THE ATOMIC BOMB

HIROSHIMA NAGASAKI

"THE MOST TERRIBLE WEAPON EVER KNOWN IN HUMAN HISTORY“ --Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson

Development• Just before WWII the Germans had

successfully split a uranium atom

• The secret Manhattan Project was set up after Albert Einstein warned that the Germans may be making their own bomb

Leading up to the Drop• Roosevelt had died April 12, 1945,

causing Harry Truman to take office

• Allies continue to win key battles during 1944 and 1945

• The final push would be the invasion of the Japanese mainland

Key Decision• An invasion of Japan could cost 1

million American lives• First Atomic Bomb tested July 16,

1945• U.S. asks Japan to surrender, but get

no response• August 6, 1945 – U.S. drops Atomic

bomb on Hiroshima

Why did President Truman make the decision to drop the A-Bombs on

Japan?

Building the BombCalled the Manhattan ProjectStarted in 1942Built in Los Alamos, New MexicoTest detonation on July 16, 1945Devastation and danger of the bomb not realized One bomb was equal to 20,000 TONS of TNT.

Manhattan Project scientistsprepare to raise the bombto the top of the test tower at Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 1945.

The bombing of Hiroshima

Facts:Monday, August 6, 1945 8:15 A.M.Dropped by the Enola GayThe name of the bomb: "Little Boy"Initial death toll: Between 42,000 and 93,000Possibly 130,000 died by November 1945

The wind generated by Little Boy caused the most serious damage to the city and people.

The bombing of Nagasaki

Facts:Monday, August 9, 1945 11:02 A.M.Dropped by the BoxcarThe name of the bomb: "Fat Man"Initial death toll: 73,884Injured: 74,909 Total Casualties: 148,793Large numbers of people died in the following years from the effects of radiation poisoning.

Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki

Devastation• August 9, 1945 – U.S. drops second

bomb on Nagasaki

• 73,000 killed in Hiroshima, 37,500 killed in Nagasaki

• Japan surrenders on Sept. 2, 1945 in fear of another Atomic bomb

Why Truman decided to drop “The Bomb”1. Japanese soldiers (although losing) fought to the 1. Japanese soldiers (although losing) fought to the

death and caused the U.S. to take bad lossesdeath and caused the U.S. to take bad losses

2. Advisors told Truman that invading Japan would 2. Advisors told Truman that invading Japan would cost the U.S. military over 1 million casualtiescost the U.S. military over 1 million casualties

3. The Japanese government was warned before the 3. The Japanese government was warned before the bombs were droppedbombs were dropped

Truman’s diary

If you were in President Truman’s shoes would you have dropped the bombs on Japan…why or why not?

DEVASTATION OF THE BOMBS

HIROSHIMA

NAGASAKI

NAGASAKI

People caught in the open within 0.6 miles of the blast experienced temperatures so high that the dark, heat-absorbing pattern of their clothing was burned into their flesh.

Discuss the significance of dropping the A-Bombs...what was the

outcome and how has it changed the world since?