In today’s society many countries and even citizens of the United States question the U.S. government’s decision to get in involved in nuclear warfare. These people deemed it unnecessary and state that the U.S. is a hypocrite that preaches peace, but causes destruction and death. Before and during World War II the U.S. was presented with a difficult decision on whether or not to develop and use the atomic bomb. The U.S. decided to develop the atomic bomb based on the fear they had for the safety of the nation. In August 1939 nuclear physicists sent manuscripts to Albert Einstein in fear the Germany might use the new knowledge of fission on the uranium nucleus as way to construct weapons. In response, on August 2, 1939, Einstein sent a letter to President Roosevelt concerning the pressing matter to use uranium to create such weapons before Germany (Doc A-1). To support the development of the atomic bomb, President Roosevelt approved the production of the bomb following the receipt that the bomb is feasible on January 19, 1942. From this day to December of 1942, many laboratories and ...
They insisted that Albert Einstein inform President Roosevelt about the possibility of the Germans making an atomic bomb. In late 1939, President Roosevelt ordered an American effort to make an atomic bomb before the Germans.
When President Truman authorized the use of two nuclear weapons in 1945 against the Japanese in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II, the nature of international security was changed irreversibly. At that time, the United States had what was said to have a monopoly of atomic bombs. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union began working on atomic weaponry. In 1949, it had already detonated it first atomic bomb and tensions began to heat up between the two countries. With the information that the Soviets had tested their first bomb, the United States began work on more powerful weapons1, and a fight for nuclear superiority had begun.
The development of the atomic bomb and chemical warfare forever changed the way people saw the world. It was a landmark in time for which there was no turning back. The constant balancing of the nuclear super powers kept the whole of humankind on the brink of atomic Armageddon. Fear of nuclear winter and the uncertainty of radiation created its own form of a cultural epidemic in the United States. During these tense times in human history officials made controversial decisions such as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dangerous biological experiments and bombs tests were carried out in the name of the greater good and national defense. Some historians and scientists argue that the decisions and acts carried out by the U.S. during World War II and the Cold War were unethical because of the direct damage they did. The United States' decisions were moral because it can be proven their actions were aimed at achieving a greater good and those that were put in potential danger volunteered and were informed of the risk.
“Discoveries of which the people of the United States are not aware may affect the welfare of this nation in the near future. The liberation of atomic power which has been achieved places atomic bombs in the hands of the Army. It places in your hands, as Commander-in-Chief, the fateful decision whether or not to sanction the use of such bombs in the present phase of the war against Japan” (Szilard).
During World War II, Hitler was developing the sciences to use an extremely dangerous weapon that is widely known as the Atomic Bomb. The United States was completely unaware of the advances Germany was making at the time; however, Albert Einstein informed President Truman about what was actually occurring through a letter that explained in coherent detail what this bomb was capable of and how Hitler was going to use it. It was now a race between countries on who would be the first one to develop this bomb. Thus the research to build an Atomic Bomb commenced for the United States; a project known as the Manhattan project in 1942 involved more than 100,000 scientists who were participating in secret research, but not before the bombing of Pearl
In 1939, brilliant and German born scientist, Albert Einstein wrote to Franklin D. Roosevelt and warned that the Nazis might try and build "extremely powerful bombs." Roosevelt gathered a group of scientists to study this technology and in 1941 British scientists came to America to study it too. This technology was studied at the University of Chicago. This project was called the Manhattan Project, and in 1942 scientists built the world's first nuclear reactor. These scientists thought this could be built into an atomic bomb. They were right, in Los Alamos, Mexico, another group of scientists built an atomic bomb. They tested it in a desert near a place called Alamogordo. Lots of people debated whether or not to use it. Harry s. Truman became
Maddox, Robert. “The Biggest Decision: Why We Had to Drop the Atomic Bomb.” Taking Sides: Clashing View in United States History. Ed. Larry Madaras & James SoRelle. 15th ed. New York, NY. 2012. 280-288.
