Christopher+Uzzell+Annual+Project

=Science, Technology, and the Atomic Bomb=

On April 16, 1945, the Soviet Union launched the Berlin Offensive, otherwise known as the Battle of Berlin, which was the last European battle of World War 2. There were only 200,000 soldiers and 2 __#|million__ civilians to protect the town, but eventually, they fell. On May 1, 1945, just days after the suicide of World War 1 veteran and German dictator Adolf Hitler, Germany unconditionally surrenders to the Soviet Union, ending the war on both the eastern and western fronts. The Third Reich was officially out of power, so why didn't the war end? There's only one answer: Japan, the last country under the Axis Powers. There was only one way to decisively end the war for good: The Atomic Bomb, the most devastating weapon of the World War 2 era. The question is how did science get so advanced to create such a terrifying device? Well, the three reasons why science and technology contributed to the dropping of the Atomic Bomb and the definite end of World War 2 is because of the use of pressurized cabins, the creation of a reliable radar system, and the development of jet aviation technology.

__1: The Importance of Pressurized Cabins__
The importance of pressurized cabins led to the dropping of the atomic bomb because the creation of pressurized cabins made pilots able to fly at high altitudes safely without any health risks(except getting shot down, of course). This relates to my topic because without pressurized cabins, the pilot will become fatigued and can even pass out, which would make even the best pilot a sitting duck, open to enemy fire, or the plane can even crash. Furthermore, the mushroom __#|cloud__ that the atomic bomb made upon detonation materialized at about 30,000 feet. Since it took the bomb 50 seconds to detonate after it was dropped, flying at a low altitude to drop the bomb was a deadly move for the pilot. These point connect to my original thesis because the bomb would be deadly to the pilot of a slow moving B-29 Superfortress. However, these points mentioned wouldn't matter if it wasn't backed up by the creation of radar.

__2: The Importance of Radar Technology__
The importance of a radar system led to the creation of an atomic bomb because with radar, you can locate and engage a target quickly. Radar is basically the eyes of the pilot, especially for the pilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb. At 30,000 feet in the air, you can't just drop the atomic bomb randomly because there are clouds below you. Even though the enemy can't see you, YOU can't see the enemy. With radar, the target is located and the bomb makes it to the drop zone safely. Furthermore, the bomb cost about $2.5 billion to make, so they couldn't afford to make a single mistake. These points connect to my original thesis because the atomic bomb was a risky multi-billion dollar project that America couldn't afford to screw up. However, the atomic bomb will be rendered useless if it wasn't for the creation of jet aircraft.

__3: The Creation of Jet Aircraft__
Jet aircraft is the most important of the three because without jet aircraft, not only the atomic bomb would be an impossible dream, World War 2 will have a very different ending. Jet aircraft provided an exceptional amount of maneuverability, stability, speed, and reliability, which are all needed for such a tough task. Additionally, the atomic bomb couldn't be carried on a normal propeller plane because the atomic bomb is too heavy for an average plane to carry. The points mentioned are important to the __#|topic__ because jet aircraft was one of the most important technological breakthroughs of World War 2 because it lead to an all out war in the skies for air supremacy.

__4: Conclusion__
In conclusion, the main point of this essay was to show you how science and __#|technology__ led to the mass destruction that ended a 6 year long bloodbath. I showed you how pressurized cabins ensured the safety of pilots flying at high altitudes, how radar systems provided the pilot with a way to locate and engage a target, and how jet aircraft provided exceptional speed maneuverability, and stability. Finally, my last point is that the B-29 Superfortress, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb, not only needed to gain high altitude to drop the bomb, but to also avoid the incoming fire of anti-aircraft defenses that targeted it. If the plane was shot down, then the atomic bomb would have detonated either in the air if the plane exploded in mid-air, or it would have detonated when the plane hit the ground. However, this didn't happen, leading to the wrath of one of the most devastating weapons of military history.

Links to other sites: media type="youtube" key="ETbI0Ih0kVg" width="425" height="350" align="right"

[|World War 2 timeline]

[|Top 10 Innovations of WW2]

[|Political Leaders of WW2]