Atomic Bomb

1. Atomic Bomb • Iwo Jima and Okinawa opened the way for an invasion of Japan. • It was estimated that the U.S. would lose about 1 million soldiers and Britain about 500,000. The Japanese would lose millions. • An invasion of Japan would lead to a massive loss of life. • President Truman saw only one way to avoid an invasion of Japan. • Truman decided to use the atomic bomb.

2. Albert Einstein • Albert Einstein was a German born Jew. • He is best known as physicist and for his theory of relativity. • Einstein was a Jewish refugee to the U.S. • 1939, Einstein and other scientists sent a letter to President Roosevelt urging U.S. development of an atomic bomb. • Roosevelt authorized the research into the development of the bomb, but Einstein never worked on the Manhattan Project.

3. The Manhattan Project • The Manhattan Project was the U.S. program to develop an atomic bomb for use in World War II. • The project was led by General Leslie Groves. • J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American scientist and the research director on the project. • The first test of the bomb took place on July 16, 1945 near Las Alamos, New Mexico. • On July 25, 1945 Truman ordered the military to make final plans for droppingthe bomb on Japanese targets.

4. The Atomic Bomb Upon witnessing the explosion, its creators had mixed reactions. Isidor Rabi felt that the equilibrium in nature had been upset as if humankind had become a threat to the world it inhabited. Robert Oppenheimer, though ecstatic about the success of the project said "I am become Death… "the destroyer of worlds." Ken Bainbridge, the test director, told Oppenheimer, "Now we're all sons of bitches.“ General Leslie Groves Was ecstatic expecting a promotion and said while holding his collar “the bomb is brighter than 2 stars.” After viewing the results several participants signed petitions against using the monster they had created, but their protests fell on deaf ears.

5. Hiroshima • August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima killing 140,000 people. • The Hiroshima bomb was codenamed “Little Boy”. • The bomb was dropped from a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay. • The Japanese still refused to surrender after Hiroshima.

6. Nagasaki • August 9, the city of Nagasaki was bombed killing 80,000 people. • The Nagasaki bomb was codenamed “Fat Man”. • An estimated 220,000 people died as a result of the atomic blasts. • September 2, 1945, the Japanese formally surrendered.

7. The Yalta Conference • The meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin in February 1945. • The “Big Three” discussed the fate of Germany and the postwar world. • The meeting produced a series of compromises. • A division of Germany into 4 zones. • Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan. • Stalin agreed to participate in the United Nations. • The United Nations (UN): an international peacekeeping organization to which most nations in the world belong. • The UN was founded in 1945 to promote world peace, security, and economic development.

8. Nuremberg Trials • 24 Nazi leaders were put on trial for crimes against humanity, peace, and war crimes. • The defendants included Hitler’s most trusted party officials, governing ministers, military leaders, and powerful industrialists. • 12 of the 24 defendants were sentenced to death.

9. Nuremberg Trials • In later trials nearly 200 more lesser Nazi leaders were found guilty of war crimes. • The Nuremberg Trials established the idea that individuals are responsible for their own actions, even in times of war.

10. Occupation of Japan • Japan was occupied by U.S. forces for seven years. • 1,100 Japanese soldiers were arrested and put on trial. • Seven, including Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, were sentenced to death. • During the occupation, the U.S. reshaped Japan’s economy and government.