Preview

Advancements: The Development Of Nuclear Weapons During World War II

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
289 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Advancements: The Development Of Nuclear Weapons During World War II
As the development of nuclear weapons during World War II gave rise to an age of great technological advancements, it also created an era of panic because if in the wrong hands, it could potentially lead to the destruction of the world. Both Allied and Axis powers devised several programs to construct weapons of mass destruction, but were in dire need of a single key ingredient that was scarcely available in large enough quantities. As Nazi submarine, U-234, surrendered to U.S forces on May 16th, 1945, the United States seized a considerable amount of uranium necessary to contribute to the atomic bomb tests conducted under the Manhattan Project. Therefore with the confiscation of German uranium, the United States was then able to utilize the uranium in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs initiating a nuclear age of warfare thus changing the course of not only military history, but U.S. history as well. …show more content…
Both countries exchanged information regarding the progress of advancements in warfare technology and aided one another with desperately needed materials. Since Japan required a substantial amount of enriched uranium oxide to further their atomic research, Germany agreed to send the Japanese the needed amount of the raw element. So on March 25th, 1945, the Nazi submarine, U-234, set voyage from Kiel, Germany to Tokyo, Japan carrying the secretive and vital shipment that would then be delivered to the head of the Japanese nuclear weapons program and renowned physicist, Dr. Yoshio Nishina. However, when word reached Lieutenant Johann Fehler who was in command of the submarine, about Germany’s unconditional
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Atomic Bomb Dbq
    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Atomic Bomb Dbq

    As World War II was coming to an end during 1945, the creation of one of the most destructive weapons known to humanity occurred within the United States. This weapon, known as “the atomic bomb,” was used on the two Japanese cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in a death toll unprecedented by any military weapon used before and an immediate, unconditional surrender. Some historians believe President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb in order to intimidate the Soviet Union whereas others believe it was a strictly military measure designed to force Japan’s unconditional surrender. In the Report of a Scientific Panel of nuclear physicists, some scientific colleagues believed the atomic bomb was a “purely technical demonstration” to induce surrender. Other scientists believed that the use of the atomic bomb will improve international prospects in that they are more concerned with the prevention of war than with the elimination of this special weapon (Doc G). Thus, the United States dropped the atomic bomb to both force Japan’s unconditional surrender and to intimidate the Soviet Union.…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Truman Continue Research And Development Of Thermonuclear Weapons
    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Truman Continue Research And Development Of Thermonuclear Weapons

    In January 1950 president Truman made the decision to continue the research and development of thermonuclear weapons. He wrote a letter to Crawford H. Greenewalt asking him to take charge of overseeing the designs, construction, and operation of the new site to produce plutonium. They set up distant sites across the country and ended up having operations in 32 states.…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    DBQ Atomic Bomb
    • 639 Words
    • 2 Pages

    DBQ Atomic Bomb

    In August of 1945, the United States launched two atomic bombs on Japan; the first, in Hiroshima on August 6, and the second in Nagasaki a few days later. Despite the obvious diplomatic advantage to implementing one of the most intimidating weapons of that time, the United States’ tactics and goals behind dropping the atomic bombs were purely military oriented; the political benefit was merely an added bonus. The atomic bomb was necessary due to the Japanese’s refusal to surrender and the hundreds of thousands of lives at stake.…

    • 639 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Did President Truman's Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb
    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Did President Truman's Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb

    During World War II the United States government propelled a $2 billion venture. This venture, known as the Manhattan Project, was a push to deliver a nuclear bomb. This venture was gone up against by gathering nuclear researchers from everywhere throughout the world. President Truman's choice to drop the atomic bomb on the urban areas of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the immediate reason for the finish of World War II in the Pacific.…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Nuclear Tactics During World War II
    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Nuclear Tactics During World War II

    Nuclear techniques were a major part of wars for the United States especially in world war II. In world war II nuclear techniques were used to help America in the war to promote their chances of them winning the war. During this time this was the nuclear age where the united states moved towards the nuclear age. The nuclear age was apart of the time where many of the war tactics were nuclear weapons. Americans in the war were helped severely by the efforts in the war with nuclear techniques. Many techniques were used during this time nuclearly. This time they were beneficial to the advancement of America.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Ww2 Affect The Us Economy
    • 1654 Words
    • 7 Pages

