Why were American generals fearful of Japan in 1945?
1. feared that if the US directly invaded it could cost 1 million US soldiers
2. Japanese fought really hard at Iao Jima and Okinawa
What happened on the 6th of August?
-An American B29 bomber called 'Enola Gay' also nicknamed 'Little Boy' was dropped on Hiroshima
-Everything within a 2-mile radius was flattened and people at 'ground zero' were vapourised and 250,000 killed
What happened on August 9th?
The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki
When did the Japanese surrender?
August 14th
How did Stalin react?
Furious as the allies kept this secret from him and believed it was to intimidate the Soviets rather than force surrender
What actions did Stalin do afterwards?
In February 1946 Moscow accused the US of using its Atomic advantage to build an empire in a speech
Stalin got his scientists to start building atomic weapons which they achieved in 1949