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The Pros And Cons Of The Manhattan Project

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“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.” Robert Oppenheimer, an American theoretical physicist, thought of this verse from the Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita, while witnessing the explosion. During World War II, the Americans had to face pressure from both Japan and Germany. When the United States became aware that Germany attempted to build atomic weapons, Americans began to concentrate fully on their research about creating an atomic bomb first. Under Germany’s threaten, President D. Roosevelt created a secret project, known as the Manhattan Project, to develop the atomic technology first. The Manhattan project included a group of foremost scientists …show more content…

When the United States launched the Little Boy and Fat Man, over two-hundred thousand innocent lives were taken away (Burger). “Do not live in shame as a prisoner. Die, and leave on ignominious crime behind you,” said General Tojo. In Japanese culture, it was shameful to surrender in any war. However, Hirohito, the leader of Japan during the bombing, did end up surrendering. He said, “To strive for the common prosperity and happiness of all nations, as well as the security and wellbeing of our subjects, is the solemn obligation which has been handed down by our imperial ancestors and which lies close to our heart”(Fisher). Hirohito tried to explain his surrender by saying that he was not giving up the nation’s political identity but protecting his people and sacrificing for world’s peace. Hirohito was fully aware of the negative impacts that could had happened if he continued the war. Although many people were killed because of the Manhattan Project, the bombs were requisite in ending the war before war got out of hand. By the end of World War II, the countries with the most casualty in World War II were USSR and China (World War 2 Death Count) instead of Japan, even though the bomb supposedly killed many Japanese. If President Truman did not respond to Japan’s attack by taking any actions like dropping the bombs, even more innocent lives would have been taken away by further

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