...History of the A-Bomb In early August 1945 atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two bombs quickly yielded the surrender of Japan and the end of American involvement in World War II. By 1946 the two bombs caused the death of perhaps as many as 240,000 Japanese citizens1. The popular, or traditional, view that dominated the 1950s and 60s – put forth by President Harry Truman and Secretary of War Henry Stimson – was that the dropping of the bomb was a diplomatic maneuver aimed at intimating and gaining the upper hand in relations with Russia. Today, fifty-four years after the two bombings, with the advantage of historical hindsight and the advantage of new evidence, a third view, free of obscuring bias and passion, can be presented. First, the dropping of the bomb was born out of complex infinite military, domestic and diplomatic pressures and concerns. Second, many potentially viable alternatives to dropping the bombs were not explored by Truman and other men in power, as they probably should have been. Lastly, because these alternatives were never explored, we can only conjecture over whether or not Truman’s decision was a morally just one, and if indeed it was necessary to use atomic energy to win the war. The war in Asia had its roots in the early 1930s. Japan had expansionist aims in Eastern Asia and the Western Pacific, especially in Indochina2. In July of 1940 the United States placed an embargo on materials exported to...
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...Nuclear Warfare Jessica Mendez History 1000c Professor Herbin December 3, 2012 Today I write to you, Mr. President, with understanding that we, as a nation, sit in a tough predicament. The war has been going on for quite sometime now and although we’ve made some advances on the front lines, it still doesn’t seem like enough to defeat those threatening us. Innocent lives have been taken on both our part as well as our enemies’ and our nation is looking to you in hopes that you may have some sort of a strategy to end this war once and for all. It has been brought to my attention that the use of nuclear weapons has been proposed to you as a strategy to bring this long war to an end. Nuclear weapons have proved somewhat successful in the past (WWII) and are still available for use in an even larger quantity. The reason why my saying that it was “somewhat successful” is because although it brought an ending to World War II, it caused a tremendous amount of hurt to many innocent people and to nature. The use of the nuclear weapon also tickled the curiosity of many nations to begin building their own nuclear bombs. When it was first used, we were the only ones that had successfully harnessed the nuclear energy to use it as weapons of mass destruction. Now in time, that is no longer the case. Many nations now also have a line up of nuclear weapons of mass destruction hidden away and ready to be used at a moments notice. Personally, I don’t believe that the use of such...
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...neutrons. As a result, the uranium nucleus splits some of its mass to be converted to energy. Other physicists noticed that the fission of one uranium atom gave off extra neutrons, which could in turn split other uranium atoms, starting a chain reaction. Therefore, in theory this energy could be harnessed to make a powerful bomb. Due to this, the development of the ultimate power took many scientists a lot of hard work and dedication to create such an effective bomb. First and foremost, there were problems with the political and social climate of the world that caused a race to unfold in the development of the ultimate weapon. During this period of time World War II was going on, and the United States was fighting with Germany in the Atlantic, as well as Japan in the Pacific. It all started when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis attacked Poland on September 1, 1939, in which the other countries had joined the war for help. As a result, when Leo Szilard heard that Germany had found out about Hahn and Strassman’s discovery he thought they would produce a bomb. Leo Szilard told them that they were attempting to purify Uranium-235, which would make up the atomic bomb. With that being said, he needed to get this valuable information to Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president of the United States at the time, but he did not know how to accomplish that. After some thinking he finally came to a conclusion and thought of Albert Einstein, and his connection with the United States. So, he went to...
