...The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a significant turning point for the United States in World War II. The rumors of the creation of an atomic bomb put the Allies on edge; each wanting to be the first to create such a destructive technology. The reason behind why the US chose to execute this project, the processes and events that took place, and the subsequent effects of the project depict the importance of this major US event. To fully understand the importance of the Manhattan Project, it is first imperative to understand the reasoning behind why the United States chose to pursue the project. In 1939, Allied scientists had fears that Nazi Germany might develop nuclear weapons (The Manhattan Project). At this point in the War, Hitler was at his most powerful. He had one of the largest followings in history and his reign was producing devastating outcomes for the Jewish population (The Manhattan Project). Once the scientific community discovered that German physicists could split a uranium atom, action needed to be taken (The Manhattan Project). Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi Germany to live in the US, felt as though President Roosevelt should be made aware of the dangers of atomic technology being in the hands of Hitler (Ushistory). A letter written by Einstein was received by Roosevelt, yet the President found no reason to immediately respond to such a situation (Ushistory). However, 1941 began the American effort to construct an atomic bomb (The Manhattan...
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...Manhattan Project Research Paper Nuclear research all started when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered into World War II. When the United States realized that Germany attempted to build an atomic bomb, Americans began to concentrate on their research about creating an atomic bomb. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Manhattan Project, which included a group of top scientists, under General Leslie R. Groves, who worked around the clock to try to develop an atomic bomb within three years. The Americans and the British combined their efforts to research the development of the bomb and created plants and factories to work in. They created plants for three separate processes: electromagnetic, gaseous diffusion, and thermal diffusion. These plants helped create the plutonium and uranium 235 needed to manufacture the atomic bomb. The secrecy of the Manhattan Project was essential in order to develop the atomic bombs to end World War II. The United States and Great Britain kept the development of the atomic bomb a secret. In order to keep the secret, Groves spread the work out between laboratories so that the people working on the bomb could not figure out they were manufacturing. The members of the Manhattan Project asked the scientists questions about the bomb, and they gave answers back, but they did not know what the responses were for. The project consisted of so many restrictions for the employees in order to keep the secrecy...
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...The Manhattan Project Nuclear research all started when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered into World War II. When the United States realized that Germany attempted to build an atomic bomb, Americans began to concentrate on their research about creating an atomic bomb more heavily. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Manhattan Project, which included a group of top scientists, under General Leslie R. Groves, who worked around the clock to try to develop an atomic bomb within three years (Bondi 493). The Americans and the British combined their efforts to research the development of the bomb and created plants and factories to work in (“The Atomic Bomb…” 257). They created plants for three separate processes: electromagnetic, gaseous diffusion, and thermal diffusion. These plants helped create the plutonium and uranium 235 needed to manufacture the atomic bomb (Gerdes 142). The secrecy of the Manhattan Project was essential in order to develop the atomic bombs to end World War II. The United States and Great Britain kept the development of the atomic bomb a secret (Bondi 493). In order to keep the secret, Groves spread the work out between laboratories so that the people working on the bomb could not figure out they were manufacturing. The members of the Manhattan Project asked the scientists questions about the bomb, and they gave answers back, but they did not know what the responses were for. The project consisted of so many restrictions...
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...development of these nuclear weapons was known as the Manhattan project. The development of this bomb changed the way scientists, as well as the rest of the world, looked at nuclear energy. It also help in bringing along one of the biggest arms races in history, the cold war. So why was this atomic bomb produced? It all started with the discovery of nuclear fission by German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in 1938. This is what made the idea of creating an atomic bomb a very possible theory. The Manhattan project was created in 1942 “During its four years of existence the Manhattan Project mobilized over 120,000 people—including most of the United States' physicists, chemists, engineers, doctors, and technicians, along with a small group of outstanding German/Austrian refugee scientists—into 37 top-secret installations.” (Avery, 383) This made the Manhattan project as big as the auto industry at the time. Basically, the creation of the atomic bomb was inspired by the fear that Germany would make one first, which is what they were on track of doing. On August 6, 1946, a Boeing B-29 Bomber named the Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets, and dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan. “Little Boy” exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima in a blast equal to 15 kilotons of TNT, destroying five square miles of the city. On the August 9, 1945, another B-29 piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney, dropped fat boy over Nagasaki, Japan. This bomb, known as fat boy, was more powerful than...
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...World War II entered its sixth year in 1945, with the official end of the European War on May 8. Though the European part of World War II was over, The Pacific War was not. The Allied forces, led by the United States of America and backed by the United Kingdom and Canada, were working on the Development of Substitute Materials in attempt to create the world’s first atomic bombs. The bombs were planned to be used against the Axis powers, specifically the Japanese after their refusal to surrender unconditionally to the Allies in 1945. The Development of Substitute Materials, more widely known as its later codename the Manhattan Project, was created in 1942 and was in effect until 1946- after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. The bombings of Hiroshima and...
