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Uzone.id – Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan that tells the story of the brilliance of a physicist named Oppenheimer during World War II. Julius Robert Oppenheimer was a physicist who was trusted to make bombs by the United States government.
Oppenheimer’s intelligence and success in bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki with bombs he assembled in Los Alamos, a city specifically built to work on the Manhattan Project, led Oppenheimer to his heyday.
The US’s success in bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Oppenheimer nicknamed the “Father of the World Atomic Bomb”.
Unfortunately, its heyday did not last long because of the political intrigue that occurred between scientists in President Truman’s cabinet.
World War II
Talking about Oppenheimer, it cannot be separated from the events of World War II. World War II (WWII) was a global conflict that occurred between 1939 and 1945, involving most countries in the world.
The tragic events that accompanied this war culminated in the tragedy of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the bombs were made by Oppenheimer.
The effects of this bombing were terrible because they caused unimaginable horror and suffering for the people of Japan, especially Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This bombing killed around 140,000 people directly and indirectly due to radiation and its effects.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were historical events that left deep scars on Japan and the world.
This was the first and only use of the atomic bomb in war and provided insight into the mass destruction power of nuclear weapons.
So, with the dark history of sending bombs to the United States to these two Japanese cities, what are the rules regarding the use of bombs according to international law?
Use of Bombs from an International Law Perspective
The use of bombs and other deadly weapons in the context of international law has been a complex and controversial issue for centuries.
International law aims to regulate the use of military force, for peace, human rights, and freedom of states.
When using bombs, several principles of international law must be taken into account:
Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907)
The Hague Conventions are a series of international treaties agreed upon at the first Hague Conference (1899) and the second Hague Conference (1907) in The Hague, Netherlands. This convention aims to regulate certain aspects of the laws of war and reduce the suffering caused by armed conflict.
Hague Convention II regulates the use of bombs. This convention prohibits the use of projectiles containing explosives or toxic substances that can cause irreversible injuries or other suffering. If you continue to violate it, it will be declared a violation of international law.
Apart from the Hague Convention II, the Hague Convention III also regulates the Laws and Customs of War on Land. In this convention, several provisions regulate the use of weapons and the protection of civilians and military personnel injured during conflict.
Hague Convention III states that when carrying out attacks, parties involved in a conflict must distinguish between military targets and civilians. Attacks aimed directly at civilians are prohibited, and parties should strive to minimize the impact on civilians during military operations.
Geneva Convention (1949)
The Geneva Conventions are a series of international agreements first agreed to in 1864 in Geneva, Switzerland, to protect victims of war, including soldiers who were injured or fell into enemy hands, as well as civilians affected by armed conflict. This convention is an important milestone in the development of international humanitarian law.
The main aim of the Geneva Conventions is to reduce human suffering during conflict and ensure that humanitarian principles and human rights are respected even in times of war.
This convention requires participating countries to respect and implement the provisions contained in this agreement and provide protection for victims of conflict.
To this day, the Geneva Conventions remain an important international legal basis for protecting war victims and upholding humanitarian principles in armed conflict
Principle of protection of civilians
In international law, the use of bombs differentiates between attacks against military targets and attacks aimed directly at civilians or civilian infrastructure.
The principle of protecting civilians has always been a strong foundation of international law, and serious violations of this principle are considered war crimes.
