1. End of War Beginning of Nuclear Age

2. Manhattan Project

3. June, 1942: Army Corps of Engineers led by Gen. Leslie Groves was appointed director Experiments were first held beneath University of Chicago’s abandoned Stagg Field (first controlled nuclear reaction took place) J. Robert Oppenheimer (theoretical physicist) directed Los Alamos research in New Mexico This was the most ambitious secret enterprise in history More than 600,000 Americans were involved Truman did not find out about it until he became president

4. Truman and the Bomb Truman decides to use the Bomb because – Invading Japan would mean up to 1,000,000 more casualties – Anti-Japanese sentiment is strong in the U.S. August 6, 1945 Enola Gay drops uranium bomb on Hiroshima August 9, 1945 Plutonium bomb dropped on Nagasaki Why these cities? – Were never hit by allied bombing

5. Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 6, 1945 August 9, 1945 President Truman’s decision Thought it would end the war and save American lives Hiroshima: 66,000- 78,000 killed Nagasaki: 39,000 killed Japan estimates 240,000 total

7. Japan Surrenders (V-J Day) Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945 Formal signing took place on September 2 nd aboard the Missouri

8. War Crimes Trials Nuremburg 1945-46 11 high Nazis executed Others put in prison Tokyo 1946-48 7 Japanese leaders hanged Premier Tojo hanged

10. May 8, 1945 August 14, 1945

11. MacArthur & U.S. forces occupy Japan Japan’s economy is reshaped – free market practices Japan had a new constitution (MacArthur Constitution) Established women’s suffrage Guaranteed basic freedoms

12. Memorable World War Two Images