Mark Scott Smith's Blog: Enemy in the Mirror, page 126

The Making of the Atomic Bomb – Richard Rhodes

 

This Pulitzer Prize winner may be the definitive book on the topic.

 

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Manhattan Project – October 1941

Trinity shot

In October 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt privately proposed to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that the countries pool their resources and research facilities to develop an atomic bomb.

In 1939, physicists Leó Szilárd and Eugene Wigner drafted a letter to FDR warning of the potential development of “extremely powerful bombs of a new type”. The letter, co-signed by Albert Einstein, urged the USA to stockpile  uranium ore and accelerate the research of Enrico Fermi and others into nuclear chain reactions. On June 28 1941, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8807, which created the Office of Scientific Research and Development. The office was empowered to engage in large engineering projects in addition to research.

In Britain, Otto Frisch and Rudolf Peierls at the University of Birmingham had made a breakthrough investigating the critical mass of uranium-235 in June 1939. Their March 1940 memorandum initiated the British atomic bomb project.

On October 9, 1941, FDR approved the U.S. atomic program and appointed a Top Policy Group with the Army in charge of the project. In October FDR sent a message to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, suggesting that they collaborate on atomic matters.

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German Jews Required to Wear Yellow Stars – 1941

Nazi mandated Star of David; Wikimedia Commons

In September 1941, all Jews over the age of six in the Third Reich and the ethnically Czech Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia  were required to wear the Star of David with Jude (Jew in German) inscribed in faux Hebrew letters. This requirement was subsequently  introduced in other German-occupied areas.

Although the Nazis reinstated it, this practice was not new. Since medieval times, in both Christian and Muslim countries, persons not of the dominant religion were often required to wear badges, hats, bells or other items of clothing that distinguished them from the majority group.

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Why Are Chemical Weapons More Repugnant Than Explosives?

Syrian soldier aims an AK-47

Although killing  ~100,000 people in the current Syrian conflict with conventional weapons is disturbing, recent public condemnation of  ~1500 deaths due to poison gas has been much more strident. Even Hitler forbade the use of chemical weapons in warfare (if not in civilian genocide).

Read this informative NY Times article: A Weapon Seen as Too Horrible, Even in War – NYTimes.com.

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Tojo Becomes Prime Minister – October 1941

Hideki Tojo; Wikimedia Commons

General Hideki Tojo, who as Minister of War had promoted military expansion in Asia, became Prime Minister of Japan in October 1941. A leader of the militarist faction, he had the support of many people in the general public who admired the military and held many civilian politicians in disdain.

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Human Consciousness, Emotion & Psychology in All Wars

Remembering a Friend

Up until now, this blog has been limited to a comparison between Imperial Japan and the USA in the first half of the 20th century.

Starting with December 1941, I wish to include Nazi Germany.

Additionally, although the main focus of the blog will continue to be on WWII, I intend to broaden the discussion to examine human consciousness, emotion and psychology in all wars.

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United States Destroyer Attacks U-Boat – September 1941

USS Greer; Wikimedia Commons

On September 4, 1941, after the U- 652′s torpedo missed, the USS Greer retaliated with an unsuccessful depth charge attack against the U-Boat. This first overt act of war was interpreted differently by Germany and the USA.

The USS Greer, built in WWI, was similar in appearance to fifty old destroyers given to the Royal Navy by the U.S. in 1940. The Germans also claimed that the U-Boat believed bombs dropped by a British airplane were depth charges from the destroyer.

On September 11, 1941, FDR gave U.S. Navy patrols permission to “shoot on sight” when encountering German submarines.

 

War Hawk Within Imperial Japan’s Cabinet – 1941

 

Teiichi Suzuki; via Hyperwar

A November 1941 document written by Lt. Gen. Teiichi Suzuki, the Imperial Japanese cabinet member in charge of allocating resources for the army, navy and civilians, concluded that Japan, which was already at war in China, would be able to still wage war against the United States, Britain and the Netherlands.

Some estimates described in the report (apparently padded) allowed Suzuki to convince undecided leaders that Japan could secure the logistical supplies needed to wage this war.

Charles Lindbergh – America First September 1941

In 1941, Charles Lindbergh was the America First Committee‘s leading spokesman against  American involvement in the European conflict.  He maintained that FDR,  along with British and Jewish interests were leading America into war.  Lindbergh resigned his commission in the Army Air Corps after Roosevelt publicly denounced him.

Imperial Japanese Family 1941

Japanese Imperial Family 1941

On February 4, 1918, Hirohito became engaged to Princess Nagako, daughter of Prince Kuniyoshi Kuninomiya. The imperial wedding finally took place on January 26, 1924.

The imperial couple had five daughters, the first born in December 1926, and two sons, the first born in December 1933.

Shigeko, Princess Teru

Sachiko, Princess Hisa

Kazuko, Princess Taka

Atsuko, Princess Yori

Akihito, Prince Tsugu (The Crown Prince)

Masahito, Prince Yoshi (The Prince Hitachi)

Takako, Princess Suga

Read more: http://www.notablebiographies.com/He-Ho/Hirohito.html#b#ixzz2bQZeIwBd