The atomic bombings of 1945 weren't just a spur of the moment idea that the U.S. had decided to do, it was a well thought out process that took about five years to put in motion. The thought of a nuclear weapon first began with fear thinking that Germany would be the ones to create a weapon of mass destruction first. They had already discovered nuclear fission and had an abundance of uranium to get their hands on that creating nuclear power sources wasn't anything hard for them. So the United States knew something had to be done but all thoughts were just thoughts still until a letter from Albert Einstein sent to Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the whole game plan.
Albert Einstein was persuaded by fellow physicists: Leo Szilard and Edward Teller to write a letter to Roosevelt stating that there would be a way in the future for uranium to become a important source. The thought of uranium becoming important to the U.S. sounded like music to Roosevelt's ears. On June 28,1941 Franklin had issued a committee to be in charge of putting forth the development of atomic energy better known as, The Office of Scientific Research and Development. But this wasn't the only step taken after reading the letter, on December 6 the day before Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt had decided to open a Manhattan Engineering District, a laboratory where research for weapons and power sources could take place. This led to the first ever, Manhattan Project, the official race against Germany in developing the atomic weapon.
By August 6, 1945 the first dentonation of the bombs would occur. "Little Boy" was dropped above Hiroshima weighing in at four and half tons having a 10 kilton explosion. The target where the bomb was supposed to land was off by 800 feet but it still caused quite the destruction. More than 66,000 lives were taken abd 69,000 injured. The bomb's impact was 2 miles wide. This was just the beginning.
August 9, 1945, another bomb was to be dropped over Nagasaki, Japan. "Fat Man" was off by it's initial target by a mile though half the city was still wiped out in an instant. Over 35,000 citizens were killed and 25,000 injured. But even after that split moment of destruction there would still be the after shock. Anyone exposed to radiation or rain in the area would soon be harmed from the bomb. Studies show that both bombs only used 1/10th of their capability imagine what else could've happened?
A few days later after the droppings, Japan had decided to surrender and World War Two had come to an end.
