Introduction
During the final stages of World War II, the United States conducted the world's only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.
With support from the United Kingdom and Canada, the U.S. developed the world's first two atomic bombs through the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project began in 1939, and grew to employ more than 130,000 people and cost nearly $2 billion dollars. In 1945, The Pacific War, between the Allies of World War II and the Empire of Japan, had entered it's fourth year. Conditions had become steadily worse for the people in Japan, with a lack of raw materials forcing their war economy into a steep decline. The civilian economy in Japan slowly deteriorated during the war, and reached a disastrous level by the middle of 1945. In February 1945, Prince Fumimaro Konoe advised the Emperor Hirohito that defeat was inevitable, and urged him to begin negotiations to end World War II. Hirohito firmly rejected Konoe's recommendations, as he was still looking for victory. With Nazi Germany signing it's "instrument of surrender" on May 8th, 1945, the war in Europe had ended, but the Pacific War raged on. The United States called on Japan to surrender, threatening "prompt and utter destruction", but the Japanese government ignored this ultimatum. The Allies made preparations to invade Japan, but predicted that there would be millions of casualties on both sides. By August 1945, the Manhattan Project had fully developed and tested atomic bombs. On August 6th, 1945, with no response from Japan, and with the approval from United States President Harry S. Truman, an atomic bomb, code-named "Little Boy", was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9th, 1945, a second atomic bomb, code-named "Fat Man", was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Due to the overwhelming chaos and destruction, there are no exact counts of the mortality rate exacted by the atomic bombs. It is estimated that the instantaneous and acute effects killed from 90,000-166,000 people in Hiroshima, and 60,000-80,000 in Nagasaki. It is also estimated that roughly 80% of the deaths were civilians.
With support from the United Kingdom and Canada, the U.S. developed the world's first two atomic bombs through the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project began in 1939, and grew to employ more than 130,000 people and cost nearly $2 billion dollars. In 1945, The Pacific War, between the Allies of World War II and the Empire of Japan, had entered it's fourth year. Conditions had become steadily worse for the people in Japan, with a lack of raw materials forcing their war economy into a steep decline. The civilian economy in Japan slowly deteriorated during the war, and reached a disastrous level by the middle of 1945. In February 1945, Prince Fumimaro Konoe advised the Emperor Hirohito that defeat was inevitable, and urged him to begin negotiations to end World War II. Hirohito firmly rejected Konoe's recommendations, as he was still looking for victory. With Nazi Germany signing it's "instrument of surrender" on May 8th, 1945, the war in Europe had ended, but the Pacific War raged on. The United States called on Japan to surrender, threatening "prompt and utter destruction", but the Japanese government ignored this ultimatum. The Allies made preparations to invade Japan, but predicted that there would be millions of casualties on both sides. By August 1945, the Manhattan Project had fully developed and tested atomic bombs. On August 6th, 1945, with no response from Japan, and with the approval from United States President Harry S. Truman, an atomic bomb, code-named "Little Boy", was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9th, 1945, a second atomic bomb, code-named "Fat Man", was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Due to the overwhelming chaos and destruction, there are no exact counts of the mortality rate exacted by the atomic bombs. It is estimated that the instantaneous and acute effects killed from 90,000-166,000 people in Hiroshima, and 60,000-80,000 in Nagasaki. It is also estimated that roughly 80% of the deaths were civilians.