Nuclear Age Flashcards
Description of Potsdam Conference
- Involved Truman, Churchill and Stalin
- Potsdam Declaration issued to Japan for unconditional surrender in July 1945
- Truman planned to use atomic bombs if necessary
Truman’s quote on the Potsdam Conference
“the alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction”
Description of Manhattan Project and Trinity Test
- Manhattan Project was USA’s development and testing of atomic bombs (employed 130k, cost $2 billion USD)
- First atomic bomb tested was The Gadget
- Trinity Test was site’s code name in New Mexico
- Robert Oppenheimer was lead scientist for Trinity Test
- Stalin was aware of US nuclear research through espionage
Impact and Legacy of the Dropping of the Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Hiroshima bombed by ‘Little Boy’ on 6 August 1945 in Operation Centreboard I
- 90% of Hiroshima was destroyed, 80 000 people killed immediately and 35 000 people injured
- Nagasaki bombed by ‘Fat Man’ on 9 August 1945 in Operation Centreboard II
- 70 000 people killed immediately in Nagasaki and 30, 000 injured
- Tens of thousands of people died from exposure in years to come through cancer, sickness and burns from excessive radiation exposure
- Overall killed 237 000
- Caused Japan’s unconditional surrender
- Threatened Soviets
Truman and the Debate on the Use of the Bomb
- Japanese rejected Potsdam Declaration to surrender due to dishonour
- Greater threat for conventional fighting (Operation Downfall) as it would have caused significant loss of American lives through prolonged attrition warfare as Japanese fought to the death
- Japan could inflict serious damage on Allies as it still occupied Indochina/Malaya/parts of East Indies, had kamikaze pilots, could utilise submarines, controlled thousands of POWs
- America sought revenge for Pearl Harbour and Bataan Death March
- America’s rivalry with USSR was mounting so they wanted to warn Soviets of their power and abilities to prevent power grabs
- Criticised as there were alternatives such as conventional bombing, continuing naval blockade or waiting for Soviets to invade Manchuria and put pressure on Japan
Truman’s quote for the Debate on the Use of the Bomb
“We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbour … We have used it in order to shorten the agony of young Americans”
Truman’s quote against the Debate on the Use of the Bomb
“The war of the future would be one in which man could extinguish millions of lives with one blow … Such a war is not a possible policy for rational men”
Philip Jenkins’ quote for the Debate on the Use of the Bomb
A mainland attack would have been detrimental to the “thousands of civilians who were dying under Japanese occupation … murder of all Allied POWs in Japanese hands … about ten million dead”
US and Soviet Nuclear Capacity 1945 – 2011
- USSR rapidly increased their stockpile in the 1950s, had 1 in 1949 and 1048 in 1959
- US peaked in 1967 with over 31 000 warheads
- SALT I and II in 1972 for nuclear deterrence but failed as superpowers introduced MIRV technology to deliver multiple warheads in multiple locations from one missile
- USSR continued to increase stockpiles, with 30 000 in 1980
- US decreased slightly and had 24 000 in 1980
- US announced Strategic Defence Initiative (STI) aka Star Wars in 1984 which threatened MAD, and US began to decrease stockpile in this year as USSR economic capabilities would be unable to maintain strengthening stockpiles
- Soviets peaked in 1986 with over 40 000 warheads
- US economy was twice the size of Soviets in 1980s, Soviets went bankrupt and dissolved in 1991
- 1991 START I Treaty was effective as USA and Russia stopped testing nuclear weaponry and they consistently reduced their arsenal
- Nuclear disarmament began after Cold War ended
- US had over 10 000 and Russia had over 12 000 weapons in 2000
- US had less than 5000 and Russia had 5000 in 2010
Doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
- Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) meant nuclear war was not feasible
- Extended Nuclear Deterrence (END) meant country’s nuclear arsenal is extended to protect allies (nuclear umbrella)
- MAD exemplified in 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis as neither USA or Soviets directly attacked one another
- MAD threatened by Strategic Defence Initiative (STI) aka Star Wars in 1984 as Soviets would be unable to retaliate
JFK’s quote on Doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
Promised a “full retaliatory response” on the Soviet Union if there was any attack on the United States during 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Stephen Younger’s quote on Doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)
“Nuclear weapons have helped to avoid a large-scale conflict between leading world powers for over fifty years”
Civilian Fears and State Programs in the USA to Survive the Bomb and Fallout
- Training films for children such as ‘Duck and Cover’ with Bert the Turtle
- Educational films in cinemas
- Dog tags issued to children so families could identify them
- Fallout shelters and sirens in every city
- 19 000 public buildings turned into fallout shelters
- JFK encouraged people to build their own shelters but only 1.4% of Americans had fallout shelters in their homes
- US government published ‘How to Survive an Atomic Bomb’
Civil-defence Chief Pittman’s quote on Civilian Fears and State Programs in the USA to Survive the Bomb and Fallout
Fallout shelters were ineffective but gave “presently unprotected population some form of protection”
‘How to Survive an Atomic Bomb’ quote on Civilian Fears and State Programs in the USA to Survive the Bomb and Fallout
Fallout was “not likely to hurt you” if you took the correct precautions
