Freeman Dyson discusses his views concerning the start of World War 2 on the Western Front in May 1940. He hated Winston Churchill because he thought he was a warmonger. Britain kicked out Churchill as soon as possible and Dyson's vote helped accomplish that. [Annotator's Note: Dyson laughs.] Dyson expected all the bad things that had happened in World War 1 to reoccur in World War 2. The use of poison gas was anticipated. Every child had a gas mask. Chamberlain [Annotator's Note: British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain] was no fool even though history has not treated him well. Chamberlain had moved in 1938 to provide the entire British population with gas masks. That gave everyone the feeling of being in the war effort together. The dangers were shared. Dyson's French cousins felt their government was not properly taking care of them since no masks were distributed to them. The gas masks were psychologically very important to the British. The populace felt the government was doing things that made sense. The French did not feel that. Dyson was a pacifist in his teens. Communism was no longer fashionable amongst his peers. They saw no point in continuing the horrible experiences of the Great War into a Second World War. Gandhi was the only politician he respected. He had led his people with non-violent resistance to the British Empire. He was a hero to Dyson. It was clear that India was on its way to freedom. Dyson felt Britain could avoid war with Hitler by adopting a position of passive resistance. He joined the Peace Pledge Union which committed to never participate in combat. His opinion continued until May 1940 when everything changed.

Freeman Dyson was a British citizen when Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] overran the Low Countries and France in May and June 1940. As a pacifist, he witnessed the distinction between his position and that of collaborators became unclear. He abandoned pacifism and joined the majority. The summer of 1940 was a remarkable time. The Battle of Britain was fought overhead. It was clear the Germans were losing the battle. The only pacifists were those with religious objections. During the war, Dyson listened to the great economist John Maynard Keynes. Keynes carried massive responsibilities. His hobby was collecting the papers of Isaac Newton. Dyson was influenced by a dramatic lecture presented by Keynes on his thoughts about Newton. Keynes would die shortly after that event.

Freeman Dyson was an admirer of the pre-World War 1 physicist Henry Moseley. The British Army was all volunteer until 1917. Mosley joined the service early and went to Gallipoli only to be killed. The government decided after the war that it was a major failure for a brilliant mind to be lost in combat. Consequently, scientists were to be spared from combat service. It became the policy of World War 2. As a result, Dyson did not fight in the war. He and other first class scientists from major universities were put in a safe place where their knowledge of science or mathematics could aid the war effort. Dyson became involved in the operational research section of Bomber Command. He spent two years of the war in that role. He saw monstrous mistakes being committed by the bombing missions. He worked with punch card machines. Each sortie had a card. Machines filtered on any condition or attribute. The information was so secret that it was not shared with the people who could use it. Information was withheld from the fliers because they potentially could be shot down by the Germans who would become privy to that intelligence. A similar system was used recently in Afghanistan. It is easy to collect information but hard to use it.

Freeman Dyson gathered information during World War 2 for Bomber Command [Annotator's Note: British Royal Air Force Bomber Command]. Some of the data provided postwar by the Reich's [Annotator's Note: Germany] leading firefighting official indicated that a fully destroyed manufacturing site in Germany was likely back into full production in six weeks. A lot of civilians were killed in the process but the essential machinery was preserved. The Allies chose to firebomb entire cities. That lead German firefighting official wrote after the war that it was ineffective in stopping production. It only killed large numbers of innocent individuals. The firestorms of Dresden and Hamburg were different. They burned everything including the machinery. There was no way to cope with those intense fires and their aftermaths. The Allied bombing analysts could never understand what caused the firestorms when the approach to the attacks was essentially the same. Though largely ineffective, Bomber Command spent a quarter of the British wartime expenses. Additionally, 40,000 young men were killed in that effort. Using his statistical expertise, Dyson determined that contrary to common belief, the survivability of experienced crews was no different than that of new or inexperienced crews. Losses were equivalent with the odds of survival being rather random. Dyson suggested elimination of the two gunners on the aircraft to reduce casualties. That idea did not suit accepted dogma and was rejected. During this time, Dyson had a bad conscious in not taking a combat mission. His mother provided a good argument to the contrary.

