1. Atomic Bomb: The End of WWII
Ms. Apostolo
9th Grade: Social Studies
2. Fair Use Statement
This project was created using the fair use guidelines.
3. Albert Einstein Warns President Roosevelt
On August 2, 1932 Albert Einstein and many other scientist wrote
President Roosevelt of Nazi Germanys efforts to purify Uranium-253.
The Uranium could be used to create an Atomic Bomb. Shortly after,
the United States Government began seriously working on the
Manhattan Project.
4. The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Projects main objective was to conduct research that
would produce an Atomic Bomb. The project took six years
(1939-1945) to complete its goal at a cost of more than $2 billion
dollars. The key member of the Project was Robert Oppenheimer, who
oversaw the designing and building of the Atomic Bomb.
5. Testing The Gadget
The Gadget, as the Atomic Bomb was known, was first tested on July
16, 1945 at the Trinity Site in New Mexico. The bomb excelled
upward at 360 feet per second and the characteristic mushroom cloud
materialized at 30,000 feet. All that remained of the soil at the
blast site were fragments of jade green radioactive glass created
by the heat of the reaction. The explosion was even seen from
residents living in far away neighborhoods, who swore the sun had
come up twice that day due to the blasts intensity. The creators of
the bomb had mixed reactions. Although ecstatic, Oppheimer quoted
theBhagavad Gita stating, I am Death, the destroyer of
Worlds.
6. The Potsdam Declaration
On July 26, 1945, President Truman, Prime Minister Churchill, and
President Chiang Kai-Shek, issued the Potsdam Declaration. The
Declerationoutlined the terms Japans unconditional surrender as
agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference. This ultimatumstated that,
if Japan did not surrender, it would face "prompt and utter
destruction". Japan's initial rejection to the Declaration led
directly to Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombson the
Japanese cities of Hiroshimaand Nagasakion August 6 and August
9.
7. Hiroshima, Japan: The Dropping of Little Boy
On August 6, 1945 a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay, piloted by Paul
Tibbits headed for the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Hiroshima was an
important military center with 43,000 soldiers and 300,000
civilians. At 8:15 A.M. the 9,700 pound uranium bomb called Little
Boy was released. The bomb detonated 1,900 feet above Hiroshima
with a blast equivalent to 15,000 tons of T.N.T.
8. Hiroshima, Japan: Before The Atomic Bomb
9. Hiroshima, Japan: After the Atomic Bomb
10. Effects of Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan
Those closet to the explosion died instantly as their bodies where
turned into black char. The bombs white light acted like a giant
flashbulb and burned the dark fabrics of clothing into victims skin
and the shadows of bodies onto walls. Everywhere else, people
experienced a blinding flash, followed by intense heat, and a
deafening explosion. Within minutes 9-out-of-10 people half-a-mile
or less from ground zero were dead. Less than 10% of the buildings
in Hiroshima survived the blast.
11. Effects of Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan
A firestorm broke out, engulfing 4.4 square miles of the city,
killing more people. Several days later, medical staff began to
notcing the first signs of radiation sickness among the survivors.
The death toll increased and peaked 3-4 weeks after the initial
blast and only tapered 7-8 weeks later. An estimated 70,000 people
died from the initial blast, heat, and radiation effects. The
5-year death total may have reached or exceeded 200,000 as the
lingering effects of radiation (such as cancer) and other
long-lasting effects took hold.
12. Effects of Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan
13. Nagasaki, Japan: The Dropping of
Fat Man
14. Nagasaki, Japan: The Dropping of
Fat Man
On August 9, 1945 a B-29 bomber plane named Brocks Car unleashed A
second Atomic Bomb upon Japan. Nicknamed Fat Man, this plutonium
bomb missed its target by half-a mile-due to clouds, but still
leveled half of the city of Nagasaki, Japan-an industrial center.
The bomb erupted with a force 40% greater than the Hiroshima bomb.
However, the hills of Nagasaki, its geographic layout, and the
bomb's detonation over an industrial area helped shield portions of
the city from the weapon's blast, heat, and radiation
effects.
15. Effects of Fat Man on Nagasaki, Japan
Almost everything up half-a-mile from ground zero was completely
destroyed. According to a Nagasaki Prefectural report "men and
animals died almost instantly" within 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) of
the point of detonation.Although there was no firestorm, numerous
secondary fires erupted throughout Nagasaki. The best estimate is
that 40,000 people died initially, with 60,000 more injured.By
January 1946, the number of deaths approached 70,000, with perhaps
doubled within five years.
16. Effects of Fat Man On Nagasaki, Japan
17. The Unconditional Surrender of Japan
The day after the attack on Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito of Japan,
overruled the military leaders of Japan and forced them to offer to
surrender. The only condition being that the emperor be allowed to
remain the nominal head of state.On August 12, the United States
announced that it would accept the Japanese surrender, however, the
emperor could only remain as a purely ceremonial figure.On August
15, 1945, the emperorbroadcasted to all of Japan on the radio the
surrender of Japan. The emperor explained that "the war situation
has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage," and that "the
enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb."
18. The End of World War II
Over the next few weeks, the Japanese and United States worked out
the details of the surrender. on September 2, 1945, the formal
surrender ceremony took place on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri.
The surrender of the Japanese forces officially ended World War
II.
