The Atomic Bombs

1
The Atomic Bombs
August 6, 1945 Hiroshima August 9, 1945 Nagasaki
2
Manhattan Project

• 1939 Albert Einstein wrote a letter to FDR
  explaining his concern that Nazi Germany may be
  developing nuclear bombs. He urges the president
  to have America build some of her own.
• In response, FDR appointed a committee to create
  an atomic bomb.

3
The Trinity Test

• After FDR died in April of 1945, Harry S. Truman
  continued to fund the Manhattan Project.
• July 16, 1945Those working to develop the atomic
  bomb detonate one in New Mexico to see if it
  worked. It did.

4
Potsdam Declaration

• July 1945Allied leaders meet in Potsdam, Germany
  to discuss how to win the war against Japan.
  Truman issues the Potsdam Declaration which
  stated that if Japan did not surrender, it faced
  prompt and utter destruction.
• The Japanese did not surrender and Truman ordered
  the use of the bomb.

5
Hiroshima

• August 6, 1945
• Paul Tibbets flies the Enola Gay over Hiroshima
  drops the first bomb.
• This bomb was called Little Boy.
• Hiroshima was completely destroyed and about
  70,000 people were killed instantly.

6
Nagasaki

• August 9, 1945due to bad weather conditions, the
  second atomic bomb was not dropped on its
  original target of Kokura Arsenal. Instead, it
  was dropped on Nagasaki.
• This bomb was called Fat Man.
• Fat Man exploded over an industrial center and
  killed 40,000 people.

7
Japanese Surrender

• August 15, 1945After the two bombings, the
  Japanese government surrendered. Emperor
  Hirohito announced the surrender on the radio.
  For many Japanese subjects, this was the first
  time they had heard their Emperors voice.
• September 2, 1945The formal surrender ceremony
  took place aboard the USS Missouri.

8
Citizens of Hiroshima walk by the Hiroshima Peace
Memorial, the closest building to have survived
the city's atomic bombing.
Panoramic view of the monument marking ground
zero of the atomic bomb explosion over Nagasaki.
Pictures captions retrieved from
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hi
roshima_and_Nagasaki