Freeman Dyson visited a bomber squadron at Wycombe although it was not recommended that he do so as an analyst of Bomber Command [Annotator's Note: British Royal Air Force Bomber Command]. Crews lived at the base. Of interest to him was 81 Squadron which was a pathfinder group that preceded the larger body of bombers. Dyson visited a medical officer on the base who was Wing Commander McGowan [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling]. He flew as a passenger in the bombers so he could share the hardships and risks of the men he commanded. He was a hero who really cared for his boys. He survived the war despite multiple flights to Berlin and back. Dyson deeply respected him. They shared their mutual distaste for the way the war was fought.

Freeman Dyson was in London in 1944 when German rockets fell on the population there. That effort was a last gasp for Germany and mainly for propaganda. Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] could say he was causing damage to London with his V-1 and V-2 rockets. In 1940, the far more serious German aerial bombings were referred to as the Blitz. Nearly 40,000 people died during that initial maelstrom. Dyson remembers 1940 lying in bed listening to bombs falling. It was a feeling of joy. He better understands the people who join ISIS and terrorist groups for their sheer joy of destruction. The sound of buildings collapsing gave him happiness because it symbolized the hated British Empire falling apart. He never considered the loss of life. It is a vivid memory while he lived in South Kensington. A government building belonging to the French took a direct hit in January 1944. It created a magnificent incineration with the death of two people. Because of the competition between the Free and Vichy French officials who inhabited the structure, Dyson wondered if the Free French might have dropped the bomb on the building. [Annotator's Note: Dyason laughs.] Dyson personally experienced a V-1 attack in June 1944 while in London. It was noisy and frightening. It provided a putt-putt noise with its pulse engine and then stopped right before it fell to ground. It flew low so only seconds later the bang of the explosion was heard. Londoners tried to pretend that they were not listening to the incoming rocket or anticipating its descent. One did not bother going to a cellar to escape because the rockets came all day long. The college was never hit except for one time with minor damage.

Freeman Dyson's friend Michael Laughlin [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling] had been his roommate prior to going into the Army. Laughlin was subsequently released from combat duties due to epilepsy. He joined Bomber Command [Annotator's Note: British Royal Air Force Bomber Command] and became interested in saving lives. He wanted to create a better escape hatch for the RAF bombers. Airmen were being trapped inside their airplane after experiencing damage. The survival rate for the British aircraft was much lower than American bombers. Laughlin argued for improvements until a decision was made that changed the manufacturing process to introduce a new hatch. The new design did not reach the warfront until after the war. The bureaucracy was too cumbersome to facilitate rapid introduction of the improvement. Meanwhile, the de Havilland Mosquito light bomber was an innovative wooden design that was largely constructed by hand. It carried a surprising bomb load for being such a small plane. It traveled higher and faster than some of the British heavy bombers like the Lancaster [Annotator's Note: Avro Lancaster heavy bomber]. Though fewer were produced, the Mosquitoes were remarkable for their survival rate. That was largely due to their speed and altitude capabilities. Bomber Command suffered from lack of vision. The fliers knew the better solutions. Five Group squadron commander suggested using the Mosquito to improve bombing campaigns. Two Mosquitoes were used as pathfinders for the Group. Accuracy of the operation was enhanced as a result of the main force bombing on the markers dropped by the two pathfinders. Losses also diminished because the Germans had to cover far more attacks by smaller numbers of bombers attacking the targets.

