Between Research and Responsibility: The Invention of Dynamite

From Firenze University Press Journal: Substantia

Jonah Sachs, Washington University in St Louis

The myth surrounding the creation of the Nobel Prize is fascinating. It goes as follows. In 1888, a local French newspaper mistakenly assumed dead the famed inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel. Instead, his brother Ludvig had died recently of a heart attack, but the newspaper, assuming the death of the elder Nobel, published an article with the attached scathing headline: “The Mer-chant of Death is Dead.” The cruel obituary included in this article stated that Nobel had gotten rich by developing new ways to “mutilate and kill.” The article also included multiple references to Nobel as a “merchant of death” due to his creation, production, and fortune gained from the explosive material dynamite. The myth is that Nobel was distraught by what his legacy may become upon seeing this headline and article. Purportedly, this induced him to change his final will and testament, establishing what we still know today as the Nobel Prize, which went into effect after his death in 1896. Upon further examination, this oversimplification of Nobel’s character does not appear to be true.This is the story that was circulated by famed Nobel biographer Nicholas Halasz in his 1959 book, “Nobel: a Biography.” Prior to this text, the use of the moniker “Merchant of Death” does not appear to be widespread. After its use for Ludwig in 1888, there are few spikes in usage involving the term, and I find it extremely unlikely that its use was the core determinant of Nobel’s decision.This is not the only biography that purports this tale. In 1991, Swedish actor and director Kenne Fant wrote “Alfred Nobel: A Biography,” his book also point-ed to the article as the reason for Nobel’s peace prizes.[4]Since these two biographies, the myth has become wide-spread, as even the Nobel Foundation and the Smithso-nian have supported the fib. Alfred Nobel’s physique and thoughts surrounding his creations appear very different from these fabrications. He was a complicated man, and notes to friends suggest his inward notions as much dif-ferent from those suggested. In fact, there is evidence that the article was titled something different and less scathing: “A man who can not very easily pass for a benefactor of humanity died yesterday in Cannes. It is Mr. Nobel, inventor of dyna-mite. Nobel was Swedish.” [5] There has been no record found of the original newspaper claimed by The Nobel Foundation: Ideotie Quotidienne (or Daily Nonsense). Instead, the quote I provided was published by a different French newspaper: Le Figaro. There is a record of a premature obituary in this newspaper, although its contents do not appear scathing enough to have drastically affected Nobel. Nobel also had an extremely tumultu-ous relationship with the French press, and something of this nature wouldn’t have come close to surprising him. In short, this story is most likely fabricated. Even if it were true, Nobel would not have acted as dramatically as changing his entire will in response to a newspaper blurb. He believed his weapons were saving the world and is quoted as saying the following to a close friend: “Perhaps my factories will put an end to war even sooner than your Congresses; on the day when two army corps may mutually annihilate each other in a second, prob-ably all civilized nations will recoil with horror and dis-band their troops.” This quote from Nobel not only fore-told nuclear weapons of the next 50–60 years but also demonstrates Nobel’s emphasis on weapons technology for the goal of peace. Nobel believed his weapons could help the world, and following this narrative of “The Merchant of Death” feels counterintuitive to those goals. In fact, it is far more likely that the peace conferences Nobel attended later in life were the main contributions to his change of heart. His interactions with Bertha von Suttner, a peace advocate and writer, suggest Nobel’s change of heart was long determined and could also be a result of some ingrained socialist ideals. These includ-ed his disdain for familial inheritances and his value for peace in an ideal world, with deterrence as a best-case replacement. This decision does not appear to be instan-taneous but long deliberated over. Nobel’s decision most likely centered around the previously mentioned Bertha von Suttner. Before she married her previous lover, Nobel and Bertha worked together for 8 days. It is contentious whether Nobel was romantically involved with Suttner, but either way, the two were deeply connected. Their correspondence lasted years and involved many philosophical and ethical dis-cussions regarding peace. Suttner was referred to as “the generalissimo of the peace movement,” and founded the Austrian Peace Society in 1891. In fact, Nobel has quoted evidence from before the founding of the prizes backing this claim. Nobel said the following to Suttner: “Inform me, convince me, and then I will do something great for this movement.” Suttner was given the first Nobel Prize for Peace, awarded in 1905. The Nobel Prize is the most famous scientific prize given out annually. Monetary awards are given out yearly to those with exceptional achievements in phys-ics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The prize for achievements in economics is also awarded yearly, added in 1969. This additional prize is based upon a donation received from the National Bank of Sweden. There was controversy surrounding the creation of the initial Nobel Prize categories. Many members of the Nobel family were upset upon receiving smaller portions of the Nobel fortune and fought legally to overturn the changes to Alfred Nobel’s will. In addi-tion, there was a public uproar in Scandinavia over a lack of a Scandinavian nationality requirement for the Nobel Prize. It took five years, but eventually, an inde-pendent Nobel Prize foundation was created, and the first awards were given out in 1901. They have been given out annually after that. The Nobel Prize has since become one of the most coveted scientific prizes.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-2536

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