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The Atomic Bomb

The Atomic Bomb. Allied Ground Invasion?. Victories at Iwo Jima and Okinawa opened the way for an invasion of Japan Despite these victories, Japan still had a huge army that would defend their homeland at any cost. Allied Ground Invasion?.

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The Atomic Bomb

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  1. The Atomic Bomb

  2. Allied Ground Invasion? • Victories at Iwo Jima and Okinawa opened the way for an invasion of Japan • Despite these victories, Japan still had a huge army that would defend their homeland at any cost

  3. Allied Ground Invasion? • President Truman foresaw massive losses if an invasion were to occur • Ultimately, Truman decides against invasion and opts for the use of the atomic bomb

  4. The Manhattan Project • Best-kept secret of the war • At its peak, 600,000 Americans were involved in the project, although few knew its purpose • First test: July 16, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico

  5. The Decision • July 5, 1945, Truman orders the military to make final plans for dropping two atomic bombs on Japanese targets. • July 6, 1945: U.S. warns Japan that it faces ‘prompt and utter destruction’ if it fails to surrender

  6. ‘Little Boy’ • On August 6, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay released an atomic bomb (‘Little Boy’) over Hiroshima (an important military center) • In a matter of seconds, nearly every building in the city collapsed to dust from the force of the blast

  7. ‘Fat Man’ • Three days later (August 9, 1945), a second bomb (‘Fat Man’) was dropped on Nagasaki. • By the end of the year, an estimated 200,000 people had died as a result of injuries and radiation poisoning • Japan surrenders on September 2, 1945

  8. Rebuilding Begins • The Yalta Conference – Meeting between Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt to discuss the Post-War world

  9. Yalta Conference • 1. Germany is divided into four zones (occupied by Americans, British, Soviets, and French) • 2. Stalin promised ‘free and unfettered elections’ in Poland and other Soviet-occupied territories • 3. Stalin joins Allies in war against Japan

  10. Nuremberg Trials • A series of trials for 24 surviving Nazi leaders for war crimes • 12 of 24 defendants were sentenced to death • Note: the principle of individual responsibility becomes a condition of international law. • ‘I was following orders’ becomes an illegitimate excuse for crimes committed

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