Freeman Dyson considers strategic bombing in World War 2 to be a mistake. A decision was made in 1936 to emphasize that strategy in the next conflict. Essentially, it was aimed at avoiding the trench warfare of World War 1. The commitment was to fight with bombers in lieu of infantry. It did not work in Germany as well as it did in Japan. The war against Germany was a long war. The enemy learned to cope with the destruction. With Japan, the bombing started suddenly and only lasted about three months before the whole country was destroyed. Though victory over Japan was aided by airpower, the Russian invasion of their territory resulted in their immediate surrender. That was coincidental with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It has been recorded by a Japanese historian that the Russian invasion actually brought about the end of the that conflict. When the Emperor made his speech explaining why the Japanese should surrender, he talked about the Russians and not the bombings. After the war, Dyson and his wife, a former German, revisited her family in her homeland. They visited her village located 200 miles south of Berlin. The place had not been damaged much by the war. The location was in East Germany at the time. The citizens did not feel like they were being oppressed. They visited the air raid shelter built during the war. Dyson's wife explained how she felt during those times. The shelter was of robust construction compared to that found in England during the comparable time. They were much better. [Annotator's Note: Dyson laughs.]

Freeman Dyson attended school with Frank Thompson and admired him greatly. He was an older boy with a grand sense of humor and a love of languages. Thompson attended Oxford and went on to the British Army intelligence service. His knowledge of languages helped him in that endeavor. In 1943, a resistance movement started in Bulgaria which had been allied with Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler]. The movement was led by communists ensconced in the mountains. They sought British aid against the Nazis. Thompson went there to be a liaison officer for the partisans. He lived with them for the remainder of his life. As a poet, he wrote beautiful passages about the local population he met. Thompson identified strongly with the partisans because he was also a communist. Eventually, the Bulgarian resistance failed and Thompson and most of the partisans were captured and killed. He was a hero. Dyson was at Bomber Command during that time. His efforts aided in killing many people but did little to change the outcome of the war. He admired Thompson for what he did. Bulgaria made him a hero with train stations and streets named for him. During communist rule of Bulgaria after the war, Frank Thompson remained a hero. After the collapse of the communist bloc, he no longer was a hero. Thompson's brother, E.P. Thompson, investigated the history of his brother which was hidden in the British archives. It remains secret to this day. The actual execution of Thompson is still questionable as to who most wanted him dead. He could have been executed by the Bulgarians or the British government. The latter may have been embarrassed by him and his communist leanings. The truth was never discovered despite the effort of Thompson's brother. To Dyson, Frank Thompson was a sincere representative of the good side of communism.

Freeman Dyson has met Kristen Ghodsee who is the author of "The Left Side of History." Her scholarship on postwar communism in Bulgaria and other countries depict the strong influence of that philosophy on many emerging countries after World War 2. Dyson recommends her book for further clarification of that period in postwar history. Dyson experienced the dichotomy of East and West Germany bureaucracy personally when he visited his wife's former village in East Germany. He found the authorities in East Germany much easier to work with while there. The communists had some good things going for them. When the West took over East Germany, some things painfully changed not for the better. A lot has been lost since that transition.

Freeman Dyson was not involved with the Manhattan Project. He was totally surprised at the dropping of the atomic bombs. Everyone believed the bombs ended the war. The Russian entry in the fight against Japan was a contribution but not strongly considered at the time. Bomber Command [Annotator's Note: British Royal Air Force Bomber Command], with whom Dyson served, was slated to go to Okinawa. They were to begin bombing the Japanese homeland after war with Germany ceased. The end of the Japanese war brought on a great celebration. Dyson immediately felt he would like to come in contact with the people who made the bomb. That happened when he went to Cornell [Annotator's Note: Cornell University is in Ithaca, New York] in 1947. Dyson had planned to go to Russia during the war. He learned the language with the help of a friend. He planned to be a physicist there. Then Stalin made it apparent that he wanted no foreign students. Dyson went to America as a second choice. Based on a recommendation from a scientist who had worked at Los Alamos, Dyson decided to go to Cornell. There, he met many of the individuals who had developed the atomic bombs. He was quickly accepted as being one them. Developmental work at Cornell was very rapid. The major talk was not only the initial development but the international regulation of nuclear weapons. Drastic controls were needed for all kinds of nuclear activities including nuclear energy.

