The Trinity Project was a project conducted to test the effects of a nuclear weapon. The Trinity nuclear device was detonated on a 100-foot tower on the Alamogordo Bombing Range in south-central New Mexico at 0530 hours on 16 July 1945. (Rohrer, 1995-2003). This project was organized by the Manhattan Engineer District (MED). This organization worked diligently planning and coordinating all of the logistics for the groundbreaking event. From 1945-1946 over 1000 personnel either worked or visited the test site. The United States was trying to gain nuclear proliferation throughout the world so this project was necessary for our enemies to see the devastation of a nuclear blast. One of the driving forces behind the trinity …show more content…
General Groves, with his customary bluster and intensity, wished to make Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, the initial target for the atomic bomb to inflict the maximum psychological shock on the Japanese populace, but Stimson with Truman’s eventual backing, overrode him. (C.S.C., 2011). The first test was made of the implosion type of fission atomic bomb. The scientist and the Generals did not drop the first bomb from a plane, but from a 100 foot steel tower. To assure the defeat of Japan Truman and Byrnes worried about the test that took place in the desert of New Mexico on July 16 in the city of Alamogordo. The code name for the Manhattan project was called “Trinity” people never knew why the project was named Trinity, but it was speculated that Oppenheimer picked it in reference of the divine Hindu trinity of Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer). (http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Trinity.html, 2003)
General Groves and Robert Oppenheimer took the lead with a series of officials and scientist for the initial test. Scientists seemed to be elated at the project, because they expended so much energy on this project that even Oppenheimer, he climbed the tower to give the bomb its final inspection. Once the inspection was complete all of the personnel moved to a protected observation
There were serious issues of security of documents, due to failure to lock up (Wood 4). <br><br>The one serious incident was the hiring of Klaus Fuchs. He was later found, and convicted of obtaining secret documents and sending them to the Soviet Union. A competent and hardworking scientist himself, Fuchs enabled the Soviet Union to create their own atomic bomb (Beyer 45). <br><br>Names were not allowed to be mentioned outside of the laboratory. Everybody was a "sir" or "mister" instead of their own name (Wood 4). Unless they worked at the lab themselves, wives knew nothing of their husbands' research (Wood 4).<br><br>Decisions to drop the atomic bomb went through several personalities, yet ultimately rested upon president Truman. The man whose decisions created the Manhattan Project, never lived to see the results of his labor. FDR died on April 12, three months before the first successful Trinity test (Beyer 56). The responsibilities were soon placed upon Truman, the next president. Truman knew nothing about the bomb and its effects yet hastily decided that the bomb be used on Japan, considering Germany was no longer a target with the war in Europe over. Initiated by Szilard, a petition was made to offer the opinion that the bomb should be used only if Japan refused to surrender, even after being informed of the bomb's destructive capabilities
Before the bombs were set off over Nagasaki and Hiroshima, a test bomb was detonated in the desert lands of New Mexico. The scientists involved in the research and fruition of this weapon were holding their breaths to see if it worked. They were not concerned with how many potential lives their creation could end, they were only interested in seeing if all of their hard work and two billion dollars in funding would pay off. Dr. J. R. Oppenheimer was credited with the idea of using the atomic bomb as a military weapon. If the bomb worked the intention was to use it to end lives, but as they watched in anticipation to see if the
The research for the first Atomic bomb took place in the United States, by a group of nuclear engineers; the name of this research was called, “The Manhattan Project”. On July 16, 1945, the detonation of the first atomic bomb was tested near Los Alamos, New Mexico. As the atomic bomb was detonated, it sent shock-waves across the globe, which demonstrated that nuclear power would forever change the meaning of war.
Three well revered American generals, Leahy, Macarthur, and Eisenhower, stated the dropping of the atomic bomb “was not a military necessity.” Japan was already struggling greatly to maintain itself, and they felt that it would fall soon. Leahy even went as far as to say that a continuation of the blockade of Japan and bombings would have been enough to bring Japan to its knees. These generals acknowledged the efficiency of the atomic bomb, but could not reconcile that efficiency to the devastating consequences. Two mainly civilian cities were almost completely leveled. Prior to the test dropping of the atomic bomb, a survey was given out to the scientists working on the Manhattan Project to gauge what they thought would be the best
The Manhattan Project was a research and development project that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II. The Manhattan project was the invention of the first two nuclear bombs, Fat man and little boy. These two bombs were dropped on Japanese islands to end World War II.