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...Modern History Conflict in the Pacific 1937-1941 Due: Thursday 28th of August, 2008 Alyce Wearne Task: Evaluate the argument that America was justified in using atomic weapons against Japan in 1945. As one of the most significant and consequential decisions in the history of the world, President Harry Truman’s allowance of atomic weapons towards the end of World War II, of which he himself understood would cause both mass devastation and indignation, is still one of the most controversial and heavily debated topics in today’s society. This was partially due to the adverse underestimation and seemingly ignorant approach the American’s had towards their latest development of mass destruction; almost oblivious to the immense aftermath of physical injury, civilian death and emotional torment it would produce for those involved. This decision, ultimately made by one man, affected not only America and Japan, but the world. Dispute over this was, and continues to be highly generated, the event causing anger and infuriation to millions across the world. This resentment did not just accumulate from the lack of awareness and slaughter of innocent life, but from the graphic images shown in newspapers, the casualties, and the torturous amount of death underwent as a result of the bomb. As a Japanese survivor documented: “The appearance of people was . . . well, they all had skin blackened by burns. . . . They had no hair because their hair was burned, and at a glance you...
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...An atomic bomb is a weapon with great explosive power that results from the sudden release of energy upon the splitting, or fission, of the nuclei of such heavy elements as plutonium or uranium. (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2016) This catastrophic bomb was used twice during World War II. On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped its first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb was known as "Little Boy", a uranium gun-type bomb that exploded with about thirteen kilotons of force. Three days after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, a twenty one kiloton plutonium device known as "Fat Man.”(Atomic Heritage Foundation, 2012) This paper will discuss the creation and use of the first two atomic bombs. Early in 1939, German physicists had learned the secrets of splitting a uranium atom. Fears soon spread over the possibility of Nazi scientists utilizing that energy to produce a bomb capable of unspeakable destruction. Scientists Albert Einstein, who fled Nazi persecution, and Enrico Fermi, who escaped Fascist Italy, were now living in the United States. They agreed that President Franklin Roosevelt, must be informed of the dangers of atomic technology in the hands of the Axis powers. In late 1941, the American started to design and build an atomic bomb, which later received its code name, the Manhattan Project, which was named after one of the initial sites of research, Columbia University...
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...purpose of this investigation is to establish the extent to which the arrival of foreign scientists to America impacted the Manhattan Project and to come to a conclusion of whether or not the incursion of the foreign scientists to America led to the success of the Manhattan Project. This investigation was completed by: · A reading of multiple books about the Manhattan Project and its history · Scrupulous use of the internet · Making an understanding of the science behind the creation of the atomic bomb · An evaluation of Albert Einstein’s letter to President Roosevelt The first section of this investigation will deliver factual material from sources with accurate references. The next section is an evaluation...
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...Hiroshima On August 6, 1945 the first atomic 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...
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...Hongxin Liu Professor Name：MR. CRAIG J. PERRIER HIST 3131: World History Since 1945 March 31, 2016 Part A: Sharing Knowledge with Metropolitan Museum of Arts My name is Hongxin Liu, and I am enrolled at Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies in Bachelors in Business Studies. I have been enrolled in some courses this semester among which World History Since 1945 is a course which relates to the historical development and transformations all over the world. The course provides an opportunity to trace the significant events in all parts of the world and identifies their individual and synergic influence on the globalization, Economy and International Relations. In the context of the course requirements, the class is expected to engage with an organization to take an informed action in the form of suggestion or editorial. I have chosen Metropolitan Museum of Arts as my organization. The Metropolitan Museum of Arts is a tremendous resource of collection and exhibits collected from all over the world and makes connections to the world history and culture. The Met Museum explores the world art and history from various perspectives as captured by transnational artists, painters and photographers. The 1945’s atomic bomb dropping on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a changing point of history. The bombs caused a widespread destruction in both cities almost flattening them to the ground. This was the point when World War II came to the conclusion with Japan’s surrender...
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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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...If the bombs never hit Hiroshima, the world would be much different than now. In 1945, America dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima in Japan. Days later a second bomb hit Nagasaki and in total killed over 100,000 people. It wasn’t till after where the Emperor Hirohito announced his surrender in August 15. Many sources indicate that the U.S. were justified when they dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, but other sources think that it wasn’t necessary. Many lives were lost on both sides and it lead to people think, “what would the world be like if the bomb never happened?” The bomb wiped 90 percent of Hiroshima and days after left more people to die due to radiation exposure. America had enough weapons to beat Japan and they would have surrendered either way but America proceeded with the bomb anyway. If the bomb never hit, the war might have lasted longer which would have caused more casualties in both American soldiers and Japanese soldiers. The bomb in a way showed other countries that we...
