JAPAN- Project Manhattan- The project that destroyed Japan.

Project Manhattan.

The 2nd world war had started. In March 1939, Germany had already overcome Czechoslovakia. There were many uranium deposits in Czechoslovakia but Hitler banned the export of uranium from Czechoslovakia. Before that, the news of "fission experiment" had already come from Germany. For all these reasons, other countries believed that Germany was making the world's first nuclear bomb.

There was only one way to deal with the German nuclear bomb. It was the concept of "comprehensive confirmation destruction", also called as Mutually Assured Destruction. It basically means that if you destroy me, I can also destroy you. So the allied forces had to make a similarly powerful bomb so that Germany can be threatened with Nuclear bombing if Germany bombs other countries.

Szilard was an American physical chemist who started making atomic bombs for USA. In 1939, he and Einstein wrote a letter to former President Roosevelt to begin the uranium chain reaction. The letter is considered to be the most important letter in the world. The experiment continued for many years.

In December 1942, Szilard finally succeeded in a chain reaction with other scientists. By then, the United States, which was attacked in Pearl Harbor by Japan, was already involved in the war. The plan to make that "super bomb" was code named the "Manhattan Project".

In February 1945, Germany was about to be defeated. It became clear that Germany had failed to develop the technology to make the atomic bomb. It was a shock to American physical chemists as they already had completed the nuclear bomb. But Japan had not yet surrendered and the bomb was also new and un-tested !

The scientists asked the US government to inform Japan of the danger of the atomic bomb. They also sought to give Japan the opportunity to surrender. But the government didn't listen to the request. The main aim of dropping the nuclear bomb was to force Japan to surrender as huge number of US soldiers were getting killed every day in Japan and also, as Japan was approaching defeat, Kamikaze attacks by Japanese air force pilots wrecked havoc on US warships. (Kamikaze attacks meant Japanese air force pilots would just crash their bomb filled planes into US ships and other important positions, destroying ships and killing soldiers). So, US had to ensure Japan's surrender as soon as possible. Also, US had this opportunity to test their first ever built super bomb to see how powerful the bomb was. 

Finally, the nuclear bomb was dropped on Japan.

Szilard, the scientist, played the most important role in making the atomic bomb at first so that his bomb could stop Germany from using their bomb and thus saving lives and then avoiding the use of the atomic bomb by writing and requesting the US government to not use it. He always had his pure intention to keep humanity safe and living, But destiny had something else planned.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Japanese version- 日本語で。。

マンハッタン計画

 1939年3月、ドイツはもうチェコスロバキアを克服こくふくしていました。。チェコスロバキアにはウランの鉱床こうしょうが沢山ありました。ヒトラーは そのウランのチェコスロバキア からのの輸出を禁止きんししました。その前に、ドイツから「核分裂かくぶんれつ」のニュースはもうきていました。この全部の理由から他の国々はドイツが世界の最初の原爆げんばくを作っていたことが分かりました。

　ドイツの原爆には対応する方法が一つしかありませんでした。それは 「総合確認破壊(そうごうかくにんはかい)」という概念(がいねん)でした。だから、同盟軍(どうめいぐん)が同じような爆弾(ばくだん)を作らなければなりませんでした。

　シラードはアメリカ人の物理化学者で、原爆を作り始めました。1939年にはウランの連鎖反応(れんさはんのう)を始めるためにアインシュタインと一緒にルーズベルト元(もと)大統領(だいとうりょう)に手紙を書きました。その手紙は世界の一番大事な手紙だと思わらています。

　1942年12月にシラードは他の科学者といっしょにやっと連鎖反応を成功しました。パールハーバーへの攻撃(こうげき)を受けたアメリカはもう戦争に入っていました。その「スーパ爆弾」を作る計画は「マンハッタン計画」と呼ばれています。

　1945年2月に、ドイツは敗(やぶ)れそうでした。その原爆を作ることができないということはあきらかになりました。アメリカ人の物理化学者にとって、それはショックでした。その物理化学者はもう原爆を完成していました。だが、その原爆をためさなければならなっかたし、日本に反撃しなければなりませんでした！

　物理化学者は日本に原爆の危険性を伝えるようにアメリカ政府(せいふ)にたのみました。日本に降伏(こうふく)するきかいをあたえるためにもたのみました。しかし、政府はその頼みを聞きませんませんでした。ついに、原爆は日本におちました。

　シラードは、最初は原爆を作ることに、後は原爆の使うのをさけることに一番大事な役割(やくわり)を果たしました。かれの純粋(じゅんすい)な意図(いと)はいつも人類(じんるい)を保つことでした。

---