A. The Manhattan Project was started in 1942, specifically with Germany in mind. It doesn't matter how much you wish it were otherwise, Germany was the intended first recipient in mind.
B. The Manhattan Project - started in 1942, with Germany as the primary target - culminated with the successful Trinity test in July 1945, but sadly, Germany had surrendered in May 1945.
C. It took years to develop the weapons used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Okinawa had absolutely nothing to do with it other than to galvanize the American determination to crush Japan and end the freakin' war.
D. Truman inherited a nearly-completed nuclear program in April 1945 - he didn't push anything. He didn't even know about the Manhattan Project until April '45.
5. If they had developed the nukes in one or two years, instead of three, Germany would have gotten it right in the neck.
“A. The Manhattan Project was started in 1942, specifically with Germany in mind. It doesn’t matter how much you wish it were otherwise, Germany was the intended first recipient in mind.”
It was commissioned by FDR 1939 in response to intel from ex-German Jews that the Germans had successfully achieved nuclear fission. He did not want the Germans to get the bomb before the Americans due to strategic considerations. The need for atomic research was to not only catch up with where the Germans already were by ‘39, but also to surpass them and develop the bomb first. As a deterrent.
This is significant. You can write all you want about how they ‘intended’ to nuke Germany first, it is not true. Nor does it follow what actually happened in history. By the time nuclear weapons were available, the war had already been won in Europe.
“D. Truman inherited a nearly-completed nuclear program in April 1945 - he didn’t push anything. He didn’t even know about the Manhattan Project until April ‘45.”
There are documents showing evidence that Truman he wanted a successful test prior to Potsdam. This is evidence contrary to your statement.
“If they had developed the nukes in one or two years, instead of three, Germany would have gotten it right in the neck.”
This is speculation. There are good reasons both from a strategic standpoint not to drop an atomic bomb on Germany. How are you going to hit something like Cologne where you’ll contaminate French, Dutch and Belgian water supplies, industry and people? You will kill allied civilians.
Two - conventional weaponry was, by far, the better way to defeat Germany.
Three, you say he inherited an ‘almost finished program’. This is not so. They hadn’t even tested the design of Little Boy before they dropped it. They had a ton of theory, but no actual testing to show that the bomb would actually work. Then they used both of the prototypes that they did have in the hopes to force a political solution to the war.
That’s not a very systematic way to go about and do it, is it?