MERCHANT OF DEATH - Alferd Nobel

MERCHANT OF DEATH - Alferd Nobel

Alferd Nobel was born On October 21, 1833 to immanuel Nobel in Stockholm, Sweden who was a famous scientist, inventor, businessman was called the ‘Merchant of Death’ for his invention of dynamite and explosives which was criticised for finding ways to kill people faster than ever and the most prestigious award is given after his name.

Alfred’s father was an engineer and inventor. He built bridges and buildings and experimented with different ways of blasting rocks.  Later, he moved to St. Petersburg, Russia and opened a mechanical workshop that provided equipment for the Russian army. He also made the Russian Tsar and his generals believe that sea mines could be used to stop enemy ships from entering and attacking St. Petersburg. The mines stopped the British Royal Navy from moving into firing range of St. Petersburg during the Crimean War in 1853-1856.

The four Nobel brothers were given first class education with the help of private tutors . At the age of 17, Alfred could speak and write in Swedish, Russian, French, English and German. Alfred travels abroad
as his father wanted him to follow his footsteps and increase business.

Alfred became very interested in nitroglycerine and how it could be used in construction work. When he returned back to Russia after his studies, he worked together with his father to develop nitroglycerine as a commercially and technically useful explosive. He concentrated on developing nitroglycerine as an explosive. Sadly, these experiments resulted in accidents that killed several people, including Alfred’s younger brother, Emil. The government decided to ban these experiments. But, Alfred did not give up and moved his experiments in 1864, he was able to start mass production of nitroglycerine but he did not stop experimenting with different additives to make the production much safer.

Alfred invents “dynamite”

Alfred found, through his experiments, that mixing nitroglycerine with a fine sand called kieselguhr would turn the liquid into paste and thus make it safe . The invention was made in 1866. Alfred got a patent or legal right of ownership on this material the next year. He named it “dynamite.”

Alfred was able to put up factories in 90 different places. He was described as “Europe’s richest vagabond.” He also experimented in making synthetic rubber and leather and artificial silk. By the time of his death in 1896 he had 355 patents.

Meets Bertha von Suttner

Alfred had no family of his own. One day, he announced in the newspapers for a secretary. An Austrian lady, Bertha gets that job. After working for a short time, she moved back to Austria to marry Count Arthur von Suttner.

Alfred and Bertha von Suttner remained friends and exchanged letters through the years. She later became very active in the peace movement. She wrote the famous book “Lay Down Your Arms.” When Alfred Nobel later wrote his will to establish the Nobel Prizes, he included a prize for persons or organizations who promoted peace.

Alfred died in San Remo, Italy on December 10, 1896. In his last will and testament, he wrote that much of his fortune was to be used to give prizes to those who have done their best for humanity in the field of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.

In 1901, the first Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature were first awarded in Stockholm, Sweden and the Peace Prize in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway.

Write about Alfred Nobel invitions?
Alfred Nobel

He left his enormous savings to fund a set of prizes, called the Nobel Prizes, allegedly in his last will — which he signed on November 27 in 1895.

Some facts about the Merchant of Death, Alfred Nobel:

1. Nobel was always very interested in explosives and dynamite. Following his studies, he subsequently invented a detonator in 1863, and, in 1865, he designed the blasting cap.

2. In September 1864, a cabin which he was using for the preparation of Nitroglycerin exploded at the factory, killing five people, including Nobel’s younger brother Emil.

3. In 1888, Alfred’s brother Ludvig died while visiting Cannes and a French newspaper mistakenly published Alfred’s death with the title ‘The Merchant of Death is Dead’.

4. Thinking that he had passed away, the newspaper severely condemned him for his invention of dynamite. It also stated that “Dr Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.”

5. Alfred was disappointed with what he read and became much concerned with how he would be remembered.

6. Nevertheless, Nobel carried on his experiments in other factories, and focused on improving the stability of the explosives he was developing.

7. Nobel invented the dynamite in 1867, a substance easier and safer to handle than the more unstable nitroglycerin.

8. In order to improve his image of a ‘Merchant of Death,’ Nobel considered naming the highly powerful substance ‘Nobel’s Safety Powder’, but settled with ‘Dynamite’ instead — which meant ‘power’ in Greek.

9. Nobel was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1884, the same institution that later selected laureates for the Nobel prizes.

10. On December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel succumbed to a lingering heart ailment.

11. To clear his name, he left most of his wealth in a trust, in order to fund the awards that came to be known as the Nobel Prizes.

12. The Nobel Prizes were created as awards for people who made the greatest contributions to mankind in subjects that interested Alfred Nobel, namely Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Peace.