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Chapter 1: Operation Downfall

The Manhattan Project was an attempt, by the government of the United States of America, to develop a nuclear chain reaction, and use it as weaponry. Most of its research is still considered top-secret. However, it is common knowledge that the project failed to produce a nuclear weapon.

Of course, the main reason for the need of nuclear weapons was World War II, which pitted the Allied Powers against the Axis Powers. By September of 1945, the war was, quite obviously, drawing to a close. All of the Axis powers had surrendered, but one: the Empire of Japan. With no nuclear weapons, the Americans formed a plan to defeat Japan – Operation Downfall. Operation Downfall was split into two sections – the first, Operation Olympic, and the second, Operation Coronet.

The two were both relatively simple: Olympic consisted of the plans for the invasion of the island of Kyushu – after the island had fallen, Operation Olympic would take out the main island of Honshu, concentrating the bulk of its forces on taking Tokyo.

In October of 1945, Operation Olympic began. However, the Japanese defense – Operation Ketsugo – was, simply put, simultaneously a great victory and a disaster. Operation Ketsugo successfully staved off the taking of Kyushu, but the number of men it took was such that when, in March of 1946, Operation Coronet started, the Americans encountered little resistance in Honshu. When Japanese forces pulled out of Kyushu to defend Honshu, it was too late.

On May 9th, 1946, 1 year after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the strongest of Japan’s comrades in the Axis powers, the final member of the Axis surrendered.

The world was, by this point, tired of war. For 7 years, the world had been engulfed in the deadliest conflict in history. However, without the prospects of mutual assured destruction, a third World War was inevitable. Already, tensions between the USSR, a communist nation, and the US, which was capitalist, seemed likely to erupt into war…​
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