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John Crockcroft splits the atom
This discovery would later leading to the creation of the atomic bomb.
When an atom splits it creates a tremendous amount of energy so if there are trillions of atoms all splitting at once, they create a bomb such as those dropped on Japan. -
The Einstein Letter
A letter was sent to Roosevelt, signed by Albert Einstein. It said that the Germans were creating their own atomic bombs and that the Americans should stockpile their uranium ore. It was because of this letter that the Manhattan project began. -
WW2 begins
Allowing for the use of nuclear weapons against each other -
Roosevelt gives the go ahead for atomic weapon development
Before his death in 1945, President Roosevelt gave permission for the Manhattan Project to make their bombs. This was a very irresponsible thing for him to do and would lead to deaths of millions -
Battle of Midway
This was Japan's first major defeat in WW2.
The Battle of Midway brought the Pacific naval forces of Japan and the United States together and showed the dominance between the two countries. -
Beginning of the Manhattan project
The Manhattan project was research project led by Robert Oppenheimer that produced the first nuclear weapons. -
Oppenheimer becomes the Manhattan project's scientific director
His leadership was very influential. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was the last place the Americans physically captured before bombing. it was significant no only because the US troops had invaded the Japanese homeland, but because the US could fly directly from Iwo Jima to Hiroshima and Nagasaki because of the airfields nearby. -
Harry Truman becomes the 33rd president after Roosevelt dies
Truman was known for approving the scedual for dropping bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima -
Truman order atomic bombs to be used
Even though Roosevelt had already issued the go ahead, Truman specifically wanted them in Japan -
Bombing of Hiroshima
Little Boy, a uranium bomb, is detonated over Hiroshima, Japan. It kills between 90,000 and 100,000 people immediately -
Immediate effects and consequences - Destruction
The bomb destroyed 26 of the 33 modern firefighting stations in Hiroshima, killing or severely injuring three-fourths of the firefighting personnel and 42 out of 45 hospitals in Hiroshima were destroyed, causing the buildings that were unharmed to be overcrowded. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
The second bomb Fat Man, a plutonium bomb, was originally schedued to be dropped on Kokura but because of poor weather it was changed to Nagasaki at the last minute. it killed 39,000 and 80,000 people, roughly half occurred on the first day. -
Immediate effects and consequences - Injury
Many of the survivors received injuries such as flash burns, damage to the eyes caused by exposure to bright flashes of light and other skin burns from burning debris and buildings
Of 298 registered physicians, only 30 escaped injury and were able to care for survivors. More than 1,800 of the city’s 2,400 nurses and orderlies were killed or seriously injured. -
Japan Surrenders
After the two bombs on Japan's major cities, US planes drop pamphlets onto Nagasaki warning them of another bomb the day after then Japan surrenders. -
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Effects of radiation
In the years that followed the atomic attacks, many of the survivors would face leukaemia, cancer, or other terrible side effects from the radiation. -
Links to the Cold War
The bombing of Japan stopped the war in the Pacific and gave USA rights to an occupation there.
However, the fact that US President Truman did not inform Stalin, leader of he USSR, of his intent to deploy nuclear weapons caused disunity in between the two nations and made Stalin even more distrusting of the and would later lead to the Cold War. -
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The Arms Race and hydrogen bombs - Cold War
In 1949 both the Soviets and the Americans were testing nuclear weapons and by 1953 the new inventions such as hydrogen bombs had been invented and the USA and USSR were using them as treats of mutually assured destruction (MAD) and ensuring their own safety. -
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The Space Race
The competition between the Soviets and the Americans continued after the arms race. The next challenge was the get to space. The ability to launch rockets into space demonstrated the ability to launch nuclear warheads as well.
The first rocket was sent by the USSR called 'Sputnik' in 1957 and USA responded by creating NASA and launching their own satellite