Many of these men being from New Mexico. Theoretical Physicist Robert Oppenheimer, the leader of this project, led the scientists to success, after about three or four years, in 1945, the first bomb was ready for testing. Since this type of bomb had never been created before, no one was really sure of what would happen. They would soon find out.
The Manhattan project was a top secret government enterprise that was put in place to create the worlds first atomic bomb. Overall, The Manhattan Project was a 2.2 billion dollar program in which was a collaborative effort between both British and also American scientists. The project was put into place to create the worlds first ever atomic bomb and to use the bomb in World War II. The projects official start was in 1943 and it 's official completion was in 1945. The Manhattan Project, also, employed over 130,000. The bomb was to be under strict secrecy from Germany, Japan, Russia, and even some parts of America 's executive system.
As the last shots of World War II were fired in Europe, the U.S. had a plan for their new advanced weapons of mass destruction. The atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in early August of 1946 (Kennedy). These bombs and their short-lived history have had a huge impact on modern warfare and the essence of power surrounding a country. The Manhattan Project began in a frantic effort to end World War II before the Germans got their hands on the technology. As a result of this project, countries could now interact differently in terms of warfare and how they handle hostile foreign affairs.
The Manhattan Project was a group of scientists that was brought together to invent the first nuclear weapon. Whenever the Manhattan Project finished their project, they created the first nuclear weapon, the atomic bomb. The Atomic Bomb was the deadliest weapon during that period of time, and President Harry Truman controlled its launch. The war was heating up and there seemed to be no stop to the violence and deaths that was happening. The article “The Decision to Drop the Bomb” explained the war conflicts as “American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, yet the Japanese military was refusing to give up their fight.
The Manhattan project was the first large scale nuclear weapon development the world had seen. The project itself brought together many of the worlds greatest minds and most distinguished military commanders of the day. Several years of work and research went in to developing these nuclear weapons after the United States feared Germany would surpassed them in nuclear weapon development. While the US may of won the race to build the nuclear weapon, they lost in the catastrophic moral dilemma that faced everyone involved after the drop. Japan had a strong hold during WWII and made distinct enemies with the US. After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the death of tens of thousands of people and animals and complete destruction of the cities, many asked if the bombings were necessary. Those
At the time, it was called the largest collective scientific effort ever undertaken. It involved over 37 installations across the US, 13 university laboratories and the Nobel prize winning physicist Arthur Holly Compton and Harold Urey. The Manhattan Project was also the most secretive wartime project in history, directed by the army's chief engineer, Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves. The U.S was unaware of the amount of knowledge the project needed to be complete.
In 1941, Britain’s MAUD report concluded that an atomic bomb was possible and that its construction should begin immediately. Since Britain was already fully mobilized in war with Germany, the United States was in a better position to proceed with the bomb project. A special ”S-1” committee was formed to determine the feasibility of an atomic bomb. They concluded that it would initially cost upward of $100 million with the production of a bomb by July 1944. In September 1942, the Manhattan Project was created with Gen. Leslie Groves at its helm. J. Robert Oppenheimer was chosen to supervise the scientific side of the atomic bomb project. A site for the central laboratory was chosen near the Los Alamos Ranch School in New Mexico. Here the actual design and construction of the two atomic bombs that would later be referred to as “Fat Man” and “Little Boy” took place.
The research of the bomb took place in over 30 locations across the United States and Canada, and the development of the bomb took place in Los Alamos, Mexico (Siracusa 34). Through extensive research by many world-renowned physicists, it was concluded that uranium-235 was the best choice for the atomic bomb and was chosen as the energy source of the first bombs. Once tested, the bombs were built and used as the final assaults in World War II against Japan.
The laboratory would be constructed in Los Alamos, New Mexico and was given the name Los Alamos Laboratory, or LAL. Oppenheimer was entrusted to design not one, but two different bombs. The successful result of these efforts was observed after the building and design of the fission bomb, also known as atomic bomb or atom bomb, when a field test was required to assess the new plutonium bomb implosion design.
If the bombings accomplished one goal of the United States, it was the level of destruction rampant throughout the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. A constant variable present in both incidents was the harm inflicted upon the people, buildings, and government forces, which were all in the center of the cities. While the United States caused irreplaceable damage, it failed to aid other goals that were needed to crippling the enemy’s power. Although industries and people were eliminated, the political effect of crushing Japan failed, because the nation had more determination than Truman first thought when it came to survival and reconstruction. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastating military tragedies to Japan with high physical damage, but their impact did not help the United States achieve its desired