The Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb

  • The Word of Scientist

    American scientists conclude that plutonium can be used as a weapon in the form of a bomb. The president was interested in using the plutonium once it was successful.
  • Authorization

    President Roosevelt authorizes the Manhattan Project to develop atomic weapons which are deadlier than plutonium.
  • Japan Attacks

    Japanese forces attack the Unites States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, thus bringing the United States into World War Two.
  • Construction Began

    Construction of the bombs begins on The Hanford Site, in Washington State.
  • The First Set of Bombs Ready

    The first batch of plutonium from Hanford's reactors is ready for testing.
  • Bombs Set and Ready

    The first batch of Uranium-235 is successfully separated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
  • President Roosevelt Dies

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies. Vice-President, Harry S Truman, becomes the 33rd President of the United States. Truman spent his first couple of weeks as President completely unaware of the atom bombs currently in development.
  • Heavy Decisions

    There was a meeting held to determine which Japanese city was the perfect place to drop the bomb.
  • Surrender or Be Bombed

    The U.S wanted Japan to surrender, at the time Japan did not know the atomic bomb was ready, so they responded with silence.
  • The U.S Attacks

    Commanded by Colonel Paul Tibbets, drops a 15 kiloton atomic bomb nicknamed Little Boy over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 130,000 people died in the explosion and the immediate after-effects of the attack.
  • The U.S Attacks Again

    Commanded by Major Charles Sweeney, dropped a 21 kiloton atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
  • Japan Surrenders

    The Japanese decided to surrender to the U.S with a plan of war in mind.