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...The Necessity of the Atomic Bombs in World War II On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb intended to kill man was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the United States of America. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, in hopes to force Japan to finally surrender. There is much controversy, even to this day, as to whether to deployment of the first atomic bombs were warranted and absolutely necessary. While the bombings did end the treacherous World War II, they ended up killing over 240,000 people. While Samuel J. Walker, a World War II historian, claims that “The fundamental issue that has divided scholars over a period of nearly four decades is whether the use of the bomb was necessary to achieve victory in the war in the Pacific on terms satisfactory to the United States”, the debate also boils down to other factors, such as the fact that it was part of the total warfare that began in WWII, it was more desirable than invasion, and it actually saved lives but hastily ending the war. Arguments against the bombing of Japan revolve around the inherent morality of the atomic bomb, especially considering Japan’s underdeveloped nuclear advancements and the actual necessity of the Atomic bombs. The two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan were absolutely necessary despite the immorality because of Japan’s refusal to surrender, the bombs ended up saving more lives than it spent, it was part of total warfare, and it was the most efficient...
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...in my history. It was a cold morning in Chicago and was walking towards a football field with my great student Leona Woods. When we got down to the squash courts the experiment was set up and we just needed to see what would happen. Enrico Fermi created and conducted one of the most important parts of the Manhattan Project. I am clearly the one who most greatly contributed the U.S’s successes in the Manhattan Project because I successfully showed that atomic power could be controlled and gave the U.S a momentum boost because now the kenw the atomic bomb was possible. Even though some might say that the atomic pile wasn’t an important part of the Manhattan...
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...made a life changing decision to drop an atomic bomb named “Little Boy” in Japan’s Hiroshima. The result of this weapon ended up in destroying more than 4 square miles of the city. The company who made the bomb was called Enola Gay. The motive behind the doing of this was to threaten Japan and make them surrender in World War 2. It is a fact that this was the first time in history that a nuclear weapon was used. This event is still one of the most important topics in history. It has been debated by an abundance of historians: Was it justified despite 129,000 innocent citizens died? There isn’t a definite answer to this but there were both sides to the story. Bombing was justified It is widely believed that the bombing was brutal and cruel. However, it was the reason that ended World War 2, and if America did not drop the bomb, the losses of soldiers would be even at a larger number than the amount of people who died in the drop of the bomb. It has also been said to save a lot of American’s lives and soldiers. This statement is backed up by the quotation “Fighting would be fierce and the losses heavy.” that was said by Harry S. Truman in 1955. This quote can tell us that during that time he believed that if the war was still going on, it was very likely that the upcoming invasions of Japan would cause even more severe damage and casualties of American soldiers and citizens. Winston Churchill even estimated that if the bomb wasn’t dropped, two hundred and fifty thousand...
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...The Finishers The use of the two atomic bombs in early August of 1945 was among the huge turning points that lead to the end of World War Two. The organization responsible for the research and 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,...
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...airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of TNT. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British "Grand Slam" which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare.” This was vocalized by President Harry Truman in his famous speech where he declared the bombing on mainland Japan and, educated the American people of the capabilities their military had. Developed by a group of American scientists, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 10th 1945 respectively. These are the only two times that these bombs have ever been used to inflict damage on other countries but, physicists estimate that both bombs only used about 1/10th of 1% of their total capacity. From a moral standpoint, dropping the atomic bomb was the right thing to do because it ended up preventing millions of people from being killed by military warfare. Politically, it was also the right thing to do because it strategically helped end the war and, reminded the rest of the world of the supremacy of the United States as a Hegemon and militaristic power. If put in the position of President Truman, after careful analysis, I would choose to only drop one atomic bomb on Hiroshima. First, with the Japanese unwillingness to surrender, the United States was ready to commence with a top-secret mission titled Operation Downfall. This alternative to the nuclear bomb was the only other option...
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