It was the spring of 1945 and the German forces had been defeated by Allied troops. World War II was now a one front war in the Pacific when President Truman moved into office and was informed of the Manhattan project’s success; America now had the first atomic bombs. While American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, the Japanese military was unwilling to give up their fight. This left President Truman with as he said, “The most difficult decision of my life.” On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb, named ‘Little Boy’, was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later ‘Fat Man’ devastated the city of Nagasaki, Japan. Shortly after these catastrophic events, Japan issued its surrender and World War II ended, but
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Scientists were shocked to learn that almost 100,000 more would die in the weeks and months to come caused by long lasting effects of exposure to radiation. This was not the only long-term threat from introducing the world to nuclear power and atomic bombs. The world was still relatively unstable immediately after the war and the threat of another country developing a bomb of their own was present. The destructive harm a strategically placed atomic bomb was a fear for the entire world. Who would develop one next and what would that mean for their enemies? Its possibility of opening of mass destruction and genocide everywhere was looming risk. The United Nations was quick to create regulations concerning this matter and outlawed the use of all arms classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction, or WMD’s. A Weapon of Mass Destruction is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made structures, natural structures, or the biosphere. Another long-term effect caused by the introduction of the atomic bomb, arguably, is the beginning of the Cold War. The Cold War officially began in 1947 and was a confrontation nearly always conducted through “military surrogates” such as economic pressure, selective aid, diplomatic maneuver, and the technology rush. All of this was in order to avoid a direct confrontation that would have led to a nuclear war. Many say that the final shots of World War II, ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’, where the first shots fired of the Cold
Scientists were shocked to learn that almost 100,000 more would die in the weeks and months to come caused by long lasting effects of exposure to radiation. This was not the only long-term threat from introducing the world to nuclear power and atomic bombs. The world was still relatively unstable immediately after the war and the threat of another country developing a bomb of their own was present. The destructive harm a strategically placed atomic bomb was a fear for the entire world. Who would develop one next and what would that mean for their enemies? Its possibility of opening of mass destruction and genocide everywhere was looming risk. The United Nations was quick to create regulations concerning this matter and outlawed the use of all arms classified as Weapons of Mass Destruction, or WMD’s. A Weapon of Mass Destruction is a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made structures, natural structures, or the biosphere. Another long-term effect caused by the introduction of the atomic bomb, arguably, is the beginning of the Cold War. The Cold War officially began in 1947 and was a confrontation nearly always conducted through “military surrogates” such as economic pressure, selective aid, diplomatic maneuver, and the technology rush. All of this was in order to avoid a direct confrontation that would have led to a nuclear war. Many say that the final shots of World War II, ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’, where the first shots fired of the Cold