Freeman Dyson met J. Robert Oppenheimer when the latter was the Director of the Institute for Advanced Study [Annotator's Note: at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey]. Dyson felt superior to him initially. Their personalities clashed at first while Dyson was a student. Later, Oppenheimer listened to Hans Bethe and came to realize that Dyson had ideas that were valid and worth his consideration. [Annotator's Note: Dyson laughs.] When Dyson returned as a professor, the situation was completely different. He was generally treated with respect by Oppenheimer. They got along pretty well for the most part except when Oppenheimer was in a bad mood.

Freeman Dyson met Richard "Dick" Feynman as a student at Cornell University [Annotator's Note: in Ithaca, New York]. Feynman was a wonderful person who loved to joke around but was full of unique wisdom. He explored interactions of atoms and radiation theories. Dyson observed Feynman's progress and grew more knowledgeable as a result. After receiving a fellowship, Dyson found himself financially in very good shape. He was able to explore the United States. He spent time with Feynman as a result. It was a delightful trip. He got to know Feynman well in those days. Dyson also saw the United States as it really was in those days. Feynman discussed his Los Alamos days as a period when he came of age. He was a great organizer of people and theories.

Freeman Dyson saw Albert Einstein while he was at Princeton [Annotator's Note: located in Princeton, New Jersey]. Einstein was so absorbed with his many priorities and projects that he paid little attention to the young people surrounding him. It was an opportunity missed because words were never passed between Dyson and Einstein. Dyson feels that he and his peers were arrogant young kids while Einstein was an arrogant old man. [Annotator's Note: Dyson laughs.]

Freeman Dyson observed a strong sense of tragedy within Europeans during the postwar years. Its genesis was from World War 1. Dyson's parents talked of those previous wonderful days of old when things were freer. Americans missed that phenomenon. They were only briefly involved in the Great War. Afterward, they became a top nation and were prideful of that position. Other than the Depression, life was good in the United States. The sense of tragedy was heightened in Europe after the Second World War. That was concurrent with the start of a sense of tragedy in America. That sensation was heightened by the Vietnam War in the United States. The Vietnam War resulted in a feeling of helplessness for Americans. That was unlike World War 2 when Americans felt in control of circumstances. The G.I. Bill affected Dyson's students at both Cornell [Annotator's Note: in Ithaca, New York and Princeton [Annotator's Note: in Princeton, New Jersey]. The students helped each other out at the universities. It was a racially diverse and happy group even though there were shortages of various things. Students helped build houses for two families during the time. It was a satisfying experience to work with their hands. It was joyful and camaraderie abounded. Dyson did not share in the G.I. Bill because he was from England. He did receive a fellowship which aided him financially. Things went well for the two families in their new houses until the father in one family disappeared simultaneously with the mother in the other family. Years went by while the mystery of their disappearances remained unsolved. In much later years, Dyson found out that the couple had immigrated to Russia. They assumed new names and made a successful life for themselves. The male had been a spy for Russia. He was a friend of Rosenberg [Annotator's Note: Julius Rosenberg]. The spy was tipped off before he could be apprehended. Eventually the man died in Russia. Dyson does not hold the espionage against the man. He felt the Rosenberg's did not deserve to be executed.

Freeman Dyson was a friend of Robert Oppenheimer at the point when the latter became sick with cancer. Oppenheimer became much more human as Dyson grew to know him well. The ill scientist was sad but showed his human side. Oppenheimer's ambitions were so high yet he was never content with his status as a scientist. He was gifted in many respects but was mediocre as a scientist. He was unhappy that he was not the equal of Niels Bohr. The opportunity was never given to him to reach that level. His life was a bit sad as a result. Oppenheimer's wife requested that Dyson work with her husband as his life was fading. She thought their collaboration would benefit her mate. Dyson knew Oppenheimer's wife well. History has treated her badly. Dyson also knew Teller [Annotator's Note: Edward Teller] as a friend. Working with Teller was wonderful even though he sometimes reacted childishly. It did not bother Dyson because Teller would be friendly the next day. It was fun working with him. As a Hungarian, Teller hated the Russians. The two men disagreed about nuclear weapons. Teller believed strongly in safety as it related to nuclear power. Dyson agreed with Teller in that regard.

