the manhattan project

The Manhattan Project was a secret project that was started in 1939 to create the first atomic bomb.

In 1938, Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered nuclear fission. At the time, Nazi Germany was at the peak of its power, and America was concerned that they might develop the capability to destroy the world. As a result, America put Dr. Robert Oppenheimer and his team in charge. The team included Werner Heisenberg, Otto Hahn, Paul Dirac, John Von Neumann, and James Franck. The Manhattan Project was allocated a 2 billion budget for 4 years to create and test the first atomic bomb. The first atomic bomb test was named Trinity and took place on July 6, 1945.

The Manhattan Project caused a lot of controversy because many people did not want America to build a weapon of mass destruction. They thought that if America had such a weapon, they could dominate the world. But America continued with the project, fearing that Nazi Germany might develop the nuclear bomb first. With the help of Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project was initiated to develop a nuclear weapon. There were initial concerns about the potential uncontrollable nuclear fission that could destroy the atmosphere, but the project proceeded with a slight chance of failure.

The project took place in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and required approximately 6 kilograms of plutonium. Scientists and their families relocated to the project base to dedicate full time to the project. During a meeting, it was discovered that the Soviet Union was testing nuclear fission in the Pacific Ocean. This caused concern as there was suspicion of a Russian spy within the project team, but they continued as significant resources had been invested. The scientists warned that this would lead to an arms race, but the Trinity project proceeded. The Trinity test took place on July 16, 1945. However, by then, Nazi Germany had already surrendered.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan and to end World War 2, the United States dropped the atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945, at 11:02 AM. The bomb was dropped from a B-29 bomber named "Bockscar" by U.S. Army Air Force Major Charles Sweeney. "Fat Man" was the second of only two atomic bombs ever used in warfare, the first being "Little Boy," which was dropped on Hiroshima three days earlier. The 21-kiloton plutonium bomb caused widespread destruction and helped end World War II. At the time of the bombing, Nagasaki had an estimated population of 263,000, including 240,000 Japanese residents, 9,000 Japanese soldiers, and 400 prisoners of war. The bombing destroyed about 80% of the city's houses, buildings, and wooden columns, and many people suffered minor to severe injuries. The long-term effects of the bombing are still felt today, including increased rates of leukemia and cancer among survivors.

Dr. Oppenheimer felt devastated and responsible for the tragic consequences of the bombings. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) prohibits the use, possession, testing, and transfer of nuclear weapons according to international law.