1. The United States decision to drop Atomic Weapons on Japan - 1945 The Manhattan Project: Background and Context

2. The Assumption of Use ► The Manhattan Project, costing nearly $2 billion had been kept secret from most cabinet members and nearly all of Congress. ► The necessary appropriations were hidden in the War Department budget.

3. Picking Targets ► Good targets were not plentiful. ► The Air Force was systematically bombing out most major Japanese cities. ► The Air Force command chose 3 cities as their targets and decided to aim for the center of each city. ► It was ordered that these 3 cities would be removed from the regular bombing list, preserving them for the A-bomb.

4. a world audience ► The awesome power of the bomb was to have 2 effects;  Force Japan to surrender or face total destruction  Impress other nations (Most notably the USSR) with America’s power and military dominance of the Post WW2 world  Truman's advisors were already anticipating the Cold War

5. Total War ► The official press releases identified Hiroshima and Nagasaki as “purely military” targets. ► The impression given to the American people was that civilians were not being targeted. ► However, just the opposite was true.

6. Connections ► internment of Japanese-Americans (Korematsu v. United States) ► post WW2 COLD WAR and the arms race between USSR and USA ► WW2 era unquestioning belief in authority figures (which will disappear in the 1960’s) ► constitutional issues – War Powers Act will later limit the power of the President to wage war without Congressional consent.

7. 2 tasks for the class: ► Today: Each group should arrive at a conclusion as to what will be recommended immediately regarding the A-bomb usage.  Demonstration explosion?  Warning issued?  Other possiblities…….

8. 2 tasks for the class: ► Tomorrow: Discuss and come to conclusions on broader issues listed below.  Moral issue of waging war on civilians.  Responsibility of those who have special knowledge to use this in an ethical way.  Appropriate role of the U.S. in the post WW2 world  You should THINK of others………………..