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...scientists of the Manhattan Project, described the scientific importance of the discovery of the atomic bomb. Immediately after the droppings of the atomic bombs on Japan until the present day, there were many debates on whether the Manhattan Project was justified or if nuclear weapons are even ethical. Seeing the destruction of the “Little Man” and “Fat Boy” bombs in the moment arose great fear and discontent. However, looking at the Manhattan Project in retrospect shows that the advantages gained through the years greatly outweigh the consequences of the nuclear weapons. The Manhattan Project was a pivotal endeavor in America’s history...
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...Hiroshima and memory Background During the final stage of World War II 1945, the United States conducted the atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Such events are the only use of nuclear weapons in the world. The atomic bombs were created by the Manhattan Project, which was a research and development program established by the United States with the United Kingdom and Canada that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. The United States called for a surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration on 26 July 1945 by threatening Japan with “prompt and utter destruction”. However, such ultimatum was ignored by the Japanese government. Thus, two nuclear weapons that developed by the Manhattan Project had been deployed by the United States. Hiroshima was the primary target of the first atomic bomb mission and Nagasaki was the second target of the mission. The first nuclear weapon named Little Boy was dropped from an American B-29 Superfortress, known as Enola Gay on the city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 and followed by another nuclear weapon named Fat Man dropped from the B-29 Bockscar on the city of Nagasaki on 9 August. The official figures by Japanese at the time put the death toll at 118,661 and the later estimates the final toll was about 140,000 of Hiroshima’s 350,000 population including military personnel and those who died later due to radiation. On the other hand, the explosion of Fat Man event killed 39,000 and caused a further...
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...The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941. An air attack led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, which consisted of 183 fighters and bombers, attacked Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. During the bombing many ships were destroyed, and many soldiers died. This event would bring the United States into World War II. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor because it was considered the height of America’s Naval supremacy. Another reason is that the Japanese knew the United States would primilary be using the navy to attack them. Since the Japanese were trying to take over China, they knew it would be a bit easier for them to do it because it would be harder for us to get to Japan and stop them if they destroyed the American Navy in Pearl Harbor. Despite how far Japan was from Pearl Harbor, it was still closer then the rest of the United States. The Japanese fleet had to sail over 4,000 miles to launch airplanes to attack Hawaii. The Japanese were able to attack Pearl Harbor because America's intelligence community failed to notice them. Some reasons why it was hard for the American intelligence community to notice the Japanese on their long naval journey, was the Japanese would only travel at night and would not use any radio communication. Any form of radio interception was impossible (Truman). The Manhattan Project started when Albert Einstein left Germany to come to the United States to escape Nazi prosecution. A month after Einstein had left Germany he...
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...May 8, 1945, was welcome news. Japan, however, vowed to fight to the very end. Their resolve was evident in the Battle of Okinawa: By the time it ended in June, Allied forces lost more than 14,000 soldiers and Japan's military suffered more than 77,000 deaths — plus the loss of an estimated 100,000 Japanese civilians. Against this backdrop, Allied forces drew up plans for Operation Downfall, a large-scale invasion of Japan. But with Allied casualties from an invasion estimated to reach 1 million deaths — plus another 10 million Japanese casualties, including civilians — Allied planners searched for another way to end the war, which they found in the Manhattan Project. Advertisement This is a mockup of "Little Boy," the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. This is a mockup of "Little Boy," the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. Credit: U.S. National Archives The Manhattan Project Concerned over reports that Nazi Germany was developing a new type of weapon using radioactive uranium, in 1939 U.S. government officials began to investigate the potential of uranium — particularly the uranium-235 isotope — for making a powerful bomb. Within a matter of months, a coalition of American, British and European scientists — many of whom were refugees from Germany, Italy and other fascist nations — began collaborating on a vast international project to develop a uranium-based bomb...
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...ESSAYS FOR THE FINAL EXAM 2014 1. What was the Manhattan project and how did it evolve? How was the decision made to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how did the bombing end the war? (be specific and complete) Essay – The Manhattan project was central to the United States efforts in constructing a nuclear bomb during the Second World War. Motivated by the fear of an enemy attack from the Nazi’s, the United States was able to develop the world’s most devastating bombs, which would end up killing more than 200,000 Japanese citizens in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In this way, the Manhattan project essentially grew out of America’s efforts to defend themselves against a potential Nazi attack. Hungarian scientist Leo Szilard, after escaping to America, realized that if the Nazis acquired the works recently conducted on nuclear fission, they might be able to construct a nuclear bomb and dominate the world with its destruction. He then convinced Albert Einstein of the impending Nazi threat and Einstein took the initiative to alert the United States by writing a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the letter sent in August 1939, right before the start of the war, Einstein advised that the United States be wary of the threat of nuclear weaponry in the hands of the enemy and that they should begin a weapons building program of their own. A very small committee was established to look into the science and development of a bomb, funded by a mere $6,000. President...
