1. The Atomic Bomb

2. United States believed Hitler was developing an Atomic bomb

3. Manhattan Project U.S. program to develop an Atomic Weapon
Chief Scientist Robert P. Oppenheimer
President Truman didn’t learn about program until he became President
1st Atomic bomb was tested on July 16th 1945

4. The Manhattan Project cont…
U.S. feared that an invasion of Japan would result in 200,000 American casualties – and perhaps 1-2 million Japanese casualties
U.S. considers using an “Atomic Bomb” to end the war quickly
Bomb had been developed as part of the “Manhattan Project” – beginning in 1942

5. How to use the Atomic Bomb
Drop a bomb on and island in the Pacific to scare the Japanese into surrendering
Drop the Atomic bomb on Japanese cities

6. United States Warns Japan
Truman told Japan they could expect a “Rain of ruin from the air”
No response from Japan

7. Fat Man & Little Boy

8. Targets Hiroshima: 365,000 People
Bombed dropped on August 6th , 1945 at 8:16am
Enola Gay

9. Atomic Cloud Over Hiroshima

10. Hiroshima Ground temp: 7,000 degrees Winds: 980mph
Buildings destroyed: 62,000
Killed immediately: 70,000
Dead by end of 1945: 140,000
Area of total vaporization from the atomic bomb blast measured one half mile in diameter

11. Before and After

12. Nagasaki
200,000 residents
Dropped on August 9th, 1945

13. Nagasaki
40,000 died on day of the attack

20. Use the Bomb Not Use the Bomb
Battle of Okinawa showed how determined Japan was to continue fighting
Japanese had strong personal honor; many followed Samurai Code
Invasion would mean 500,000 to 1,000,000 U.S. Deaths and maybe 2 – 4 million Japanese
Intentionally targeting civilians was considered a war crime
110,000 civilians killed in the two bombings – 200,000 dead when Radiation poisoning deaths are added
Truman was ‘out of the loop’ as Vice President – didn’t know destructiveness of bomb?

21. Japan surrenders on September 2, 1945
Long term effects of radiation caused cancer