Freeman Dyson was concerned with safety in the use of nuclear energy. Unfortunately, one means of learning lessons is by making mistakes. Dyson and his wife witnessed the emergency landing of the airplane on the Hudson River. They later listened to a discussion about airplanes that had to ditch and improvements that were subsequently made over time. Loss of life was much greater in earlier experiences as compared to more recent accidents. Nuclear energy did not follow the same methodology. Admiral Rickover [Annotator's Note: Admiral Hyman Rickover] designed the first nuclear submarine. It was inherently unsafe because proper regulations were not yet conceived. Over time regulations have caught up with safety needs. Prohibitions are in place to prevent mistakes. Accidents still happen like that of Chernobyl. Teller [Annotator's Note: Edward Teller] and Dyson developed a small reactor to test functionality on a limited scale. They were free to make mistakes in order to promote enhancements. It was a two year project because of limited existing regulations. Teller was of the mind that safety meant that young people could even work the reactor without peril.

Freeman Dyson highly regarded Dr. Martin Luther King. Dyson also admired Gandhi. They both espoused non-violence for societal change. King seemed to have all his priorities in order. Dyson marched in Washington and heard King speak. It was an emotional time for Dyson. [Annotator's Note: Dyson shows his emotion.] King was killed shortly afterward. The murder was terrible. Black society would have been different had King survived. Malcolm X was more violent in his approach to change. That set back the progress made by King. Hearing King speak made an indelible mark on Dyson's psyche. Dyson was very impressed by George Kennan, the diplomat. They were good friends who had adjacent offices. They talked often. Dyson loved to talk to the historian-diplomat. Kennan liked England more than he liked America. He was far from egalitarian in his political attitudes. Kennan looked at the Soviet Union as a stabilizing entity. He was concerned with the potential of Russia's disintegration and the chaos that might ensue. Kennan understood Russia probably better than anyone.

Freeman Dyson feels that the atomic bomb and the consequential generation of nuclear power were the most important scientific discoveries resulting from World War 2. He views the Kalashnikov machine gun [Annotator's Note: AK-47 rifle] to be a world changer in its own right. The gun has become more of an equalizer between nations and groups than even the bomb. Computing systems were in development prior to the war but were an important product of the war. Dyson saw the United States as more of a leading country at the time of his citizenship. He was happy to become a part of this country. His family had five nationalities which led to complications in their travels. That did not apply with his American citizenship. It was liberation for him. It was that way until Vietnam when things drastically changed. America failed and the rest of the world caught up with her. The country was dragged into World War 2. Hitler [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] and the Japanese caused the United States to enter the war. It worked out better because people knew there was no choice but to fight the war. The victory brought a positive feeling to citizens. Other wars like Korea and Vietnam were not in the same context. Korea was somewhat of a forced issue on the country, but fighting in Vietnam was a political choice. Kennedy [Annotator's Note: President John F. Kennedy and Johnson [Annotator's Note: President Lyndon B. Johnson] brought the country into the war for dubious reasons. Iraq and Afghanistan were similar situations. The political wars seem to end badly as the population tires of the conflict while the enemy is willing to stay the course. That results in America's loss of the war. The United States does badly when it loses. Communism was the most significant philosophy that evolved during Dyson's lifetime. Dyson has studied communism in both Russia and China. He learned about Russian from Kennan [Annotator's Note: George Kennan]. He was educated on the harshness of communism in China by a colleague named Fang Lizhi. Nevertheless, China is becoming a rich and strong country and must be monitored. Dyson would prefer if China overturned its communist rule, but that likely will not happen. Dyson recommends Fang Lizhi’s book [Annotator's Note: The Most Wanted Man in China: My Journey from Scientist to Enemy of the State].