1. The Dropping of The Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The atom bomb was no great decision. It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness.
~ Harry S. Truman
We chose a dark background to represent the atom bomb to demonstrate a dark and somber mood. The background is a picture of the mushroom cloud after the atomic bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. The pictures on the left side show the actual atom bombs and the mushroom cloud after a detonation. The font we used is “1942 Report” which we believe looks like a typewriter font. The font also looks somewhat destroyed which coincides the destruction of the atomic bomb.
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Charles C. and Ben S. Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

2. The Beginning of A Crash Program
American atomic bomb project in its early stages in 1941.
Independent research was done in Britain.
Vannevar Bush hears of German program.
October 9, 1941 U.S. starts significant research for the construction of an atomic bomb.
Even before Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), the American atomic bomb program began picking up speed, but was not yet a top concern. Research held in Britain concluded that construction of an atomic bomb was possible. The initiation of the American crash program began to become a top priority when Vannevar Bush, head of the American civilian scientific research for the American military, found that the Germans had their own nuclear program. On October 9, 1941, President Roosevelt approved intensified research resulting in a feasible atomic bomb.

3. The Manhattan Project
June 1942, atomic-bomb project was controlled by War Department's Army Corps of Engineers.
American and European physicists discovered that the fission of uranium could a powerful weapon.
Major General Leslie Groves named head of the project.
At the height of construction in mid 1944, the Project employed nearly 129,000 people. No other nation in the world had the massive industrial capacity to make this possible.
The Manhattan Project was a very top secret project to counter the German nuclear program. America felt threatened by the German program and therefore, we created our own nuclear program. Albert Einstein, a German American scientist, believed that the Germans would create an atomic bomb. However, the Germans created an atomic bomb. In June 1942, President Roosevelt transferred the atomic-bomb project to the War Department's Army Corps of Engineers. Groves' major task was to build the huge industrial facilities needed to separate the small amounts of uranium and plutonium needed for a bomb. The Manhattan Project was truly a confidential program. Even Harry Truman were not even aware of the program until he took office.

4. The Manhattan Project Cont.
To disguise this ultra-secret project, the Corps created a Manhattan Engineer District, with a headquarters initially based in New York City.
Most work done at Los Alamos, New Mexico
“Gadget” (Trinity) on July 16, 1945
Clearly, the Manhattan Project was initiated as a defense mechanism. With the fear of other countries, especially Germany, establishing nuclear programs, the United States needed to start a program to defend itself. If a program was not established, the United States would be in grave danger. The Manhattan Project was top-secret, Harry Truman was not aware of the program until early Most of the Manhattan Project was centered around Los Alamos, New Mexico, under the direction of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who designed and built the first atomic bombs. On July 16,1945, the first nuclear device known as the “Gadget” (Trinity) was detonated near Alamogordo, New Mexico

5. Robert J. Oppenheimer cont.
Late in 1942, Gen. Groves chose physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to head a new laboratory devoted to the designing atomic bombs.
Oppenheimer recommended a remote site in New Mexico for the new facility, where many famous scientists could work together in complete secrecy.
From a wealthy N.Y. Jewish family.
Ties with Communism.
By choosing a very remote area, such as Los Alamos, New Mexico, top scientists could work under isolated conditions. It is very important that the project remained secret so no confidential information could be leaked to the public. Oppenheimer was from a wealthy New York Jewish family and became a brilliant student of theoretical physics. The Nazi persecution of the Jews turned him into an activist but he held ties with Communists. Oppenheimer proved to be a great leader and scientific manager. After the war, he played an important role in advising the U.S. government about nuclear weapons.

