Individual and Society: Nuclear Weapons

673 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: negative effects of manhattan project

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.

Show More
Related

  • Protecting the United States through the National Missile Defense Program

    3044 Words  | 7 Pages

    Nolan, Janne E. 1999. An Elusive Consensus: Nuclear Weapons and American Security After the Cold War. Washington, DC: Brookings Institute Press.

    Read More

  • The Future of Energy: Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    International Panel on Fissile Materials. 2010. Reducing and Eliminating Nuclear Weapons: Country Perspectives on the Challenges to Nuclear Disarmament.

    Read More

  • COLD War and the Arms Race

    1673 Words  | 4 Pages

    Glynn, Patrick. Closing Pandora's Box "Arms Races, Arms Control, and the History of the Cold War". New York: HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc. 1992.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Weapons

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eric Schollser argues in his paper “Today’s Nuclear Dilemma,” that the nuclear weapons in the world, and the issues that they are associated with, should be of major concern to today’s society. Nuclear Weapons were of world wide concern during the time of the Cold War. These weapons, and their ability to cause colossal devastation, brought nightmares into reality as the threat of nuclear war was a serious and imminent issue. The US and Russia both built up their inventories of these pieces of artillery, along with the rest of their arsenals, in an attempt to overpower the other. This past terror has become a renewed concern because many of the countries with these nuclear weapons in their control have started to update their collections. One

    Read More

  • Necluer Weopons and Their Effect on the World

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    On August 6, 1945 the United States unleashed a weapon upon the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the likes of which the world had never seen. Then, on August 9 a second weapon was deployed against the Japanese, at Nagasaki. The weapons used were atomic bombs: nuclear fission devices capable of massive destructive capabilities. It is estimated that more than 250,000 Japanese citizens died as a result of the two bombs being dropped. While the employment of these weapons led to the end of World War II, it also forced the world into the nuclear age where man had the power to destroy cities and in some cases, ensure the destruction of entire nations.

    Read More

  • The Rise Of The Nuclear Weapon Into A Political Weapon

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    During last 50 years of development, the nuclear bomb, as the ultimate weapon became the peacekeeping force on the earth. The nuclear bomb was developed in Manhattan project during the WW II and was successfully tested in the New Mexico on July 16 1945. At this point started the change of nuclear weapon from ultimate weapon to political weapon. USA decided to use the atomic bomb to defeat Japan in order to save around 500.000 lives of American soldiers that were needed to end the war and in the summer 1945 the USA dropped two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The nuclear weapon raised the confidence of USA but president Truman did not ordered its mass production because at that time he saw no explicit political function for the bomb. USA even tried to internationalize control of the bomb under the UNITED NATIONS but the Soviets were reluctant to support American plan for two reasons. To stop soviet nuclear program before developing the first soviet bomb would give Americans permanent lead in nuclear weapons technology. Soviets believed that instruments of force always have political capabilities. For the Kremlin weapons were political tools. This led Americans to the same conclusion. The beginning of Cold War created several political functions of nuclear weapons: nuclear deterrence, alliance building, and international prestige.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Atomic Bomb

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    Immediate use of the atom bomb convinced the world of its horror and prevented future nuclear weapon use when nuclear stockpiles were far larger. Erica Cook said “with the development of the atomic bomb, science has unleashed the means to destroy the world and burdened future generations with its destructive presence” (1997, 2). This paints a dark picture of the atomic bomb in terms of the future of our planet. “Nuclear weapons are the most terrifying weapons ever created by humankind. They are unique in their destructive power and in their lack of direct military utility. Most national leaders repeatedly express their hope that these weapons will never be used” (Cirincione, 2007). Since the creation of the atomic bomb, the world has become aware of atomic power and the concept that the entire world can be destroyed by said power. Citizens and government realize that if there were to be anothe...

    Read More

  • The Negative Health Effects Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nuclear warfare was implemented in the 1900s as there was an increase in innovation. Countries would look to improve weapons of war as being undefeatable was the goal. It wasn’t until World War II that the development of Nuclear weapons took effect. During World War II two atomic bombs fell on two Japanese cities. “Hiroshima, Japan was hit by the first atomic bomb by the name of “Little Boy” on Aug 6th and Nagasaki, Japan was hit by the second atomic bomb called “Fat Man” on Aug 9th, 1945.” The atomic bombs led to the surrender of Japan which in turn ended World War II. The “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” left Hiroshima and Nagasaki in ruins. The bombs not only created mass destruction but, also killed thousands of people. The weapons were effective in ending the war but created devastating health effects due to the exposure to radiation.

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb that Ended the War, But Many Innocent Lives Were Lost

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stokesbury, James. “World War II and the Nuclear Age.” The History Professor. Jan 2012. 7 Feb

    Read More

  • The High Cost of Nuclear Weapons

    1253 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the entirety of the twentieth century, the most disputed topic of discussion has perhaps been that of nuclear weapons. Some people argue these weapons of mass destruction are vital to the survival of order and decency in the world, while others contend that nuclear weapons will bring an end to civilization as we now know it. Regardless of both of these arguments, there are two things that just about nobody can deny – nuclear weapons are extremely expensive and enormously destructive.

    Read More

  • The War that Never Was

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    "When We Tested Nuclear Bombs." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 06 May 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Manhattan Project: The Rise Of The Atomic Bomb

    222 Words  | 1 Pages

    Nuclear weapons came into power on August 6, 1945. The Manhattan project was a Top Secret project to develop the atomic bomb hidden from American citizens, Russia, Japan and the rest of the world to ensure no one would create it first. Many people to this day still only think about Hiroshima, but Nagasaki was also bombed with an atomic bomb. On July 16, 1945 they tested the first atomic bomb in New Mexico, and it was a success. The blast radius could break windows, 100 miles away, and a mushroom cloud expanding over 40,000 feet. Once U.S. dropped the atomic bombs the death toll reached over 150,00 devastating Japan and forcing them to surrender to the Allie forces.

    Read More

  • Living With The Atomic Bomb In The Cold War

    496 Words  | 1 Pages

    The creation of bombs was a huge part of the cold war. The two main players were the Soviet Union and the United States. The first atomic bomb was dropped by the American bomber, Enola Gay on August 6, 1945 on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The dropping of the killed around 80,000 people and destroyed 4 square miles of the city. Tension kept rising when the United States got news of the Soviet Union first testing their version of the Atomic Bomb in 1949.

    Read More

  • War: Nuclear Power

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Cold War was a time of great tension all over the world. From 1945 to 1989, the United States was the leader and nuclear power and was competing with the Soviet Union to create huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons. However, even though the Cold War ended, nuclear weapons are still a threat. Countries around the world strive to create nuclear power, and they do not promise to use it for peaceful purposes. Some examples of the struggles caused by nuclear weapons include the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Iran’s recent nuclear weapon program. Surely, nuclear weapons have created conflict all over the world since the Cold War era.

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bomb Changed the World Forever

    2532 Words  | 6 Pages

    Smirnov, Yuri, Vladislav Zubok. “Nuclear Weapons after Stalin’s Death: Moscow enters the H-Bomb Age.” Cold War International History Project. March 1994.

    Read More

More about Individual and Society: Nuclear Weapons

Open Document