The Manhattan Project did more than allow the United States to knock Japan out
of World War II: it allowed the United States to lead the way into the Nuclear Age. The
United States needed a way to end the war quickly without losing many of its own lives,
so the president ordered scientists and generals to work on the making of an atomic
bomb. This was called the Manhattan Project. There was a sense of urgency because the
Americans feared that the Germans were on the brink of making an atomic bomb
themselves. If the Nazis made an atomic bomb before the Allies, Hitler might have been
able to conquer all of Europe by forcing the countries to surrender. The work which was
done in the Manhattan Project and the knowledge we have gained from the work are
leading into a revolution in our sources of energy.
President Harry Truman realized that Japan's desperation caused its soldiers to
fight with fanatical courage. They would not give in to the Americans. Propaganda
caused the Japanese to think that the Americans were mean and would torture them if
they were caught. People were so mislead and confused that they agreed to be kamikazes
and kill themselves for the sake of winning the war. Japanese officials convinced them
that it was an honor to die for the well being of Japan. There was a battle on Okinawa, a
Pacific island, which cost the Americans 50,000 soldiers dead or wounded. The ruthless
and stubborn leaders were not going to surrender easily, so an invasion of each of the tiny
islands of Japan was necessary in order for the Americans to force the Japanese into
surrendering. Experts figure that an invasion of each of these islands would cost the
However, a bomb of mass destruction would force the Japanese to surrender. The
leaders would see that a few well-placed bombs would blow Japan right off the map.
Four or five bombs could ruin everything th...