Unit 7: World War II Lesson 5: Atomic BombLesson 5: Atomic Bomb “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW World War I and the Russian Revolution had a dramatic effect on the countries that were involved in World War II. European monarchs involved in World War I refused to give up their empires after the war. The failure of Russia's economy and the fall of their aristocracy were related.

OBJECTIVES As a result of economic struggles during the Great Depression in Europe, people were willing to support the rise of dictators. World War II led to the development of the atomic bomb. Continuing conflict between nations changed the political landscape of Europe and the world

GUIDING QUESTIONS How did World War II lead to the development of the atomic bomb? In the face of crisis, why do societies want a strong leader?

CREATION Known as the Manhattan project under the direction of Harry S. Truman First wide-scale scientific operation- all done in secret

REASONING BEHIND IT -Japan refused to acknowledge the end of the war and the Potsdam conference. -37 different bombing raids had taken place and still he would not budge -An allied invasion would cost 100,000s of allied lives, plus million to billions of dollars that the allied powers did not have. -Act as a show of force of the US power

LEADERS Scientific creator- J. Robert Oppenheimer President Truman- Learned about the successful test during the peace treaty negations

CITIES DESTROYED Dropped April 6, 1945 by a B-29 bomber at 8:15 AM Fighting continued throughout the Pacific in 1944 and early 1945, including major battles at Leyte, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. By the late spring of 1945, most of Japan’s conquests had been liberated, and Allied forces were closing in on the Japanese home islands. As they neared Japan proper, the Allies began heavy bombing campaigns against major Japanese cities, including Tokyo. This process continued through the summer of 1945 until finally, in early August, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima (killing 80,000) and 3 days later on Nagasaki (killing 40,000). An unknown amount died afterwards but it reported a death of over 100,000 more died due to radiation poisoning. Stunned by the unexpected devastation, Japan surrendered a few days later.

Cities destroyed Nagasaki Hiroshima

Decimation after

OUTCOME Massive destruction- No one actually knew what would happen when they dropped on a populated area- They did not know radiation poisoning existed, how badly it would affect people, and how long those affects would last Radiation is still present in those towns and the affects of the poison is still seen in the families affected Lead to the surrender of Japan six days later B7F66235?hasLocalHost=false B7F66235?hasLocalHost=false America caught flack over the ethical implications surrounding such a weapon and their actions against Japan. Russia started to claim that they were in negotiations with Japan to surrender and the US ignored those. Russia went further to argue that all the US wanted to do was throw their military power in the face of the other countries This growing tension leads to an arms race within the industrialized country to build atomic bombs and test them. Eventually leading to the cold war with Russia