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The Drop of the Atomic Bomb - Coggle Diagram
The Drop of the Atomic Bomb
President Harry S. Truman
In April 24th, Truman was told about the
Manhattan Project
and the weapon that could end the war.
Assumed presidency after the death of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
At Yalta (1945), Roosevelt granted a number of concessions to Stalin to secure the promise that the Soviet Union would declare war on Japan 90 days after victory.
In 1939 Albert Einstein informed President Roosevelt about a German technological development that could be used for a potentially new form of weaponry and urged him to produce new technology before German success.
In 1942 it was decided to try and develop a nuclear weapon, and in December Enrico Fermi successfully created a nuclear reaction.
Dr Robert Oppenheimer of Berkley was asked to head the project (titled “Project Y”) in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
On
16 July 1945
, the first successful detonation of the atom bomb occurred - ‘The Gadget’
Until 16 July 1945 the military plan that the USA was pursuing involved starting with the southernmost island of Kyushu in October 1945 (land invasion would have resulted in millions of casualties on both sides) -
Operation Downfall
.
Winston Churchill (British prime minister) supported Truman’s decision to use the bomb.
As did
Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson
, who stated that the Japanese army was large and powerful and that fighting would not end until late 1946.
Truman considered the bomb to be just another weapon, albeit one with potentially unparalleled destructive force.
Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson
On March 15, 1945 I had my last talk with President Roosevelt. My diary record of this conversation gives a fairly clear picture of the state of our thinking at that time. I have removed the name of the distinguished public servant who was fearful lest the Manhattan project... it was an opinion common among those not fully informed.
- Henry L. Stimson
As Secretary of War under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, Henry L. Stimson (1867-1950) oversaw the entire Manhattan Project
Stimson defended the use of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the attacks had been executed.
Military reasons
Japanese military had no intention of surrendering and meant to fight to the last man (kamikaze).
In the three months after Truman became president, the USA had sustained nearly half of the casualties inflicted in three years of fighting.
Orthodox View:
Truman’s decision to use the bomb was in order to end the war in victory, the fastest way possible, and with the least possible cost in the lives of the men.
Maldwyn Jones asserts that, "the military and civilian leaders who took the fateful decision did so... to save Allied lives and to end the war at a stroke."
The bomb’s use was better than all existing alternatives, and would save not only Allied lives but Japanese lives as well.
To demonstrate the growing power and strength of the US armed forces.
"Power has been loosed against those who brought war to the far East. We are now prepared to destroy more rapidly and completely..."
- Truman
The US decision to use the bomb was simply to show its power to the world, especially to intimidate the USSR (keep them out of Asia and warned them of the military power that the USA now possessed).
Revisionist View:
To justify the monumental cost the production of the Atomic Bombs had.
120,000 people and $2 Billion (equally to $23 billion today).
History of events
April 1942: Japan captured the Philippines
By these time they had conquered more than 2.5 million km sq. of land
Japanese victories gave them the resources they needed: to sustain their empire and defend themselves against the US.
60% of tin reserves, tons of oil.
75% of the world’s natural rubber reserves.
US embargo was now negated.
Had 100 million people in its empire.
May 1942: Battle of the Coral Sea (tie)
June 1942: The Battle of Midway
The U.S. destroys 50% of the Japanese fleet (4 major aircraft carriers).
August 1942: Solomon Island (Guadalcanal)
October 1944: Battle of Leyte Gulf
USA took the Philippines
As the US got closer, the Japanese fought harder - kamikaze mentality
Feb-March 1945: Battle of Iwo Jima
Casualties: 23,000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese
March 9-10, 1945: Firebombing of Tokyo
3 more items...
The USA lost: 7,100 men, 29 ships, and 615 aircraft.
Japan lost: 31,000 men, 38 ships, and 683 aircraft.
Island Hopping: Go from Island to Island setting up air bases.
Should have ended World War II
December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attack
August 6th, 1945: Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
August 7th, 1945: USSR declared war on Japan
August 9th, 1945: Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
Nagasaki was an industrial area with one of the largest ports.
Originally it was intended for the target to be the city of Kokura, however there was too much cloud cover so the plane moved on.
On 15 August 1945, Emperor Hirohito addressed the Japanese population by radio and announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.
Casualties: 80,000
USSR declared invasion on Japan
Casualties: 70,000 plus 100,000.
Hiroshima was a strategically important army depot, port and urban industrial area.
The Japanese government did not react. Soviet government did by declaring war on Japan and beginning its invasion of Manchuria in accordance with the agreements it made with the USA.