The period of 1939 through 1945 was a very troublous time in the world, this was the hot zone for World War II, then the United States deployed two Atomic Bombs that, some argue ended the war, but all agree it changed the course of history as the arms race was started. As we research the decision to drop the atomic bombs, with a mechanism of war with that capacity to bring destruction, not to mention that those bombs pale in comparison to our arsenal today; for instance, according to an article in Popular Mechanics by Jay Bennett, he compared the blast released by the bigger of the two bombs called The Fat Man, with the B83 we have today. (2016). The Fat Man, equaling 1.2 million tons of TNT compared to the 1.2 megatons of the B83 (2066). Specific to WWII, to what extend where the joint chiefs influential in the decision to drop the bombs in Japan?
One of the sources I will research further is Luis Morton’s work, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb. I’m specifically attracted to this work because Mr. Morton gives us a glimpse at what was going on with General Henry ” Hap° Arnold and his delegation of the where, when and how to deploy the bomb decision General Spaatz. (1957). This prompts me to believe, there is more to Join Chief engagement in terms of the decision-making process, surely the responsibility rests on the President, but he could only go with the intel he is given. With the cloud of war, couple with the subpar communication technology of the era, this was a dangerous situation at best.
In addition to the above, I will research sources to identify who comprised the Manhattan Project, aside from the scientist and who managed their operation. Where there any military links to the same and when the actual operation to deploy the bombs started. This source could be found in both Truman’s presidential library as well as the article in History.com, which has a vast number of material and interviews.
Reference
Bennett, J. (2016). Here’s How Much Deadlier Today’s Nukes Are Compared to WWII A-Bombs. Powermechanics.com.