    How Did Ww2 Affect The Us Economy

    Aviation and electronics grew in size and usefulness. The demands of the war not only generated new weapons but also new innovations in electronic intelligence and transportation. For example, radar and sonar was a new technology that became very useful during the war. Soldiers would watch the radar or sonar screen and send planes or ships to intercept oncoming enemies. Another major technological advancement that came as a result of World War II was the first atom bomb. A race took place against the Soviet Union called “The Arms Race” in which the U.S raced to create an atomic bomb in secret. Using newly discovered science, the United States underwent “The Manhattan Project”, that lead to the creation of a bomb that could cause devastation never seen before with any weapon (The 1940’s Science and Technology: Overview 2001). This bomb affected the U.S and the world forever. A weapon of this caliber caused many people to oppose it on moral grounds. Others thought it was necessary for protection. After the U.S dropped two on Japanese civilians, there was a lot of controversy. These bombs combined killed 109,000 instantly. The radiation killed another 200,000 by the end of the year. Other countries feared this power and scrambled to create atomic weapons of their own. To this day, countries attempt to have the most…

    • 1654 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Manhattan Project: The Most Impactful Events That Changed The World's Future
    • 1446 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Manhattan Project: The Most Impactful Events That Changed The World's Future

    Manhattan project was the coded name for a secret project that emerged in 1942 in order to produce the first US nuclear weapon. Firstly this project was placed in Manhattan city, and after, was spread out all over the United States. However, mainly it was based on Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, Argonne with Hanford including also some other very famous universities on the United States. Employing more than 100.000 Americans but none of them knew what they were working for, including here the vice president of the United States. The reason of this is because this process was kept very secret in order to be safe from ‘prying eyes” (Cooper, 2012). As Craig Blohm said in his report “Building a bomb unlike any other was a difficult task. Two very different groups, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and scientists, had to work together. The army took care of producing and gathering materials while the scientists experimented with radioactive material”. Even though this process started with just a 6 000 dollar budget the resources that were used during 1942- 45 were unimaginable, the cost of the Manhattan project alone it passed all the spending of the United States during World War two. The most important figures who influenced this project were some of the famous European scientists like Albert Einstein, Leo Szilard and Enrico Fermi. In addition, in the early summer of 1939 the world’s most famous scientists discovered that the Nazi Germany was trying to create a new weapon. Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, where he informed the President about the possibilities of developing a nuclear weapon. It is recorded, that he also told him that the Nazi Germany probably was trying to create this weapon; he stated in his first letter “I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the…

    • 1446 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Technological Advancements During World War II
    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Technological Advancements During World War II

    “The atom bomb was no great decision... It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness” (President Harry Truman). Most people believe that World War II started in 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, in actuality it started on September 1, 1939 when Germany attacked Poland (Rosenberg).While World War II was a horrible and extremely deadly war, with roughly 56,125,262 people who died, that seemed to serve no purpose it brought with it many technological advancements that we still use today (Hitler Historical Museum, 1996-1999). World War II not only helped the world come up with…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Manhattan Project Research Paper
    • 1554 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Manhattan Project Research Paper

    The creation of the atomic bomb was one of America's biggest secrets it kept from the world and its own citizens. the Manhattan Project was a top secret military project started in 1942, It got the name the manhattan project because of all the sites in New York City that were involved in the project that helped in the creation of the bomb. The Manhattan Project was a research and development project that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II. The Creation of the atomic bomb was led by the United States with the help from the United Kingdom and Canada. Much of the beginning research for the Manhattan Project was conducted at the Columbia University. The research…

    • 1554 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Manhattan Project Effects
    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Manhattan Project Effects

    The Manhattan Project and the atomic bomb that it produced helped bring an end to World War II. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the effort to develop atomic weapons for the United States during World War II. Not only did it push other countries to develop nuclear weapons, with the potential of annihilating millions of lives, but it also caused much civil unrest as many Americans feared another war, only with the outcome being much more devastating. At this time in history, 1941 to 1945, a catastrophe of this magnitude was unprecedented and contributed to the feelings of social anxiety and unrest. The Manhattan Project, and the atomic bomb, had many, both positive and negative, effects on American society.…

    • 848 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    World War II
    • 1918 Words
    • 8 Pages

