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Assessing the Decision to
Build and Use the Atomic
Bomb
History Alive 2.2
Student Response
Question:
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Introduction
You will learn about decisions about the Atomic
Bomb faced by the U.S. government during WWII.
World War II began with Germany’s invasion of Poland on
September 1, 1939. Within 10 months, Hitler’s Nazi forces
had conqured most of the continent of Europe, including
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,
Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. At about the same
time, a new threat emerged—the possibility that Germany
was developing an atomic bomb. Science fiction writers
like H.G. Wells had been writing about atomic weaponry
and power since 1900. By the late 1930’s, science had
begun to catch up with fiction as experts in atomic physics
began to reap success. The threat of a German atomic
bomb project necessitated some action on the part of the
United States and its allies. The decisions and actions
that were taken to counter the Nazi threat are considered
some of the most controversial in history. The decisions
placed an important role in the outcome of World War II
and changed the course of World War II.
Transparency 2.2A
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In 1939 FDR decided to support research leading to
the development of an atomic bomb.
The “Manhattan Project”-the code name for the A
bomb involved the efforts of over 100,000
Americans, most of whom did not know what they
were working on due to the strict secrecy
surrounding the project.
On July 16, 1945 scientists tested the bomb in
Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Windows in buildings over 125 miles away were
shattered.
The blast left a 1,200 foot wide crater in the earth.
“Is it wrong to lie, even if their
motivation is good, or does the
end justify the means?”
“How often does the end justify
the means?”
Write a paragraph describing a
real or hypothetical example to
support your answers.
Transparency 2.2A
Physicist Albert Einstein answering
questions.
Critical thinking Question A:
You are an advisor to president
Roosevelt. What would you
advise the president to do? Be
prepared to justify your
answer.
Transparency 2.2B
Harry Truman being sworn in as
president after FDR’s death on April
12, 1945.
Critical thinking Question B:
You are a close advisor to
president Truman. What would
you advise the president to do?
Be prepared to justify your
answer.
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Transparency 2.2B
Hiroshima
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On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 plane, the Enola Gay,
dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
It is well documented that Truman thought Hiroshima was
a military base, not a city.
Their target was Aioi Bridge, but the actual explosion was
above Shima Hospital.
The 5 ton atomic weapon nicknamed “Little Boy” was
most different from other bombs in that its amount of
radiation was the equivalent of over 30,000 conventional
bombs.
The Blast killed approx. 100,000 people. Some died
instantly and others died several months later.
The temperature at the center reached over 100million
degrees
Transparency 2.2B
Nagasaki
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On August 9, a second bomb was
dropped on the city of Nagasaki,
resulting in over 70,000 deaths.
On the same day Soviet forces crossed
into Manchuria and pushed the
Japanese army back.
Japan surrendered five days later.
The terms of surrender allowed the
emperor to remain as a symbolic
figurehead of the Japanese govt.
Transparency 2.2C
On the left we see a victim of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. On her
back is the design of the kimono she had been wearing at the
time of the attack. On the right we see aerial views of Hiroshima
before and after the bomb was dropped just after 8 A.M. on
August 6, 1945.
Critical thinking Question C:
Truman’s decision to use atomic weapons against Japan is
one of the most controversial in history.
In retrospect, do you think Truman made the right decision
in authorizing the use of atomic weapons? Be prepared to
justify your answer.
Transparency 2.2C
Continued debate on Truman’s decision to
drop the bomb in ’45.
Truman defended his decision until the very
end.
 By 1990, the U.S. and the Soviet Union had
70,000 nuclear weapons in their collective
arsenals.
 & At least 7 countries had nuclear
capability, and many others working toward
it.
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Lasting Effects
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Over 350,000 were directly exposed to
the bomb in Hiroshima, and 270,000 in
Nagasaki
The victims lost their hair, threw up
blood, and grew increasingly weak until
they died.
Others had fatigue, nausea, headaches,
vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and much more.
The most common long-term effect was
Leukemia
Why we should not have dropped
the atomic bomb.
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Why we should have dropped the
atomic bomb.
Question over the target?
We had promised not to target
civilians.
How many innocent people it
killed.
Effects still lingering today.
Last, and most certainly not
least………..
Our Credibility
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Student Response
Question
Battle place Civilian
Fatalities
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Country
Soviet Union
China
Poland
Yugoslavia
Belgium
JAPAN
Military
8,668,000
1,324,000
850,000
300,000
10,000
1,506,000
Civilian
16,900,000
10,000,000
6,000,000
1,400,000
75,000
300,000
Length of the war, and its
devastation to not only our troops
but the world.
Unease of their “terrorist” tactics.
Question of it results…did it
actually kill less civilians then a
ground war would have?
Draw the heads and facial expressions of the
following person’s reaction to the dropping of the
atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Also
create a thought bubble that explains each of their
reactions.
American G.I. preparing to invade Japan
Japanese Civilian
Scientist who worked on creating the bomb
Josef Stain
The student
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