Transcript Hiroshima and Nagasaki

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.
Statistics
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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
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 years
due 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=NF4LQaW
JRDg&feature=BF&list=PLD7F1A06CE1780AD5
&index=2
Summary
EVENT: Hiroshima & Nagasaki
WHEN: August 6th & 9th, 1945
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
SO WHAT?
(Significance / Impact / Consequences)
•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
References
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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