1. The Pacific Islands in the Cold War Era
His502 Lecture
Week 8
Designed by Dr. Ryota Nishino and Ms. Lalita Sharma.
Edited by Dr. Gary Kieffner

2. The Cold War ( )
A struggle between two sets of ideas about how to run countries:
Capitalism (United States and its allies)
Communism (Soviet Russia, mainland
China, and other communist nations)
A series of smaller wars, acts of espionage, and other forms of contestation
Propaganda from both sides

3. The Cold War
Constant fear from people throughout the world that another world war would break out.
The new war, if it were to happen, would be fought between the capitalist nations and the communist nations, and thousands of nuclear weapons from both sides would destroy the earth and all human life.

4. The Cold War
The nuclear weapons developed and constructed were stored by each side just in case the need arose.
Nuclear weapons research and development

5. Pacific Islands Testing Sites
Amchitka Island, Alaska, United States
Mururoa and Fangatau Atolls, French Polynesia
Eniwetok and Bikini Atolls, Marshall Islands
Johnston Island
Ocean, Micronesia
Christmas Island,
Kiribati

6. Nuclear Weapons Research and Development
Misfortunes to the Pacific nations.
More than 250 nuclear devices tested on the Islands of Bikini, Eniwetok, Johnston, Christmas, Malden Mururoa and Fangataufa.
Destruction of islands
Disruption to people’s everyday lives
Radioactive contamination harming: humans, animals, plants, soil, air and water

7. Nuclear Weapons Research and Development
Radioactive contamination harming: humans, animals, plants, soil, air and water

8. British Tests,
A hydrogen and two atomic bombs on Christmas Island in the Gilbert Islands. The British worked with Americans to conduct more tests at Christmas and Johnston Islands.

9. American Tests,
After taking the Marshall Islands from the Japanese in 1944, the United States conducted tests there.
Nearly 70 tests at the Bikini Atolls. The people on the Atolls were relocated, and could not return.
Clean-up began in 1988.

10. American Tests, 1946-1958 Bravo Test, 1954
Detonated the largest thermo-nuclear device, a hydrogen bomb named Bravo
1000 times more powerful than the bomb at Hiroshima
Fireball 6.5
kilometres wide

11. American Tests, 1946-1958 Bravo Test, 1954
At the time of the test, the Japanese boat Fukuryu-maru (Lucky Dragon) was catching tuna 82 nautical miles (100 kilometres) to the east, outside the ‘danger zone’ marked out by the United States.
But the blast went well beyond the zone
23 fishermen onboard saw black ash falling, the waste from the bomb.
Also residents of Rongelap, Ailinginae and Utrik Islands exposed to radiation, evacuated

12. American Tests, 1946-1958 Bravo Test, 1954
The radio operator on board died six months later. At his deathbed he said, “I want to be the last person to die from nuclear weapons”.
Japan outraged. The test led to a strong anti-nuclear movement, then it transformed into anti-American movement.
United States government offered compensation to the Japanese government, to stop the Japanese from turning against the USA.

13. French Tests,
Algeria was a French colony in Africa from the 1830s to France conducted nuclear tests there after World War Two.
After Algeria became independent, French testing shifted to Mururoa and Fangataufa
Mururoa was uninhabited atoll, 1200 kilometres from Tahiti
At least 175 French nuclear experiments
Started underground testing in 1975

14. Anti-Nuclear Resistance, 1950s-1990s
People in French Polynesia divided:
Testing caused many problems and posed
health risks
Yet, financial assistance from the French was significant

15. Anti-Nuclear Resistance, 1950s-1990s
Tahitian nationalist Pouvanaa o Oopa petitioned and collected signatures for the Stockholm Peace Appeal
After British government announced nuclear testing at Christmas Island, Western Samoa petitioned United Nations Trusteeship Council in 1956 to stop the test
Also in 1956, Rarotonga Island Council requested tests be carried out farther away from the Cook Islands

