The Dropping of the Atomic Bomb

Locations and Dates Hiroshima, Japan (Little Boy) August 6, 1945 Nagasaki, Japan (Fat Man) August 9, 1945 “Little Boy” “Fat Man”

Beginning of Development The beginning of the project was Albert Einstein’s 1939 letter to FDR in which he suggested that an atomic bomb could be built.

Manhattan Project Major General Leslie Groves named head of operations. http://www.history.com/topics/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/videos#manhattan-project At height of construction, the project employed 129,000 people.

Potsdam Declaration Outlined terms of surrender for Japan from the U.S. Told Japan without surrender there would be, “Complete destruction of Japanese armed forces as well as inevitable devastation of the Japanese homeland.”

Decision Makers U.S. President Henry S. Truman United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill Soviet Union’s Premier Joseph Stalin Churchill, Truman, Stalin

Casualties Hiroshima- 70,000 casualties from initial bombing. Up to 200,000 casualties by the end of 1945 due to radiation. Nagasaki- 75,000 casualties from initial bombing. Up to 80,000 total by the end of 1945 due to radiation.

Radio Broadcast from President Truman After the dropping of “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, President Truman had this to say to the American public… Radio Broadcast