The truth about Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The recent release of the biopic of Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, has led to increased awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons among the public. A recent sold-out screening of the film organised by London Region CND saw many new faces at the event and was followed by a stimulating Q&A session on the legacy of nuclear weapons and their dangers today.

But as CND General Secretary Kate Hudson notes in her recent blog post to mark the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan, the film “repeatedly suggested that dropping the bomb was necessary to end the second world war. Although there was eventually a quick aside that countered this, it could easily have been missed.”

She adds: “Even today many people believe that the bomb was necessary to bring about a Japanese surrender and to avoid the need for an invasion of Japan by the US, which might have cost hundreds of thousands of lives. But extensive scholarly research in the US, using primary sources from the time, shows that this just wasn’t true. By the time the bomb was ready for use, Japan was ready to surrender. As General Dwight Eisenhower said, Japan was at that very moment seeking some way to surrender with minimum loss of face, and 'it wasn’t necessary to hit them with that awful thing'.” Read the full post here.

Events to mark Nagasaki Day are taking place tomorrow across Britain. Find one near you here.

Cillian Murphy, as Robert Oppenheimer, views the Trinity test

Have you seen Oppenheimer yet? Take action today!

Oppenheimer tells the story of how the atomic bomb was made, and portrays the doubt of many of the scientists who worked on its development. Today there are 13,000 nuclear weapons in the world, and nuclear war threatens humanity and the planet itself. If you've seen the film and left the cinema with a desire to help end nuclear weapons for good, get in touch!

Take Action

Our dedicated page lists actions you can take to help the movement: from signing our petitions; ordering leaflets to distribute outside cinemas or at other events; becoming a member; or supporting our work by buying an Oppenheimer t-shirt. All money raised goes towards our work for a nuclear weapons-free world.