General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

The atomic bomb is not only the most powerful weapon ever used in the history of warfare: it is also the most significant in terms of its long-term impact on U.S. military power and policy, and as the reason behind the conflict that raged for four decades without actually happening—the Cold War.

General George C. Marshall played an instrumental role in the development and use of the atomic bomb in World War II as well as in issues involving nuclear weapons in the post-World War II period. This book tells the story of Marshall's experience with the atomic bomb from his early skepticism of its effectiveness as a weapon, to his oversight of its development and deployment against Japan in World War II, to his recognition of the bomb as a weapon of such dire consequence that it should never be used again.

Intended for a general audience as well as scholars with specific knowledge about the subject matter, this book presents a cohesive account of General Marshall's involvement with nuclear weapons and atomic power as Army chief of staff during World War II and as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the early years of the Cold War. Marshall's involvement with the use of nuclear weapons is set in the context of the Allies' efforts to force Japan to surrender and the initiation of the Cold War. Readers will gain insight into Marshall's quest for obtaining a Japanese surrender; his views on the use of the atomic bomb on Japan versus the use of conventional weapons, including fire bombing or poison gas; his interactions with Roosevelt and Truman on nuclear issues; and Marshall's diplomatic skillfulness in dealing with the issues surrounding the control and use of nuclear weapons as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the post-World War II era. These included consideration of the use of the atomic bomb during the Berlin crisis and the Korean war.

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General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

The atomic bomb is not only the most powerful weapon ever used in the history of warfare: it is also the most significant in terms of its long-term impact on U.S. military power and policy, and as the reason behind the conflict that raged for four decades without actually happening—the Cold War.

General George C. Marshall played an instrumental role in the development and use of the atomic bomb in World War II as well as in issues involving nuclear weapons in the post-World War II period. This book tells the story of Marshall's experience with the atomic bomb from his early skepticism of its effectiveness as a weapon, to his oversight of its development and deployment against Japan in World War II, to his recognition of the bomb as a weapon of such dire consequence that it should never be used again.

Intended for a general audience as well as scholars with specific knowledge about the subject matter, this book presents a cohesive account of General Marshall's involvement with nuclear weapons and atomic power as Army chief of staff during World War II and as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the early years of the Cold War. Marshall's involvement with the use of nuclear weapons is set in the context of the Allies' efforts to force Japan to surrender and the initiation of the Cold War. Readers will gain insight into Marshall's quest for obtaining a Japanese surrender; his views on the use of the atomic bomb on Japan versus the use of conventional weapons, including fire bombing or poison gas; his interactions with Roosevelt and Truman on nuclear issues; and Marshall's diplomatic skillfulness in dealing with the issues surrounding the control and use of nuclear weapons as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the post-World War II era. These included consideration of the use of the atomic bomb during the Berlin crisis and the Korean war.

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General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

by Frank A. Settle Jr.
General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb

by Frank A. Settle Jr.

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Overview

The atomic bomb is not only the most powerful weapon ever used in the history of warfare: it is also the most significant in terms of its long-term impact on U.S. military power and policy, and as the reason behind the conflict that raged for four decades without actually happening—the Cold War.

General George C. Marshall played an instrumental role in the development and use of the atomic bomb in World War II as well as in issues involving nuclear weapons in the post-World War II period. This book tells the story of Marshall's experience with the atomic bomb from his early skepticism of its effectiveness as a weapon, to his oversight of its development and deployment against Japan in World War II, to his recognition of the bomb as a weapon of such dire consequence that it should never be used again.

Intended for a general audience as well as scholars with specific knowledge about the subject matter, this book presents a cohesive account of General Marshall's involvement with nuclear weapons and atomic power as Army chief of staff during World War II and as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the early years of the Cold War. Marshall's involvement with the use of nuclear weapons is set in the context of the Allies' efforts to force Japan to surrender and the initiation of the Cold War. Readers will gain insight into Marshall's quest for obtaining a Japanese surrender; his views on the use of the atomic bomb on Japan versus the use of conventional weapons, including fire bombing or poison gas; his interactions with Roosevelt and Truman on nuclear issues; and Marshall's diplomatic skillfulness in dealing with the issues surrounding the control and use of nuclear weapons as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the post-World War II era. These included consideration of the use of the atomic bomb during the Berlin crisis and the Korean war.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781440842856
Publisher: ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date: 04/18/2016
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 242
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Frank A. Settle Jr., PhD, professor emeritus of chemistry, Washington and Lee University, and director of the ALSOS Digital Library for Nuclear Issues, was professor of chemistry at the Virginia Military Institute from 1964 to 1992.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Robert Norris
Preface
Acknowledgments

Chapter One The Beginnings
Chapter Two The Discovery of Fission and Einstein's Letter
Chapter Three Marshall and the Geneses of the Manhattan Project
Chapter Four Organizing the Manhattan Project
Chapter Five Intelligence Operations
Chapter Six Uncertainty, the Bomb, and the Interim Committee
Chapter Seven Unconditional Surrender and a Planned Invasion
Chapter Eight Potsdam and Trinity
Chapter Nine Japan's Response to the Potsdam Declaration, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki
Chapter Ten Japan Surrenders
Chapter Eleven A New Age
Chapter Twelve Marshall as a Diplomat: Secretary of State
Chapter Thirteen The Final Call to Duty: Secretary of Defense

Afterword by Robert Strong
Appendices
A. Tube Alloys (S-1) Organization Chart
B. Manhattan Project Organization Chart
C. Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb
D. Fateful Spring and Summer of 1945
Abbreviations and Code Names
Notes
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

RPW Havers

"For anyone with an interest in the Manhattan project and the course and conduct of World War II this book is a must-read and a valuable addition to the body of work available on this topic. Frank Settle not only details the herculean task faced by those working on the Manhattan project but also shows the deft touch of General George C. Marshall, FDR's Chief of Staff, and how, in his own inimitable way, he helped steer the project to ultimate fruition."

Sean L. Malloy

"Frank Settle’s meticulous, well-researched, and thoughtful study of George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb is a vital work for anybody seeking to understand the development and use of the atomic bomb against Japan and the end of World War II. Settle’s work is the only full-length study of Marshall’s role in this critical moment in world history and its even-handed and thorough treatment of the subject is a model of clarity amidst the swirling controversy surrounding the use of the bomb. In light of Marshall’s crucial role in the development of early Cold War U.S. national security strategy, this book is also essential reading for those interested in the origins and development of the Cold War nuclear arms race."

Charles D. Ferguson

"This enlightening book by Professor Frank Settle fills a gaping hole in the literature of the nuclear age by explicating General George Marshall’s leadership roles during the creation of atomic bombs in the Manhattan Project and management of nuclear weaponry after World War II. Without General Marshall’s wise judgment and management skills, the United States might not have been able to make atomic bombs by the end of World War II even with the available immense scientific talent, and without his counsel after W.W. II as secretary of state and as secretary of defense, the United States might have detonated such weapons again."

Mark A. Stoler

"This is the first full-length study of Marshall's important role in the history of the atomic bomb—not only as army chief of staff during World War ll, but also through the early years of the Cold War as secretary of state and the first year of the Korean conflict when he was secretary of defense. As such it constitutes an important and useful addition to our knowledge of this key individual and the early history of U.S. nuclear policies."

Martin J. Sherwin

"In the pantheon of American soldier-statesmen, from Washington to Eisenhower, Frank Settle is convincing that there was no one wiser and more admirable than George C. Marshall. Deeply researched and absorbing."

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