IV. The Rise of the Atomic Cloud
The Study of Atomic Bombs
In 1939 it was discovered that enormous energy could be created by nuclear fission.
Led by Hitler, the Nazi Party quickly started working on creating an Atomic Bomb by using the energy of nuclear fission. But many of the German atomic physicists escaped and fled to America. The American President requested that
these scientists work on the development of an Atomic Bomb. The research advanced quickly and the Atomic Bomb was expected to be completed by 1945, so special training for dropping it was begun.
The Atomic Bomb Experiment
On July 16, 1945, the world's first plutonium Atomic Bomb test was held in the desert of New Mexico in America.
The sky was filled with black clouds and there was a dull thundering in the southern skies. The round bomb was laid on an iron tower. The control room was filled with scholars and soldiers, all anxiously waiting for the moment of detonation. Dr. Oppenheimer, leader of the Atomic Bomb development program, was particularly concerned as the test time approached. "Count down: 10,9, 8, 7, 6, ... 2, 1, 0." Violet flames enveloped the test area, followed by a blazing white light.
A terrible ball of fire rose in the air, as one heat blast after another rolled over the people like tidal waves, forcing them to the ground.
On that day, the first Atomic Bomb test changed the destiny of the world.
The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb
The American Government and Army often talked of when and how they would drop the Atomic Bomb and decided three things. One, to drop it as soon as possible; two, to drop it on Japan without warning; and three, to drop it on a city crowded with military equipment and barracks. Some of the scientists strongly objected to dropping an Atomic Bomb without warning, but their opinion was rejected by the Army. Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kokura, and Niigata were chosen as prospective targets for the Atomic Bomb. Kyoto, however, was world-famous for its cultural history, and the United States Secretary of War objected to its choice as a target, feeling
that its destruction by America would be severely criticized. Therefore Kyoto was removed from the target list and instead Nagasaki was chosen. President Truman, who was attending the Potsdam Conference, was informed that the experiment had been a complete success.
On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces, ending the war in Europe. At the Yalta Conference that followed, former President Roosevelt had asked the Soviet Union to enter the war against Japan three months after Germany's surrender, and as the August 7 deadline approached, President Truman became impatient. Soviet intervention in the Pacific War would open the way for Soviet control of Manchuria, and possibly their occupation of Sakhalin, the Chishima island and Hokkaido. The surrender of Japan would leave the Soviet Union in a position of great power and influence over Asia, creating serious problems
for the United States. President Truman was determined to end the war before the Soviet Union could intervene, and saw the Atomic Bomb as the only way to force Japan's surrender. On July 25, 1945 he ordered the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Japan.