Weapon to woe

Historiographical debates on the development, use and legacy of the atomic bomb

Bibliographic Data

ID19503147
AuthorsTom Duurland (Independent researcher, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume41
Issue4
Pages443-460
Publication date2025-10-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedicine Conflict & Survival (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1362-3699 • E-ISSN: 1743-9396
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13623699.2025.2555797
PMID40936495
OpenAlexW4414159980
LanguageEN
References cited23

The debate over the atomic bomb's development and use has persisted for more than 80 years, underscoring its complexity and the enduring controversy it inspires. Engaging with orthodox, revisionist and post-revisionist perspectives, this article provides an overview of the institutional, strategic and ideological factors that led to the development and use of the atomic bomb, as well as the conflicting historical interpretations they generated. The article concludes by examining how the experiences of Hiroshima influenced post-war perspectives on the morality and role of nuclear weapons, highlighting the contrast between scientists who warned against their devastating effects and strategists who sought to incorporate them into the Cold War power struggle

Cold war · Historiography · Ideology · Morality · Nuclear weapon · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History and Developments in Astronomy · Twentieth Century Scientific Developments

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