Technology During World War II - 1082 Words

Technology During and After World War II Marcel Grishaj Seminar in History Professor Troncone December 10, 2015 The preparation for and the acts of war have been greatly influential in technological advancements, economic growth, and industrialization. No war has made a bigger impact in these areas than World War II, as applications in the fields of engineering and science were passed on to the military for future operations that they would have. Prior to World War II, the world that people saw on a daily basis was vastly different from the world we live in today. No one had any idea what the future would have in store for the future generations. New Age of Warfare: Atomic Weapons The creation of atomic weapons†¦show more content†¦The creation of the Manhattan Project occurred in 1942 and throughout its course had employed over 100,000 people. The project had cost U.S. government over $2 Billion from 1942-1945. Most of the money the project was given was used to create factories and produce the materials needed to create the weapons, while very little went to the actual production of the weapons itself. The Germans had been working on their own nuclear weapons project and members of the Manhattan Project were given the responsibility of gathering intelligence to see what progress the Germans had been making on their research of atomic energy. Many workers of the Manhattan Project had gone to Europe so they could gather the materials necessary to develop the weapons, gather documents, and recruit German and Italian scientists who had opposed what the leaders of their respective countries were set out to do. The proj ect had been very secretive and anyone found to be disclosing their research to the Soviets or anyone else, would be given a lengthy jail sentence and they would also have to pay a hefty fine. The use of atomic energy as a weapon to end the war was discussed in great detail as it sparked a debate on the humane use of the weapon. Nobody knew the immense damage the bombs would do, but the U.S. government felt it had no choice but to use the weapon to try and put an end to the war once and for all. The Manhattan Project had