Atomic Age

The Atomic Age in the U.S. began with the Manhattan Project which took up the top level secret work of developing nuclear weapons. The detonation of the atomic bomb Little Boy (code name of the bomb) on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, another atomic bomb Fat Man (code name of the bomb) three days later on August 9, 1945 showed the outstanding feature of the U.S. Arsenal. There were about two-hundred thousand casualties and it was brought about vast changes in the field of technological development and also on the way of thinking. This term Atomic Era was first used by William L. Laurence, a New York Times journalist who was present at U.S. Manhattan Project that gave a signal for the development of atomic weapons. His articles after the Nagasaki episode not only spoke in favor of the new weapon but also help the public understand the potent of new weapon. It was after the World War II that both United States and Soviet Union began to seriously develop nuclear technology for defense and other purposes. By 1950, number of atomic energy plants came up to generate atomic power which replaced oil and coal as the source of energy in different areas. During the period of the Cold War which began after the World War II and spanned for over four decades, U.S and Soviet Union were busy competing with each other in arms race to have the most dreadful weapons that could destroy each other in case of an attack. Therefore, the purpose of inventing the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile was destruction that aimed Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Besides, making destructive weapons, U.S entered into treaties with other countries that were threatened by communism such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949,brought U.S, Canada, France, Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Portugal and Italy together and any attack on anyone would be an attack on the rest. Therefore, the post World War period witnessed the world divided into two blocs each amassing weapons of mass destruction in case of attack.