Oppenheimer and anti-communist paranoia
Energy Jennifer Granholm nullified the 1954 decision due to ‘ the bias and unfairness of the process that Dr. Oppenheimer was subjected to ’ and confirmed that he had been loyal. 20
Conclusion
To conclude, Oppenheimer was a victim of American 1950s anti-communist paranoia. His security license was revoked, not due to any new information about Oppenheimer’s political views but due to a change in security procedures in the radically altered political landscape and perceptions in 1950s America. This demonstrates that he was a victim of anti-communist paranoia, as he did not change but the rules did. Oppenheimer may well have been a communist sympathizer but he was not a Soviet spy and he was certainly unfairly treated. Due to the rise in tensions between the USA and the USSR as a result of the Cold War and the arms race, in which Oppenheimer opposed the building of the hydrogen bomb, Oppenhe imer’s left -wing standpoint was manipulated by the media, against the background of the McCarthyism movement and the wider Second Red Scare, such that he was perceived to be a communist selling secrets to the Soviets. In fact the FBI never proved this and Oppenheimer was never put on trial and finally in 2022 the US government recognized the unfairness of the 1954 hearing.
Bibliography
Articles
1. Dombey, N., 2013. Oppenheimer, the bomb and beyond. Contemporary Physics, 54(5), pp.252 – 253. 2. Oppenheimer, J. R. Nuclear Files. Nuclear Files . Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20080514020045/http:/www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/c orrespondence/oppenheimer-robert/corr_oppenheimer_1954-03-04.htm 3. United States Atomic Commission., April 12, 1962. Retrieved from https://www.osti.gov/includes/opennet/includes/Oppenheimer hearings/Vol I Oppenheimer.pdf
Books
1. Hendershot, C., 1999. Paranoia, the bomb and 1950s Science Fiction Films, Bowling Green: Bowling Green State Univ. Popular Press. 2. Stern, P.M. & Green, H.P., 1969. The Oppenheimer case : security on trial , New York, New York: Harper & Green.
Newspaper articles
1. Broad, W.J., 2014. Transcripts Kept Secret for 60 Years Bolster Defense of Oppenheimer’s LoyaltyTranscripts Kept Secret for 60 Years B olster Defense of Oppenheimer’s Loyalty. The New York Times . Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/transcripts-kept-
20 https://www.energy.gov/articles/secretary-granholm-statement-doe-order-vacating-1954-atomic-energy- commission-decision.
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