Manhattan Project (1939)

• Secret American project that involved creating an atomic bomb, to end war and intimidate other countries
• Letter by Leo in 1939 b4 WWII, warned FDR of Germany potentially making a bomb, signed by the famous Einstein
• Germany had best scientists so FDR decided to develop one
• 1000's of Americans built, but only worried about own contribution, not secret result
• 2 bombs, Little Boy and Fat Man, cost same amount as millions of weapons
• In 1942, reactors developed, untonium needed to enriched, many diffic. materials

Trinity Test (1945)

• Finally built 2 atomic bombs in 1942, didnt know if would work, decided to test Fat Man
• In New Mexico, assembled at safe distance, scientists close enough to observe reaction
• They bet on impact of bomb, some kinda joked it would destroy planet to scare
• It blew up 1 kilo ton of dynamite, created largest man-made explosion at time
• Produced explosive power of 20 kilo ton TNT, 7 mi high cloud, could be seen from 150 mi away
• Incredibly great moment for obervers
• Arsenheimer- thought US as destroyer of worlds, scientist saw in diff light
• Scientist Rabi won betting 18 kilo ton of TNT

Firebombing (1945)

• bombing technique designed to damage an urban area by incendiary devices, not blast effects of large bombs, "area bombing"
• March 9, 1945, US dropped 2k tons of incendiary bombs over tokyo within 48 hours, around 80k to 130k japanese died
• Massive firebombing raids in Japanese and German cities concsistently killed extremely high amount of live, more than any atomic bomb impact
• US firebombed Hamburg, Germany in 1943, Air Force sent for 4 raids, killed around 45k civilians, mostly women(21k) and children(8k), showed US didnt care about innocent lives
• Many dangerous raids in Germany, in Hamburg(1943) and Dresden(early 1945), made firebombing most dangerous weapon of WWII

Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)

• Allies prepared invasion of Japan, Knew victory without invasion would save 1000's of lives, but didnt think that way
• No one thought US could have courage to drop atomic bomb, US still decided to built atom bombs in case of emergency
• April 1945, FDR died, Truman, smart man, took office
• Truman was told by secretary of bombs and FDRs plans, he didnt no if should follow, ended up thinking he had to
• On Aug, 1945, Truman ordered bomb Little Boy to drop on Hiroshima 
• 3 days later, little time to see Japanese react and think of surrender, US dropped bomb Fat Man over Nagasaki
• 80-90k died from impact, while 120k died from burns and radiation within months
• Deaths continued, and bombs resulted in Japanese surrender

Japanese Surrender (1945)

• The official surrender of Japan from WWII occured by end of July, 1945
• Potsdam Delcaration was offered to Japan by Allies to surrender war without negotiations or experience utter destruction
• Japan would not accept with unfair conditions(safety of emperor)
• Japan always publicly stated, they would fight till the bitter end, many still did not want to surrender after the bomb impacts even though they had nothing
• After first bomb, Soviet declared war on Japan, invaded right b4 nagasaki bomb
• Emperor Hirohito finally ordered Japan to accept Potsdam declaration, he announced soon of Japans surrender to Allies.