“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.” – Robert Oppenheimer. The Manhattan Project was the research and making of the world’s first atomic weapons. This was a major asset that led the U.S into beating Japan and caused the war to cumulate. The Manhattan Project brought nations together, took the necessary measure to end World War II, and gave America multiple industrial advancements used in modern day warfare. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the effort to produce the first atomic bomb during WWII. The project began in 1939, when two scientists accomplished atomic fission in uranium. These scientists were Jews, and during the Holocaust, they had to leave Germany into America. It was also operated with the help from the United Kingdom and Canada. Scientist Leo Szilard, Eugenge Wigner, and Edward Teller decided to tell the President of the United States, about the new fission technology that had been discovered. Which they believed was capable of making bombs. Most believed that Germany would be able create the first atomic bomb, so that’s why the three scientists requested the help of Albert Einstein, and together they wrote a letter to President Roosevelt describing their beliefs that nuclear fission “would lead to the construction of bombs and it is very possible…that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may be created.” In June 1941, the Office of Scientific Research and
It became known that the German knew how to create an atomic bomb and FDR created a committee to study and create atomic bombs, named the Manhattan Project.The Manhattan Project was significant to the war because it led to the end of World War II and caused the Japanese to surrender to the Americans. The amount of people working together along with the cost and time which led to advancements in technology that was far ahead of any enemy. The creation of the bombs delivered a push in the advancement of science, innovation, designing, military and the entire of society into another age. It drew out the powerhouse that we consider today to be the United States of
“ The atom bomb was no ‘great decision.’ It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness.” This quote was said by Harry S. Truman the first President who used an atomic bomb. The program that was able to create this monstrous power was known as the Manhattan Project. Creating this weapon was their main priority. The United States was in the midst of World War 2. The atomic bomb is considered to be the main factor that ended that war. It was a race against the multiple enemies of the United States, to be the first to acquire this power and use it when necessary. The Manhattan Project was kept strictly confidential and, created the foundation of the future and more powerful nuclear weapons to come.
Thesis Statement: The Manhattan Project was the American program for researching and developing the first atomic bombs because of the project it cost a lot of people their lives.
It has been just over seven decades since the destructive atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. These bombs were the first of its kind-weapons of mass destruction. There are many points-of-view or opinions about whether or not the bombs should have been used. As always there are two sides to each story; those who are for a cause and those who are against. In this paper, I will discuss the two opposing points-of-view, as well as my own opinion on which argument I find most compelling.
It was the morning of July 16, 1945, a countdown for the detonation of the first atomic bomb took place near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The atomic bomb testing would forever change the meaning of war. However, the atomic bomb was detonated and it sent shock-waves all over the world. There was much research to be done on the bomb in the United States. The research was called “The Manhattan Engineer District Project” but it was known as "The Manhattan Project."
On August 6, 1945 an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb had an unprecedented explosion that wiped out over 90 percent of the city killing over 80,000 people; and thousands more would die later due to radiation. Three days later, as the Japanese were mourning for the dead; a second B-29 dropped another bomb killing over 40,000 people. Soon after the devastating blow, the Emperor of Japan announced the country’s unconditional surrender. Prior to August 6th, the power of Nuclear weapons were yet unknown as well as the consequences which came along with it. When the bomb was used, the prompt and utter destruction brought fear into the world which changed the fate of mankind forever. From the death of hundreds of thousand Japanese, to the ending of the war historians have debated whether it was necessary to drop the atomic bomb during World War II.
Before the Beginning of the war in 1939, a group of American scientist, many refugees from Europe, became concerned that Nazi Germany was conducting some research on nuclear weapon. Their concern is what led to what is now known as The Manhattan Project. The project consisted of the development of an atomic bomb that the United states will soon drop on Japan. A bomb that
In the fall of 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt responded to warnings from Albert Einstein and other scientists that Germany was attempting to develop an atomic bomb. Roosevelt’s reaction to this news was to allocate federal funds to a top-secret atomic bomb program, which became known as the Manhattan Project (History.org). After physicists were able to control the nuclear chain reaction at one of the sites, the project continued to advance at a breakneck speed. After the final bill was assessed for the project, the Manhattan Project cost nearly Two-Billion dollars and employed 120,000 Americans (Grant). By the summer of 1945, scientists watched on as they tested the world’s first atomic bomb; however, these scientists were unprepared for the result as the explosion was visible from 200 miles away, a 40,000 foot cloud was created, and a half-mile wide crater was produced (History.org). After releasing a cover-up story, word reached President Truman that the project was successful and the world had entered a nuclear age. The development of nuclear weapons in the Manhattan Project was culminated in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 6, 1945, President Truman announced to the nation “Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb had more power than 20,000
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,
The atomic bomb is a very fascinating and essential subject. Have you ever wondered who, when, where, and why the very first atomic bombs were made and used? The creators of the bombs worked in many locations, and all had to be, creative, smart, and determined to complete these bombs. Wherever people worked all around the United States, they all worked very hard to complete these bombs to make our country much stronger. America created the very first atomic bomb in the entire world.
Purposeful bombing of civilians during war has been a common occurrence, but the ethicality of such a practice has been called into question. Generally, there tends to be a great aversion to intentionally causing harm without reasonable basis, yet this type of strategy is still in use. Is the bombing of innocent people justified if it ultimately brings an end to the war? The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II clearly exemplifies the ethical question of whether bombing civilians was right or wrong.
Post World War II, fear and anxiety consumed the subconscious of many Americans. Many feared atomic matter and the mystery of what it really was. Under the Atomic Energy Act, all information regarding the matter was classified. “The Big Secret,” as it was called was both a point of interest and pillar of anxiety for many. Everyday life was consumed by thoughts and worries but driven by the curiosity of this new science (Osteen 1994). The ability to split the uranium atom was discovered in 1938 in Berlin, Germany. The energy released when this atom split was remarkable. The fission of this atom could power a bomb and later would be used to do so. There were many issues to solve in regards to how the actual bomb would function. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt was informed that the atomic bomb was a strong possibility. With fear of the Nazis building the atomic bomb before the United States, The Manhattan Project was conceived in 1941 (AMNH 2016). On August 6th 1945, American’s learned of the bombing of Hiroshima. This event sent shocks around the world and seemingly unanswerable questions were quickly evolving around the topic of atomic matter.
Before the bombs were dropped there was the Manhattan project which was a research and development project for nuclear weapons. Enrico Fermi was a physicist who actually left Italy for America and encouraged the united states to begin research for the atomic bomb. There were many reasons America wanted to start development but after the attack on pearl harbor many people started to consider using the bomb on Japan.
On August 6 and 9th, 1945, the world’s first atomic bombs were dropped in a race to end World War II. The first nuclear bomb, ‘Little Boy’, dropped over Hiroshima, Japan wiped out ninety percent of the city and immediately killed thousands. Three days later, a second atomic bomb dropped on this time over the city of Nagasaki. The bombs were created by scientists who worked in secret for years on "The Manhattan Project" to perfect weapons that would bring an end to the long and traumatizing fight of World War II. The use of the atomic bomb at the end of World War II has had global consequences that are still being dealt with today.
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,