In November 16, 1942 Los Alamos Ranch, New Mexico was set up for the building of the atomic bomb. Scientists were called to work at Los Alamos from all over America. In months to come the first design for the bomb was a gun type fission bomb. In theory they could load two pieces of very pure uranium into a specially made artillery gun. Inside the gun barrel they would fire the uranium at each. When the two met they would form a mass. The mass would have just the right amount of material needed a chain reaction. The reaction would
When the United States caught word that Germany was close to creating the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer and other scientists wanted to create it first, for the U.S. After three years of research, the first small atomic device was exploded on July 16, 1945 in the lab at Los Alamos. Having proved their concept worked, a larger scale bomb was built. Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Rosenberg).
President Roosevelt eventually agreed to design and build an atomic bomb. On May 12, 1942, he signed an order creating the secret project to develop the nuclear weapon. The program that developed the atomic bomb during World War II was the largest secret project ever undertaken by the U.S. Government. The project being kept a secret was crucial, so only a small group knew what was actually being developed, even though many Americans were employed assembling the parts.
Albert Einstein, a German born theoretical physicist, who was living in Germany at the time Hitler came into power. Albert Einstein, Edward Teller, Leo Szilard and the rest of his team members wrote a letter in August 1939 to the United States to warn them that Germany was researching and developing nuclear weapons. The scientists were afraid that once Germany finished building the bomb, they would use it on the United States. The United States during the 1930?s was interest in making a weapon that was so powerful that it would be feared by the world. The United States government establishes a top secret plan called the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. The Manhattan project was the first quest for nuclear weapons. The Manhattan Project took place in they United States, during World War II and its purpose was to create a bomb by splitting atoms apart. This project was a success and created one of the most destructive bombs ever used by mankind, the atomic bomb. The president at the time, Harry S. Truman, had to face the factors that were involved in making the decision to drop the bomb. By July 16, 1945 the United States government had tested the bomb in New Mexico. The United States Wanting to bring the war to an end with Japan decided to do what was to be one of the most deadly bombing in human history. Then on August 6, 1945 under the authorization of President Harry S, Truman the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese. The bomb hit the city of Hiroshima were it caused great destruction to the city and surrounding area. It has been reported that many civilians were killed and injured during the bomb attack.
Albert Einstein indirectly created the Atomic Bomb, but his contributions were two simple yet powerful things E=mc^2; an equation meaning energy equals mass times the speed of light, and secondly he also wrote a letter to the American president Franklin D Roosevelt, telling him we needed to clearly develop this bomb before the Germans. The Germans made efforts to enrich Uranium- 235, which could be used to build a nuclear bomb. This idea started to make head way which unsettled the Americans, so the Americans rushed to complete the bomb ahead of the Germans. It was shortly thereafter that the United States government began the serious undertaking known as the "The Manhattan Project." The Americans created the Manhattan Project and expanded the research needed to produce a viable atomic bomb. The gravity of the situation of the atomic bomb is so huge, no one really knows how this power will ever be contained (The Manhattan project”). How will this planet ever be safe, as long as we have nuclear bombs that can destroy whole nations, with a single switch of a
The topic of nuclear warfare has been controversial for many years. Leaders of nations are quick to play the nuclear war card as a solution to disagreements with foreign nations. Although nuclear warfare is perceived to offer protection and bring peace and stability to nations in quarrels, it should not be allowed because it causes humanitarian disaster and loss of life.
In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovers x-rays. Soon afterward, Marie Curie discovers radium and polonium, both radioactive elements, in 1898. Several years later, in 1905, Albert Einstein creates the famous theory about the relationship between mass and energy. When two German scientists, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, demonstrated nuclear fission in December of 1938, American scientists feared that Germany would begin to build an atomic bomb (Wainstock, 35). Because of this, Albert Einstein sends a letter to President Roosevelt in August of 1939. It is this letter that encourages the President to form a committee to investigate atomic research. American scientists, including Einstein, also persuaded the President to undertake the bomb's development. This secret government effort became known as the Manhatten Project.
The idea of an atomic bomb emerged in October 1939 right after the eruption of War World II. The President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt was notified by Albert Einstein and his colleague that a bomb of unbelievable power could be made by altering the forces of nuclear fission. The two scientists feared that Hitler was already working on the issue, so they fled from Europe in order to escape Nazism. Roosevelt agreed to join the races for the atomic bomb. For the next few years, the United ...