6. The Manhattan Project Success
Two atomic bombs were made, “Little Boy” and “Fat Man.”
Scientists at Los Alamos were not fully confident in the “Fat Man” bomb.
Bombs designed to create an accurate and symmetrical implosion.
After over three years of top secret work, The Manhattan Project produced two different types of atomic bombs. The "Little Boy“ was designed to trigger a nuclear explosion by firing one piece of uranium 235 into another. The "Fat Man" was far more complex. It contained a sphere of the metal plutonium 239, around which were arrayed blocks of high explosives. At Los Alamos, scientists were not fully confident in the “Fat Man” so they believed that it should be dropped first as a test of its destruction. Both bombs were designed to produce a accurate and symmetrical implosion, which would compress the plutonium sphere to a critical density and set off a nuclear chain reaction.

7. “Trinity” July 16, 1945
The “Trinity” test was the first successful test of a nuclear weapon. The bomb tested an implosion-design plutonium bomb. This type of bomb was used in Nagasaki. The explosion was the equivalent of 20 kilotons of TNT. The test signified the beginning of the “atomic age.”
Betting pools were set up among the observers of “Trinity” on the results of the test. Some predictions ranged from zero, a dud, to 18 kilotons of TNT to destruction of the state of New Mexico to the ignition of the atmosphere and incineration of the planet.
This first nuclear explosion cast an ominous shadow over many, especially Oppenheimer. Robert Oppenheimer later said he thought of the lines from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita, "I am become Death, Destroyer of Worlds."
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8. Fission Bomb
The names of the two atomic bombs were “The Fat Man” and “The Little Boy.” The Little Boy bomb was a gun-type fission bomb (shown above). Gun-type bombs generate a nuclear explosion by firing one piece of fissile material into another of the same type. In this case, the material is uranium. The bomb is gun-like in that a small wedge of uranium is fired at a larger, target piece. Upon impact, the two pieces fuse together briefly, forming what is called a supercritical mass (a mass slightly greater than what is necessary to sustain a chain reaction). The rapid release of massive amounts of energy in a limited volume creates the explosion. In the Little Boy bomb, a mass of uranium about the size of a baseball produced an explosion as powerful as 20 kilotons of TNT. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.)
Picture from – “Fission Bomb” Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

9. Fat Man and Little Boy “Fat Man” “Little Boy”
The picture model shown above shows the type of bombs that were dropped in Japan. In Hiroshima, the Fat Man was a gun-type assembly method bomb. In Nagasaki, the Little Boy was an implosion assembly method type bomb. Japan estimates a death toll of of 240,000. Once again, the immense radiation is detrimental to health, and can create problems such as thyroid cancer. Those that survived the bomb are called hibakusha (exposed to the bomb). Today, there are over 266,000 hibakusha in Japan.
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“Little Boy”

10. New Weapons in World War II
During the last stages of the war, two new weapons were introduced: the long-range rocket and the atomic bomb.
Throughout the war, most weapons were an improved version of the weapons used in World War I.
Atomic bomb = absolute destruction.
Towards the end of the war, the American government had successfully created an atomic bomb. This atomic bomb had the potential to create absolute destruction. America beat Germany in creating the bomb and had the entire world watching. The use of the bomb could sing handedly end World War II, however, the dropping of the bomb would have adverse effects on those it was used against and those who used it.

11. Russian Influences on Development of the Atomic Bomb
The US carefully considered Russia in the development of the Atomic Bomb.
General Groves viewed the Soviet Union as one of America’s worst enemies.
Truman’s advisors convinced him that if the Atom bomb was used, it would keep the US’s enemy Russia at bay.
Postwar use of the bomb as a bargaining chip for territory was highly valued.
Postwar uses for the Atomic bomb were often thought about throughout the development of the Manhattan Project. High ranking generals and advisors viewed the Soviet Union as the exact opposite of the United States. Truman’s lack of foreign policy made it easy for outside influences to dictate his final decisions. The US believed that as long as it was the only nation with the atom bomb, it could influence every country in the world. Therefore, the decision to drop the atomic bomb was made to show Russia and the world that the US is in control.

