The History of Nuclear Weapons and Associated Treaties

Even before the outbreak of War, the United States was concerned with a fascist regime in Europe researching in nuclear weapons. In retaliation, the United States began to fund an atomic weapon development program which became known as “The Manhattan Project” led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. Over the next several years, the Manhattan project started obtaining key materials such as Uranium-235 and Plutonium and testing prototypes until they reached a working model (Coroner).

The United States dropped their first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. The explosion was tragic, “90 percent of the city was wiped out and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens and thousand more would later die to radiation exposure” (Lemay and Paul). Innocent children and citizens would die.

On August 2, 1938, in the heat of World War II, Albert Einstein, a physicist born in Germany, sent a letter to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States. The letter suggested America to build an atomic bomb before the Nazi Germany does. However, it took more than two months for the letter to reach Roosevelt. On October 19, 1938, Roosevelt agreed, replying, “I found this data of such import that I have convened a Board … to thoroughly investigate the possibilities of your suggestion regarding the element of uranium” (“President Roosevelt's response to Dr. Einstein”). As a result, America held a secret program, code named Manhattan Project, and started to build new, destructive weapons in a laboratory in Los Alamos,

August 12 was a terrible day for both the Japanese and the United States. On this date the nuclear bomb was dropped on the small city of Nagasaki in Japan. It devastated the city killing millions of people in that town. This is quote from a first hand witness of the bomb; "By the time I saw it, the flash had turned into a vast fire-ball which slowly became dense smoke, 2,000 feet above the ground, half a mile in diameter and rocketing

On 06 August 1945, the United States denoted a nuclear weapon over the Japanese city, Hiroshima due to the major military headquarters the housed. The event took place during the final stage of World War II, it is uncertain to the amount of people harmed in this event, to this day, with the long-lasting effects of the bombing survivors are still taking ill.

Though the scientists themselves were the ones to encourage the creation of the atom bomb, their plans and views differed immensely from those of the military. As World War II raged on, Germany was suspected of harnessing atomic energy and directing it into powering a weapon. Albert Einstein, agreeing with Leo Silzard, the man who first thought into the concept, urged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to look further into the study of atomic energy and the possibility of using it for a bomb. President Roosevelt, fearing the German’s advances in this study, quickly agreed and sent money to the University of Chicago to begin the study and research of atomic energy. (Roleff 62) (The Manhattan Project 1) Upon sending this money, the top-secret research program and building of the atomic bomb began. Later moving from Chicago to Los Alamos, New Mexico, this secret project was called the Manhattan Project. (1) Einstein later explained that his recommendation to the president was to only further the United State’s knowledge of this energy and to have an extra line of defense if the Germans were to ever launch a nuclear attack. (Roleff 62) When the possibility of using one of these weapons was

On August 2, 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify uranium-235, which could be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the United States Government began the serious undertaking known then only as "The Manhattan Project." Simply put, the Manhattan Project was committed to expediting research that would produce a viable atomic bomb.

There in Los Alamos was born the first Atomic Bomb.They had figured out how to split atoms and how to use it, but the problem was finding something to put it in. The bomb was given a certain shape that was able to fit everything and for sure make the bomb go off. Scientists used Uranium to build the atomic bomb. The problem with that was that not a lot of Uranium could be made at a time. It would take years to get just very little and even longer to have enough to create more. So scientists had to find something else to use for a bomb.

A major short term factor that lead to the Cold War was USSR’s fear of America’s newly acquired atomic weapons. During WWII two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities. The immense power and destruction caused by these new weapons resulted in the founding of United Nations Atomic Energy Commission. The goal of this commission was to contain atomic weapons and regulate their use. The US proposed the Baruch Plan, and the USSR proposed universal nuclear disarmament. Both of their proposals were refused and in the beginning of the Cold War, the United States had exclusive ownership of nuclear weapons. However, the USSR had begun working on acquiring and building their own stockpile of nuclear weapons. Although this process began slowly, after the USSR got a hold of their own uranium sources, they shocked the world and successfully developed and detonated their first nuclear bomb by 1949. This began the sort of Nuclear Arms race which ultimately increased hostilities between the two nations.

On April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt’s death occurred. Harry Truman appropriated the project and the Secretary of War brought him up to date since he was always unaware of the task at hand. President Truman convened with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin and the Potsdam Declaration was written. This declaration offered Japan the opportunity to surrender or risk “prompt and utter destruction” Japan declined and President Truman was left with the decision to release nuclear destruction on Japan. On August 6, 1945, “little boy” the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Truman had picked the target based on the lack of American civilians in the area. Japan refused to surrender. Three days later “fat boy” the second atomic bomb was released on Nagasaki, the residency of the Mitsubishi factory that produced the torpedoes that bombed Pearl Harbor. The devastation and deaths were felt for months after the bombing. The staggering amount of deaths were reported to be between 90,000-146,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000-80,000 in Nagasaki. Half of these deaths occurred on the days of the bombings. Japan surrendered to the United States. World War II would be ending.

The primary bomb, dropped on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, lost around 135,000 lives. The second bomb hit Nagasaki three days later and killed from 50,000 up to 74,000 deaths. In the article The View from Under the

On August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, on August 9, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The bombing devastated the entire country of Japan. A week after the second bombing, the Emperor of Japan, Hirohito, announced Japan’s surrender in World War 2.

At about eight A.M on August sixth, 1945 the Japanese city Hiroshima was destroyed by the deployment of the first nuclear weapon, nicknamed “Little Boy.” Soon after, at about eleven A.M the following day, a second bomb was dropped, called “Fat Man” on Nagasaki. Together, these bombings caused massive destruction. The death total was well near 220, 000. Only portions of these deaths were from the days of the bombings, with an equal number occurring later in the year from exposure to radiation. More have died since from leukemia.

Through the efforts of the “Manhattan Project” and the scientists within it, several nuclear bombs were created. Two of which, “Little Boy” and “Fat Man,” ended up being dropped on Japan. “Little Boy,” the only uranium bomb created was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 (Batchelder 99-105). “Fat Man,” the second nuclear bomb ever used in warfare, detonated above Nagasaki on August 11, 1945 (Batchelder 95-105). The leaders of the United States, decided that dropping the newly developed atomic bombs on Japan was the smartest action they could take at the time, given the current situation that the United States and the world was in. Dropping the bombs on Japan was mainly motivated by the belief that human lives could be saved. A massive invasion of the Japanese mainland was the only other option if no bombs were going to be dropped. The fact that the Japanese main army of approximately two million had never before been defeated on top of the Japanese terrain which was much better suited for guerrilla warfare than the mechanical ways of the U.S. put estimated American deaths alone well over the deaths at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined (Batchelder 114-118).

On the 6th November 1945, a United States bomber flies over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The only cargo aboard that B-29 bomber was an atomic bomb waiting on its target. At 8.15am the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, taking 140,000 lives with it. Most of the 140,000 died instantly, horrifyingly the rest of the innocent civilians that were not in direct contact with the bomb died painful deaths in the four months following. They died from radiation sickness and different types of cancers.