Eighty years ago this week the US demonstrates the power of nuclear weapons

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In order to test whether military ships could survive a nuclear explosion Operation Crossroads was staged at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. It might also have been intended to serve as a warning to the Soviet Union. The fourth nuclear bomb ever to be detonated exploded in the midst of some 95 warships. The test had been announced in advance and international observers including Soviet scientists were invited to attend. The bomb missed its aiming point and only five ships were sunk outright although nuclear contamination meant that almost all the survivors were useless.

The Soviet Union made the first serious use of its veto at the UN Security Council when it turned down a statement on Franco's Spain which it deemed was too gentle. The Soviets sought an outright call on members to cease diplomatic relations with Spain. The resolution thus passed to the General Assembly.

In response to the Night of the Bridges attacks the British authorities in Palestine launched Operation Agatha, the arrest of about 2,700 Jewish militants and extensive searches of suspected sites. Large quantities of arms were discovered. The operation appeared to be aimed as much at maintaining morale amongst the British security forces as genuinely trying to enforce order. In parallel two Jewish insurgents who had been sentenced to death for insurgency (and not murder) were reprieved and a handful of kidnapped British officers as hostages were released. Whilst this was going on President Truman issued a statement that the US would assist the immigration of 100,000 Jews into Palestine.

 


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