12. Battle of Okinawa Known as “Typhoon of Steel”
Largest amphibious assault in Pacific of the War.
Operation Downfall – invasion of main islands in Japan
48,000 Americans died. 150,000 Japanese civilians died.
Japanese propaganda viewed Americans as “barbarians.” This gave the Japanese the mindset of never surrendering to an American.
The Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945-June 21, 1945) resulted in massive causalities and was no doubt the bloodiest battle of the Pacific Ocean. “Typhoon Steel” refers to the immense amount of gun fire. About 120,000 Japanese died. More civilians were killed than in the initial atomic bomb blast at Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Operation Downfall never occurred because the atom bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese portrayed Americans as barbarians in order to gain more support. Some civilians killed their families instead of surrendering. Also, the Japanese soldiers truly fought to the last man.
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13. Debate over the Bomb: American Support
Americans were suffering many casualties and the Japanese were showing no signs of possible negotiation.
A cease fire was non-negotiable.
If the United States dropped the atomic bomb, surrender and peace would probably occur.
By 1945, the Japanese and Americans inflicted a huge amount of causalities, especially at the battle of Okinawa. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was still president in 1945, the Japanese showed no sign for peace. The Japanese repeatedly denied talks for peace and peace talks were unsuccessful. The never ending war gave rise to the potential use of the atomic bomb.

14. Japan Will Fight Until the End
Imperial Conference in Tokyo – June 8th 1945.
“Fundamental Policy”
Japan is willing to fight to the bitter end as an underdog.
Surrender is not an option for Japan.
On June 8th, 1945 the Japanese held an Imperial Conference in Tokyo. In this meeting, top Japanese officials decided that their soldiers would “fight to the death.” The "Fundamental Policy" of Suzuki's government was to fight on, and to choose "honorable death of the hundred million" over surrender. For 2,000 years Japan had never been defeated. There was no word for "surrender" in the Japanese dictionary. Therefore, losing was not an option.
Japan did not believe it could defeat the United States, it did intend to negotiate an end to the war on favorable terms. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941 hoping it could delay American intervention, gaining time to solidify its Asian empire. Japan planned to fight a decisive battle that would bloody American forces, forcing the U.S. to negotiate a peace and leave Japan as it was; the emperor and the military government, in power.

15. Saving Lives by Using the Bomb
Non-combatants were dying throughout Asia at the rate of 200,000 per month.
The complete naval blockade of Japan would have resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths due to malnutrition, dehydration, and famine.
The atomic bomb saved thousands of American soldier’s lives
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians alike were dying every month throughout the Japanese Empire. Most Japanese soldiers only knew the Samurai style of fighting which consisted of fighting to the last man. This mentality would have yielded ten times the amount of casualties than the dropping of the atom bombs. Operation Starvation was the complete blockade of Japan, which completely cut off its imports.

16. Invading Japan?
If America did invade Japan, many Americans would have died.
Secretary of State James Byrnes claimed 500,000.
Total combat deaths after four years of war – 292,000.
It was believed that if the U.S. invaded Japan, many American lives would have been lost. Secretary of State James Byrnes claimed that the atomic bomb saved about 500,000 deaths. The U.S. military planners predicted that 20,000 – 110,000 combat deaths since November 1945 thus far. However the estimates for how many Americans would have died, will never be known. We do knot know how strong the Japanese resistance would be. Some military advisors believed that the American death toll would reach 1 million.
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17. The Beginning of the End of Imperial Japan
By 1945, a Japanese victory would not be possible.
Use of kamikaze (divine wind) attacks damaged about 50 U.S. ships and sunk 17 during January 4 –
Many Japanese soldiers jumped off cliffs instead of surrendering to U.S. soldiers.
1945, U.S. Marines capture the island of Iwo Jima. About 6,800 U.S. causalities.
The next attack was scheduled for Kyushu in November 1945.
It was known that Japan had no way of winning at this point. The Japanese navy would not be able to come out in force again. The suicide air attacks known as kamikaze were used towards the end of WWII for Luzon in the Philippines. Finally, after a month long battle at Iwo Jima, a battle that inflicted great causalities, Iwo Jima was under American control. However, the strong morale and dignity of the Japanese soldiers at Iwo Jima reminded American soldiers that there would not be any easy victories.

