Atomic Bomb

EINSTEIN

• 1939

• LET’S

AMERICA KNOW

GERMANY MAY

ALREADY HAVE THE BOMB!

MANHATTAN PROJECT

GOAL:

PRODUCE A SELF-SUSTAINING

ATOMIC CHAIN REACTION WHERE PARTICLES RELEASED

FROM THE SPLITTING OF ONE ATOM WOULD CAUSE ANOTHER ATOM TO BREAK APART.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• THEIR GOAL WAS TO BUILD THE MOST POWERFUL BOMB EVER CREATED.

• NEXT: THEY NEEDED TO CREATE A SPECIAL KIND OF URANIUM TO MOLD INTO THE BOMB

–PLUTONIUM

MANHATTAN PROJECT

• WHO?

–ENRICO FERMI

• ITALIAN SCIENTIST

• SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED THE CHAIN REACTION NECESSARY FOR DESIRED NUCLEAR EFFECT

JOHN OPPENHEIMER

HE WAS IN CHARGE

• PHYSICIST

• PRESENT AT THE FIRST TEST SITE IN ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO: July 14, 1945

• QUOTE:

–Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds.

But would we use it?

• INTERIM COMMITTEE:– ROOSEVELT DEAD APRIL 1945

– TRUMAN PRESIDENT NOW

– FORMED THIS COMMITTEE OF SCIENTISTS AND POLITICIANS

– CHOOSE TO USE THE BOMB TO END THE WAR IN JAPAN TO SAVE FURTHER AMERICAN CASUALTIES

ANY OTHER REASON FOR US TO USE IT?

• SHOW THE SOVIETS WE HAVE IT

• TRUMAN:AGREES TO USE THE BOMB

INSTEAD OF INVADING JAPAN– TWO REASONS: ONE: SAVE LIVES– TWO: REVENGE FOR PEARL

HARBOR

The pilots/co-pilots and mechanics of the planes that dropped the bomb.

Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first bomb.

FAT MAN & LITTLE BOY

• "My God, what have we done?" –Robert Lewis

• Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb.

THE BOMBS

• STATS: HIROSHIMA, JAPAN

– AUGUST 6, 1945

– LITTLE BOY: URANIUM BOMB

– 70,000 PEOPLE DEAD

NAGASAKI: THREE DAYS LATER

FAT MAN: PLUTONIUM BOMB

40,000 PEOPLE DEAD

Distance from Ground Zero (km) Killed Injured Population

0 -1.0 86% 10% 31,200

1.0 - 2.5 27% 37% 144,800

2.5 - 5.0 2% 25% 80,300

Total 27% 30% 256,300

Atomic Bomb

Damage of Hiroshima

                                                                                        

                                

The ruins around the Industrial Promotion Hall, now known as the Atomic Bomb Dome

• Ohmura Navy Hospital: A 14 year old girl after the bombing of Hiroshima at Ohmura Navy Hospital on August 10-11.

Severe burns. Only his waist was protected from a burn by a waistband he wore (within 1km from the hypocenter).

Kimono pattern. Burned areas on the back and on the dorsal portion of the upper arm show that thermal rays penetrated the black or the dark colored parts of kimono she wore.

"ATTENTION JAPANESE PEOPLE" EVACUATE YOUR CITIES *Because your military leaders have rejected the thirteen part surrender

declaration, two momentous events have occurred in the last few days. *The Soviet Union, because of this rejection on the part of the military has

notified your Ambassador Sato that it has declared war on your nation. Thus, all powerful countries of the world are now at war against you.

*Also because of your leaders' refusal to accept the surrender declaration that would enable Japan to honorably end this useless war, we have employed our atomic bomb.

*A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2000 of our giant B-29's could have carried on a single mission. Radio Tokyo has told you that with the first use of this weapon of total destruction, Hiroshima was virtually destroyed.

*Before we use this bomb again and again to destroy every resource of the military by which they are prolonging this useless war, petition the Emperor now to end the war. Our President has outlined for you the thirteen consequences of an honorable surrender; We urge that you accept these consequences and begin the work of building a new, better, and peace loving Japan.

*Act at once or we shall resolutely employ this bomb and all our other superior weapons to promptly and forcefully end the war."

EVACUATE YOUR CITIES (This message was sent to the residents of Nagasaki before the second bomb

was dropped.)

WAR ENDS

• AUGUST 14, 1945: –JAPAN ACCEPTS U.S. TERMS

SURRENDERS:

September 2, 1945

V-J Day (Victory over Japan).

For millions of Americans, Alfred Eisenstaedt's 1945 LIFE photograph of a sailor stamping a masterly kiss on a nurse symbolized the cathartic joy of V-J Day.

Crowds outside the White House celebrate V-J Day, the Japanese surrender and the end of World War II. August 1945