Individual and Society: Nuclear Weapons

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Individual and Society: Nuclear Weapons The background of atomic weapons begins in 1896 with the discovery of radioactivity by Beoquerel. The nuclear age however, really erupted in the 1940’s. since that decade, many individuals have contributed to developing the nuclear arms race. The evolution of nuclear weapons has made a large impact on society by causing a great deal of trauma, dispute and competition. Nuclear weapons developed in the 1940’s. Scientists in the 19th century discovered the splitting of the atom. Many individual scientists contributed to the development of the first atomic bomb. In 1942 President Roosevelt ignited the competition between countries by establishing the "Manhattan Project." At this time, the United States built the first atomic bomb in fear that Germany had already done so. Thousands of people helped construct this deadly device. On August 6, 1945 the Unites States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, Japan under the authority of President Truman. The mass destruction on that day sparked a whole new lifestyle for the military and left society to live in fear. 118,661 civilians were killed that day, and 30,524 were injured. The entire city was essentially destroyed. Subsequent to World War II, the race between major powers originated. The Soviet Union and Great Britain began producing bombs. By 1950 the government and the military were completely obsessed with the production of bombs and weapons. Truman agreed at this time to increase military spending and planned attacks against the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, outside the military, society hoped and prayed each and everyday that there would be no surprise attacks that day. Children were forced to practice "bomb drills" at school ... ... middle of paper ... ...s only one main device, society was scared. The public relies on individuals working as a collaboration. The distinct segregation that took place during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s between the government/military and the people does not make for a successful and productive nation. Today, the military does a substantially improved job working together with the public. Works Cited Paczulla, Jutta. Surviving the Nuclear Age: a bibliography of nuclear weapons. Ottawa: Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security, 1990. Nuclear Age. Austin, TX: IELS Language School. Database on-line. Available from: http://www.iels.com/nuke.html. Accessed 9 March 1999. Phillips, Alan. Nuclear Weapons. Ottawa, ON: October 1995. Database on-line. Available from: http://www.geocites.com/Area51/vault/5862/Nuclear.html. Accessed 9 March 1999.

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