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The Atomic Bomb Decision: Consequences of War and Japan's Surrender

The Allied victories at Iwo Jima and Okinawa paved the way for a potential invasion of Japan, but fears of massive casualties led President Truman to choose atomic bombings instead. The Manhattan Project was a top-secret endeavor involving 600,000 personnel, culminating in the bombs ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’ being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in approximately 200,000 deaths. Japan's surrender on September 2, 1945, marked the end of WWII, leading to major post-war discussions at the Yalta Conference and the Nuremberg Trials addressing war crimes.

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The Atomic Bomb Decision: Consequences of War and Japan's Surrender

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  1. The Atomic Bomb

  2. Allied Ground Invasion? • Victories at Iwo Jima and Okinawa opened the way for an invasion of Japan • Despite these victories, Japan still had a huge army that would defend their homeland at any cost

  3. Allied Ground Invasion? • President Truman foresaw massive losses if an invasion were to occur • Ultimately, Truman decides against invasion and opts for the use of the atomic bomb

  4. The Manhattan Project • Best-kept secret of the war • At its peak, 600,000 Americans were involved in the project, although few knew its purpose • First test: July 16, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico

  5. The Decision • July 5, 1945, Truman orders the military to make final plans for dropping two atomic bombs on Japanese targets. • July 6, 1945: U.S. warns Japan that it faces ‘prompt and utter destruction’ if it fails to surrender

  6. ‘Little Boy’ • On August 6, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay released an atomic bomb (‘Little Boy’) over Hiroshima (an important military center) • In a matter of seconds, nearly every building in the city collapsed to dust from the force of the blast

  7. ‘Fat Man’ • Three days later (August 9, 1945), a second bomb (‘Fat Man’) was dropped on Nagasaki. • By the end of the year, an estimated 200,000 people had died as a result of injuries and radiation poisoning • Japan surrenders on September 2, 1945

  8. Rebuilding Begins • The Yalta Conference – Meeting between Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt to discuss the Post-War world

  9. Yalta Conference • 1. Germany is divided into four zones (occupied by Americans, British, Soviets, and French) • 2. Stalin promised ‘free and unfettered elections’ in Poland and other Soviet-occupied territories • 3. Stalin joins Allies in war against Japan

  10. Nuremberg Trials • A series of trials for 24 surviving Nazi leaders for war crimes • 12 of 24 defendants were sentenced to death • Note: the principle of individual responsibility becomes a condition of international law. • ‘I was following orders’ becomes an illegitimate excuse for crimes committed

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