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...bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by an American B-52 bomber. The dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan brought an end to World War II and was somewhat of a form of revenge towards the Japanese from the Americans. The United States had been working on the development of the atomic bomb since the mid to late 1930’s with the Manhattan Project. The United States began developing the atomic bomb after Albert Einstein had informed President Franklin D. Roosevelt that Nazi Germany was also looking at how to create nuclear weapons by purifying uranium-235. Robert Oppenheimer oversaw the Manhattan Project, in which they “perfected” the formula for refining uranium and making it into an atomic bomb. By the time that the United States had “perfected” nuclear weaponry Germany had already been defeated, but the war with Japan continued on. The United States chose to drop the bomb on Hiroshima because it was a city of industrial and military significance, there were many military units located near the city and it was the site of Field Marshal Shunroku Hata’s Second General Army. The city of Hiroshima was a key shipping port for the Japanese military and it was also a meeting place for the military. At the time of the bombing the population of Hiroshima was approximately 345,000 compared to what it was at the beginning of the war, which was approximately 381,000 residents. There was a significantly smaller number at the time of the bombing because the Japanese government...
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...wrote about the bombs again after the September 1945 issue. The second source by Miles says that there were other alternatives to a land invasion and a bombing, but they were widely ignored by those who could make the decision. After the bombings, the American people would not know if there were other ways because they would not have this knowledge until years later. Influence of Historical Context: Since the magazines and media talked positively of the atomic bombs, that is what the public thought of them. After the bombings in Japan, American citizens thought how the atomic bombs would be a window to nuclear technology, and not just destruction. The decision to drop the bombs versus other decisions has had great effect. The use of the nuclear bombs may have prevented them from being used again because they are so deadly. The use is widely debated due to the bombings...
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...“The Birth of a Little Boy: The Manhattan Project” “The Birth of a Little Boy: The Manhattan Project” In 1919 a New Zealand Nobel Peace Prize winning chemist working at Cambridge University in England would lay the foundation for one of the most prolific and destructive weapons the world has ever seen. Ernest Rutherford changed the way scientists looked at atomic structure when he successfully changed several atoms of nitrogen into oxygen. In this process he discovered the proton. Rutherford’s scientific discovery would get a boost in 1932 when his then colleague, James Chadwick, discovered the final piece to the atomic puzzle, the neutron. With the complete atomic structure established, the process of further breaking down elements began. One element of particular interest was uranium, the heaviest element on the periodic table. Uranium was broken down into three categories by their number of neutrons: uranium-234, uranium-235, and uranium-238.1 Six years later uranium-235 would become a focal point in nuclear research. The year 1938 would bring about the next phase of nuclear warfare, nuclear fission. Radiochemists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, were working in their lab in Berlin, bombarding different elements with neutrons. As they worked down the periodic table they stumbled on something interesting. Uranium reacted significantly more to neutron bombarding than the other elements they had tested. Additional testing led Hahn and Strassman to hypothesize...
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...World War II had been going on for over two years and the U.S. was staying in isolationism. But on December 7, 1941 Japan launched an attack on Pearl Harbor. After this The United States declared war on Japan. On August 6, 1945, little boy, the first atomic bomb ever used in war was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. This resulted in 70,000-80,000 people died immediately and another 70,000 were injured. Hiroshima at the time was very large with roughly 350.000 people living there. It was chosen because it had industrial and military significance. Three days later it was followed by Fatman, the second and last atomic bomb used in war, which was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. This resulted in over 40,000-75,000 immediately dying. Originally Fatman was to be dropped on the city of Kokura, but because of the weather they decided to bomb their secondary target Nagasaki. Nagasaki was important because it was one of the largest seaports in Japan and the large industrial activities including producing military equipment.Many things led up to the bombing of these two great Japanese cities. The first event leading up to the bombing is World War II and Japans involvement in bringing the US out of isolationism. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor the US was already furious with Japan and wanted revenge. Another thing leading up to this event was Manhattan Project. This was started in 1939 when the U.S., feared that the Germans were making an atomic bomb. This resulted in the...
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...been influenced by the people around him such as the Manhattan Project and Congress. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been one of the most widely debated topics to date. The two conflicting sides of the argument are political and militarily. Traditionalist historians argue from the military perspective,...
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