16. Religious Anti-Nuclear Resistance, 1960s-1990s
Roman Catholic leaders spoke out against nuclear weapons:
Ratu Kamisese Mara of Fiji
Bishop Patelisio Finau of Tonga
Jean-Marie Tjibaou of New Caledonia

17. Religious Anti-Nuclear Resistance, 1960s-1990s
Opposition from the predominantly Catholic Islands
France is a predominantly Catholic nation
Catholic teachings on war, peace and social justice
Religious inspiration. Camaraderie amongst Pacific Islanders and motivation to unite against colonial power

18. Political Anti-Nuclear Resistance
South Pacific Forum, 1970
Palau struggled to draft a non-nuclear constitution
Vanuatu declared nuclear-free status, 1983
Fiji banned nuclear ships, but it was later cancelled
Fiji Labour Party opposed nuclear weapons
International treaties
Rarotonga Treaty for a South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, 1985

19. New Zealand and Australia
Australia and New Zealand had traditionally sided with Europeans and Americans up through the world wars and after
For instance, Australia exported uranium
to Britain for nuclear weapons in the 1950s
But this was not to last for ever....

20. New Zealand and Australia
Pacific nations became resentful of European and American use of the Pacific Islands
Australian and New Zealand anti-nuclear movements from the 1950s, but they were relatively weak
Changes in popular sentiments in the 1970s. Many Australians and New Zealanders fought in the Vietnam War, became more concerned about the Cold War.

21. New Zealand and Australia
Also in the 1970s, Britain joined the European Common Market, forerunner of today’s European Union.
Australia and NZ had depended so much on Britain for export. Now trade with Britain declined. Needed to rethink their places in the world.

22. New Zealand and Australia
Australia and NZ in a difficult position. Trade and co-operation with the United States becoming more important.
For NZ to declare itself a nuclear-weapon free zone was a serious issue of debate amongst its politicians and the public
NZ home to many anti-nuclear groups including Greenpeace

23. New Zealand and the Rainbow Warrior Scandal
Greenpeace planned to oppose French nuclear testing in French Polynesia
Their usual tactic was to go into the nuclear testing zone and to protest at the very site of testing

24. New Zealand and the Rainbow Warrior Scandal
One Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, was about to go to Mururoa Atolls to protest against French testing
But just days before the voyage, on 10 July 1985, ship was bombed at Auckland Harbour
Ship destroyed. One journalist on board drowned.
Who bombed the ship?

25. New Zealand and the Rainbow Warrior Scandal
Who bombed the ship?
Two French espionage agents. France was annoyed with Greenpeace activities.
The two French secret agents charged and convicted for sabotage

26. New Zealand and the Rainbow Warrior Scandal
Strong antipathy amongst New Zealanders towards France
Tarnished relations between France and New Zealand
New Zealand resolved to renounce nuclear weapons – even if it was to irritate the Untied States
Other Pacific nations encouraged by New Zealand’s stance

27. End of the Cold War,
Russia’s Communist government and economic system collapsed
Neighbouring communist nations collapsed
Nuclear arms race and the imagined threat of a final war ceased when nations with nuclear weapons dismantled their missiles

28. End of the Cold War,
The French, however, continued testing in the Pacific
Test at Mururoa Atoll, 1995
Mass protest by the usually calm Tahitians
French ceased nuclear tests in 1996
But this is not the end of Pacific nuclear history

29. End of the Cold War,
The bombs went away, but effects on the health of people and on environments will stay longer
Disused equipment and infrastructure
Disposal of unused and used materials
Funding for cleanup jobs
What happens to the places once cleared?

30. End of the Cold War,
Now, Pacific Islanders realise that the benefits of nuclear weapons testing were minimal
Fijian military veterans seek compensation for health problems associated with nuclear tests at Christmas Island
Australian veterans once involved in atmospheric testing seek compensation from British and Australian governments
Marshall Islands government seeks greater aid from Untied States claiming that people’s ability to earn a living was compromised