Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Charlotte Kaiser & Catriona Chevalier

The Manhattan Project

• The US’s top secret project to create the world’s first atomic bomb

• Directed by the American physicist Robert Oppenheimer • Preliminary research began in

1939 as the Allies feared Germany would develop atomic

weapons first

Leading up to the bombings• In 1945, the Allies were looking for a way to end

WWII• July 26, the Allied powers presented an ultimatum

to Japan called the Potsdam Declaration, outlining the terms of their surrender

• Failure to comply would result in "the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as inevitably the utter devastation of the Japanese homeland".

• The Japanese government rejected the Declaration

Hiroshima• August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was used in war• The Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber dropped the bomb

“Little Boy”

• The target was Japan’s Second Army Headquarters which was a communications center and storage depot

• Japan detected the “Enola Gay” but lifted the air raid because the number of planes coming in was small.

• 70 000 dead (30%)• 61 000 injured • 90% of doctors died• 69 % of buildings were destroyed• Only 10% of people that were

within 500 m of the explosion lived• After the attack, the US restated

the ultimatum

"Practically all living things, human and animal, were literally seared to death."

- Japanese radio announcer

Statistics

President Truman announces the bombing of Hiroshima

“The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. We won the race of discovery against the Germans; we have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans. We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japan’s power to make war.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trumann_hiroshima.ogg

Nagasaki• With no answer to the second ultimatum, the US took

action again• 3 days later, on August 9,

they attacked Nagasaki• The bomb “Fat Man”

was dropped• 40 000 dead• The explosion generated heat estimated at 3 900

degrees Celsius and winds of 1005 km/h• Less damage was cause as Nagasaki’s terrain is more

mountainous

Lasting impressions

• Another 70 000 died within 5 yearsdue to the radiation exposure

• Victims started to develop cancer, as well as other diseases

• Birth defects were prone in mothers for decades to come

Results

• August 10, 1945, Japan officially surrendered• This day is known as V-J Day.

(Victory over Japan Day) • The only condition was that the

emperor be allowed to remain the nominal head of state

• World War II was now over• These two events are the only active deployments of

nuclear weapons in war

Hiroshima: Dropping the bomb

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF4LQaWJRDg&feature=BF&list=PLD7F1A06CE1780AD5&index=2

SummaryEVENT: Hiroshima & Nagasaki SO WHAT?

(Significance / Impact / Consequences)

WHEN: August 6th & 9th, 1945 •World War II was over

•171 000 victims

•Another 70 000 people died within 5 years

•Various health defects for generations to come

•Heightened debate about morality lagging behind technological developments

WHERE: Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan

WHY: The Allies were looking to end WWII in the quickest way possible with the least amount of Ally casualties

OUTCOME: Japan surrendered after the second bombing

References• http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/surrender.htm • http://cf.juggle-images.com/fit/white/600x600/wg-atomic-bombings-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-7.jpg• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7593298.stm• http://www.signalalpha.com/images/LittleBoyAtomicBomb_with_caption.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki