Alternate History

What If The Atomic Bomb Was Never Invented?

An alternate end to World War II

Map of Operation Downfall, the plan to invade Japan and capture the emperor (Public domain)

The Manhattan Project was one of the greatest scientific undertakings in human history. Thousands of man-hours, the most brilliant minds, and billions of dollars were funneled into a project which created the first nuclear weapons system in history. After years of theorizing, speculating, and testing, the first atomic bombs were birthed and dropped on Imperial Japan bringing World War II to an end. The explosion over Hiroshima changed the world forever.

But what would have happened if the Manhattan Project failed and nuclear weapons were never invented?

Operation Downfall (1945–1946)

A battle plan for the proposed Operation Olympic (Public domain)

The ethics of dropping nuclear weapons on civilian populations has been debated ever since the United States’ decision to drop Little Boy and Fat Man in 1945. While the morality behind such a weighty choice can be endlessly debated, the results spoke for themselves. The bombs brought a quick end to the war. Without the bombs, the war would have likely dragged on for at least another year, perhaps longer.