ABSTRACT

The atomic bomb ceased to be an idea and became a reality in 1945. It was conceived as a practical application of relentless probing into the inner workings of the atom, and forged by a collaboration of science and the state. The race to beat the Germans to the bomb united those in North America, Great Britain, and elsewhere in a singular cause. The use of the new weapon was another issue entirely. US officials made a decision in the heat of battle to up the ante in destructiveness and to quickly end the conflict that engulfed the world. Such a choice had impacts well beyond the fatal days in August when the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki became the first casualties of a new kind of total war. The bombings and their aftermath clearly redefined the execution of war itself and the definitions of vulnerability and security for all nations.