18. U.S. and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union played a large role in the use of the atomic bomb.
Growing tensions between U.S. and Soviet Union –- puppet governments in Eastern Europe.
Stalin started a Soviet atomic bomb project in 1942.
Soviets helped defeat Germany, but Stalin was not popular with the Allies.
The Soviet Union played a large role in America’s use of the atomic bomb because of rising tensions between American and the Soviet Union. American was not fond of the puppet governments the Soviets established in Eastern Europe after the German defeat. There was also the question of when the Soviets should enter the Pacific war. U.S. military wanted the Soviets to enter the Pacific War before the U.S. invaded Japan, but Truman’s civilian advisers questioned its desirability. Joseph V. Stalin was another problem for the U.S. and Allies. Nobody supported his purges and absolute control. Also Stalin authorized a Soviet atomic bomb project in 1942, and this scared America.
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19. The Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima
The audio above was a statement made by Harry S. Truman’s announcing the atomic bombing at Hiroshima on August 6, The audio was recorded via voice recorder from the “American Presidency Project” website because the website does not offer a direct download due to copyright issues. The picture above is of stunning mushroom cloud. Truman’s speech is confidence and assures an American victory. He mentions beating the Germans and pride in the U.S. for having the first atomic weapon. He also states some of his motivations for bombing Japan.
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20. The Enola Gay
On August 6, 1945, the B-29 Enola Gay, under colonel Paul Tibbits left Tinian airbase in the West Pacific.
The six hour flight went exactly as expected.
The bomb was armed midway and clear weather permitted for accuracy.
The Enola Gay dropped “The Little Boy” bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. Its crew trained at Wendover Army Air Field in Wendover, UT. as part of Project Alberta during the Manhattan project. The Hiroshima mission has been described as “tactically flawless”, and the crew returned safely to its base on Tinian to great celebration.
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21. Hiroshima Before The Atomic Bomb
The picture above is a model of Hiroshima pre-atomic bomb. Before the bombing, Hiroshima was a city of industrial and military significance. There were even some military camps located nearby. It was one of the few cities in Japan, nearly untouched by American bombing. Hiroshima was picked as a target location because there was a large population, no POW camps, and the hills nearby would be “spectacular” when bombed.
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22. Hiroshima After The Atomic Bomb
The model above shows the great destruction at Hiroshima. The entire city was decimated within seconds. It is estimated that 70,000 – 90,000 instantly perished. However, there are also unaccounted deaths due to the massive radiation from the bomb. About 90 percent of the buildings in the city were damaged or completely destroyed.
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23. The Mushroom Cloud
8:15 AM, “The Little Boy” was dropped over the center of Hiroshima
It exploded about 2,000 ft. above the city and had a blast the equivalent to 13 kilotons of TNT.
Due to radiation, approximately 152,437 additional people have died.
During the bombing, 70,000 – 90,000 instantly died. However, over time, the deleterious effects of radiation have taken over 150,000 lives. The radiation caused massive health damage to the inhabitants as well as future generations.
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24. The Bombing: Nagasaki Before After
In the before and after pictures above, clearly the immediate effects of the bombing are disastrous. On August 1, 1945, high-explosive bombs were dropped on the city. After this bombing, school children were evacuated to rural areas. Five days later, August 6, 1945, Nagasaki experienced its first large scale-bombing. A little north of Nagasaki was a camp holding British POW’s. The atomic bomb saved their lives because they were working underground in the coal mines while the atomic bombs were dropped.
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After

25. The Japanese Surrender
The Japanese surrendered on September 2,
The ceremony took place on the USS Missouri accompanied by British ships in Tokyo Bay.
Japan agreed to a ceasefire and the release of POW’s.
Japan agreed to end all hostilities and acknowledge the authority of the U.S. Supreme Commander. The Japanese Prime Minister, Prince Higashi Kuni, broadcasted an appeal to his people to obey the terms of the surrender. Japan was forced to accept its defeat “squarely”.
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