The Atomic Bombing of Japan - The First Shots of the Cold War? (416)

Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times

Ian Sanders

History, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.8 • 865 Ratings

🗓️ 8 August 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today is 80 years since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki. I talk with Stephen Walker who is the author of Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima. He has spent years researching the atomic bombings and highlights how they impacted Soviet/US relations in the early Cold War as well as US relations with their Allies. We reflect on the decisions made at the time, his interviews with the scientists who worked on them and the last surviving aircrew who dropped the bombs. Many aircrew believed they were participating in a mission that would hasten the end of the war, but the reality of what they witnessed—cities obliterated in an instant—haunted them for the rest of their lives. The threat of nuclear warfare remains a pressing issue today, and understanding the motivations and decisions that led to Hiroshima and Nagasaki can help inform our current global discussions on security and peace. Buy the book https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9780008372552 Stephen's Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/22/atomic-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-author-stephen-walker Resources from the National Security Archive's Nuclear Documentation Project detailing the available documents of the time https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/project/nuclear-vault Episode extras ⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode415⁠⁠ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love history? Join Intohistory ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
0:06.0	It's a long time since this happened, 1945.
0:10.0	Very, very few witnesses are left who are survivors in Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
0:15.7	None of the air crew who were involved in those missions are alive.
0:20.0	None of the key atomic scientists who were involved in building missions are alive. None of the key atomic scientists who were
0:22.0	involved in building, inventing, designing, building that bomb are alive. I met quite a few of them.
0:29.0	So I had a sort of privileged access to these witnesses, to this extraordinary moment in history.
0:35.9	This is Cold War Conversations.
0:39.7	If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to first-hand Cold War
0:43.6	history accounts.
0:44.7	Please follow us in your podcast app so you don't miss a single episode.
0:49.2	Today is 80 years since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
0:54.5	A talk with Stephen Walker, who is the author of Shockwave, Countdown to Hiroshima.
0:59.7	He spent years researching the atomic bombings and highlights how they impacted Soviet-U.S. relations
1:05.2	in the early Cold War period, as well as relations with their allies.
1:10.1	We reflect on his interviews with the scientists
1:12.3	who worked on them and the last surviving air crew who dropped the bombs. Many aircrew believed
1:18.3	they were participating in a mission that would hasten the end of the war, but the reality of what
1:23.1	they witnessed, cities obliterated in an instant haunted them for the rest of their lives.
1:29.3	I'm delighted to welcome Stephen Walker to our Cold War conversation.
1:39.4	Why did you decide to revisit this?
1:43.4	It's a really good question.
	...

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