of tinian it is decided that the dangerous job of arming the bomb will be done after the plane is up even now no one Onan is allowed to see the bomb late in the afternoon the Squadron is given a final briefing weather planes they learn will precede them to the Target cities if the primary city Hiroshima is overcast they will take the one that is open either kokura or Nagasaki the takeoff will be dangerous because the weight of their payload is over 10,000 and now they learn too its full potential it's not 1,000 pounder it's not a 10 ton Blockbuster this bomb has strength of 20,000 tons of TNT a bomb similar to the one that we're going to use was exploded in the desert in New Mexico steaming toward home at this moment Harry Truman knows the decision is irrevocable the wheels have gone full turn in the Pentagon General Groves and his staff remain overnight beginning the long wait 2,000 M away in Los Alamos Robert oppenheim also [Music] Waits 2:15 a.m. August 6th for 12 men Colonel tibits the crew of the anola gay and the Navy Captain who will arm the bomb William Parsons the last moments pass with bewildering speed then it's time to go with the nagging fear that the anola gay might not make it off the ground [Music] [Music] [Music] 245 a.m. alone the anola gay begins her flight to one of three cities on the islands of Japan in Moscow on this day Stalin returns to the Kremlin as the last Light of the northern Sun begins to fade in London it is 8:45 p.m. American GIS Veterans of combat in Europe wait out orders to ship home or on to the South Pacific 3:45 p.m. at Cone Island New York more than a ion people Jam the beach each concerned with his own special [Music] problems 4:52 a.m. August 6th the anola gay reaches her first checkpoint below is the snout of Mount cachi the pork chop shape of iojima two escort planes from the 509th rondevo with the analay the great artist and number 9 1 on schedule the three planes wheel toward Japan it's 8:52 a.m. in Clinton Tennessee where the first church services of the day are over and a Sunday school picnic is about to [Applause] begin early bird Shoppers in Los Angeles seek out Russian stamp bargains a division of Marines saddled up in San Diego e marked for the invasion of Japan aboard the anola gay it is 7:25 a.m. and a message comes from an advanced weather plane advice bomb primary says Colonel tibits it's Hiroshima in the Pacific dawn of August 6th a task force searches for survivors of the cruiser Indianapolis torpedoed after leaving tenian on this Monday in the jungles of Luzan the business of War goes on as usual the all clear sounds in Hiroshima an observation plane has made a pass at the city but drop no [Music] bombs the anola gay arrives at 8:11 a.m. on time on target [Music] [Music] oh [Music] it will take the bomb 43 seconds to reach Hiroshima the anola gay strains to escape the fury she has Unleashed at 0 - 15 seconds a warning war in tone sounds in the plane in 10 seconds the world will shake [Music] w [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] for Generations yet unborn for centuries ahead for all time to come Hiroshima stands as mute witness to the tragedy of war in the age of the atom [Music] [Applause] the Searing heat and cataclysmic force that destroyed a city that shook the world now bring [Applause] peace aboard the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Harbor on September 2nd 1945 general Douglas MacArthur opens the ceremony that marks the surrender of the Japanese [Music] empire it is my Earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and Carnage of the past a world founded upon faith and understanding [Music] they shall beat their swords into plow shares and their Spears into pruning hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn War anymore hoshima here a new age began and here a new city has grown proof that ultimately the will the mind the spirit of man triumphs to Future Generations belongs the promise born in this city and in the Laboratories at Oakridge Hanford and lamus that promise is being fulfilled a young breed of scientists continues to develop the great potential stored within the atom the Manhattan Project has given way to peacetime projects to studies of atomic surgery that will one day revolutionize medicine to the design of nuclear power plants to supply electricity for home and Industry to project Rover research on nuclear Rockets to propel man to the Infinity of space and operation plowshare to carve canals and tunnel through mountains here the atom shapes Tomorrow's World we will have an acceler theme in 5 seconds 4 3 2 1 we now have an accelerated [Music] team on a summer day in 1945 the Stillness was shut Ed in a remote New Mexico desert a million years of civilization had produced the birth of the atomic age a Force for good or evil the choice belongs to man [Music] la n [Music]