    World War II

    American techno-scientific innovations were treated as extremely powerful components during the World War II and most of their undertakings were not subject to disclosure. The dramatic “high-tech” sector was instrumental in fighting during World War II. For example, a project known as Manhattan was launched to help in the creation of atomic weapons. The Manhattan project was both a direct and massive result of a stunning technological and scientific breakthrough. This project contributed to the administration of nuclear chain reaction through a team of scientists in various universities in 1942. Following a direction by the US Army and other several private contractors, engineers, scientists, and developers joined hand to build nationwide complex of laboratories. These laboratories carried various test to help them manufacture atomic fuels and also in fabrication of atomic weapons. Through this network, various…

    • 1918 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Did The United States Use The Atomic Bomb?
    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Why Did The United States Use The Atomic Bomb?

    The Manhattan Project was developed to give America their best chance at not only fighting but winning a nuclear war. When German physicists had the knowledge to split a uranium atom, fear ensured. The world scientific community held the concern of Nazi scientists utilizing this new found energy to build a nuclear bomb. As to avoid this, the United States implemented their own project. With the input of multiple scientists, and the ultimate approval of President Roosevelt, the first atomic bomb began to be designed and built by the United States.…

    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    WWII
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    WWII

    The years leading up to World War II and the dropping of the atomic bombs were hectic and disordered, from the rise of Hitler in 1933, U.S. isolationism in 1934, to the death of U.S. President Roosevelt. The war showed no signs of ending and the security and freedom of nations around the world were in danger. Order was nowhere to be found, and the decision to even consider using the atomic bomb was unpreventable. The U.S. used the atomic bomb because it was the only way Japan would surrender, the world wanted to end the war as soon as possible with as little casualties as possible, and because of resentful feelings toward Japan.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Creation and Use of the Atomic Bomb
    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Creation and Use of the Atomic Bomb

    The creation of the bomb was actually started before the war- early 1941, because the president and his generals were wary of Hitler’s movements in Germany- however; it did not proceed with much intensity until December 1941 when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, which caused the USA to enter into the war. Named “The Manhattan Project”, it was led by J. Robert Oppenheimer, an accomplished physicist, and it united scientists from all over the world, not just Americans. The scientist were working on producing Nuclear Fission, which is spiting atoms to create a chain reaction that produces enormous amounts of heat; therefore rendering it very explosive if combined with the right materials, and hoping to keep their advancements secret, since the main facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico was practically swarming with foreign spies. In fact, nearly every country had a “Manhattan” equivalent- engineers working franticly to be the first to harness the destructive power of the atom. And, on July 16th 1945 at 5:29am, the USA won. At Trinity Test Site, somewhere deep in New Mexico, the world’s first atomic bomb exploded, unleashing a destructive power that was more intense than a raid by 2,000 B-52s( bomber planes). History had been made, and with that explosion, the realization hit people that one man could, in effect, control the whole world, a realization that partially contributed to the Cold War , a state of general distrust and fear(although no actual battles where fought)between the Soviets and the Americans…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Consequences Of Dropping The Atomic Bomb
    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Consequences Of Dropping The Atomic Bomb

    In 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. This prompted the United States to enter World War II. Four years later and still at war, the President Franklin Roosevelt received a letter from Albert Einstein explaining efforts in Nazi Germany to build an atomic bomb. The United States Government soon after began a very secretive project known as “The Manhattan Project”. They developed a new weapon, which was called the nuclear bomb. The United States made two of these weapons, “Little Boy” which consisted of uranium-235, weighed about 9,700lbs and, two billion dollars of research was the smallest of the two. “Fat Boy” was made out of plutonium-238 and weighed around 10,800lbs and being ten times more efficient than “Little Boy”. President Truman warned Japan with the consequences if they didn’t surrender with the Potsdam Declaration. It was signed by President Truman, and by Prime Minister Attlee of the United Kingdom and with the concurrence of Chiang Kai-Shek, President of the National Government of China. Japan refused to surrender. In order to avoid an inevitable bombing campaign and land invasion of Japan that would have killed many US soldiers and citizens; President Truman issued the order to drop the bomb “ Little Boy” to save as many US lives as he could. At 9:15am August 6th 1945, something happened that would affect our world and all of human kind. Enola Gay dropped a bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. Even after having a second chance they still refused to surrender.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics