Why did the USA drop two Atomic Bombs

Why did the USA drop two Atomic Bombs on Japan in 1945?

The Atomic Bombing of Japan On 6 th August 1945 the Americans dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a military base. Three days later they dropped another bomb on Nagasaki, the planned landing point for the US invasion of Japan. On 10 th August 1945, the day after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan surrendered.

Terror Bombing Terror bombing was used by both sides during the Second World War. The tactic was first perfected by the Germans who used it as a key part of their Blitzkrieg attacks in both Europe & Russia/. Both the RAF & USAF bombed Germany throughout the war. The main aim of terror bombing was to destroy key industrial and military centres and their workers in the hope of destroying morale.

The Fire Bombing of Tokyo The capture of Iwo Jima and the total destruction of the Japanese air force meant that the USA could now bomb every major Japanese city. In May 1945, the USA decided to firebomb the capital city Tokyo. It was hoped that the massive civilian casualties would break Japanese morale and force them to surrender.

Manhattan Project Code name for the secret US program to develop a nuclear bomb during WWII The idea came from Albert Einstein’s 1939 letter to FDR in which he suggested that an atomic bomb could be built In 1942, Enrico Fermi, a physicist, successfully controlled the first nuclear reaction in his reactor.

The Manhattan Project Based in Los Alamos, New Mexico Led by nuclear physicist Robert Oppenheimer By July 1945, the team had developed 3 bombs The first was tested successfully over the New Mexico desert on July 6, 1945

The Decision to Drop Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally at 2: 41 a. m. , May 7, ending World War II I n Europe. At midnight May 8, the guns stopped firing. The Pacific war with Japan, who was Germany's ally, continued. U. S. President Harry S. Truman, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin met in Potsdam, Germany between July 17 and August 2, 1945, to discuss strategies to end the war in the Pacific.

Bombing of Japan The atomic bomb named "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima at 8: 15 the morning of August 6, 1945. “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki three days later on August 9, 1945.

“ My God, What Have We Done? ” John Lewis, Co-Pilot of the Enola Gay

Enola Gay B – 29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It was flown by Paul Tibbets on the right

The A-Bombs used over Japan; Little Boy (left) and Fat Man (right) Hiroshima Nagasaki

Map Showing the Damage Done to Hiroshima The centre of the explosion was hotter than the surface of the sun!

Photo of atomic bomb exploding over Nagasaki (9 August 1945) Burnt remains of the victims of Nagasaki

Photograph of Hiroshima

After being released, it took about a minute for Little Boy to reach the point of explosion. Little Boy exploded at approximately 8: 15 a. m. (Japan Standard Time) when it reached an altitude of 2, 000 ft above the building that is today called the "A-Bomb Dome. " The July 24, 1995 issue of Newsweek writes: "A bright light filled the plane, " wrote Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb. "We turned back to look at Hiroshima. The city was hidden by that awful cloud. . . boiling up, mushrooming. " For a moment, no one spoke. Then everyone was talking. "Look at that!" exclaimed the co-pilot, Robert Lewis, pounding on Tibbets's shoulder. Lewis said he could taste atomic fission; it tasted like lead. Then he turned away to write in his journal. "My God, " he asked himself, "what have we done? " (special report, "Hiroshima: August 6, 1945")

Dropping the Bomb https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=NF 4 LQ a. WJRDg

Blast All wooden houses were destroyed within a radius of two kilometers from the hypocenter. Even concrete structures were crushed by the power of the blast. Windows were smashed at a distance of sixteen kilometers.

Hiroshima- A Survivor’s Story Four years after arriving in Japan, only 15 -year-old Mitsuo and his mother still live in Hiroshima. His eldest brother, Toshio, is in the J apanese merchant marines. It's a bright, clear day. Mitsuo leaves his house around 7: 30 a. m. and walks to work. He gets there about 8 a. m. He and his friends gather outside, waiting for their supervisor to give today's pep talk. Mitsuo's mother leaves for work. Every day, she takes the same streetcar. But today she realizes she has forgotten some papers. She runs back into the house to get them. Mitsuo's mother misses her usual streetcar, and has to wait for the next one. It's nearly 8: 15 a. American B- 29 bombers appear overhead. The sirens wail, but Mitsuo and his coworkers ignore them, as usual. The planes are headed in the direction of Tokyo. Then, for the first time ever, Mitsuo sees the planes reappear over Hiroshima. They're in position now. Looking in the sky, Mitsuo sees an object. In the instant it takes for the bomb to drop, he feels no fear, only curiosity about this thing that glistens in the sun.

Although the bomb Little Boy was ready for use on August 2, 1945, bad weather delayed dropping it over Japan. At 8: 15 on the morning of August 6, 1945, a large portion of the city of Hiroshima was destroyed when Little Boy was dropped. Of a population of 256, 000, more than 70, 000 people died immediately. Approximately half of the city had been levelled.

The picture above shows the devastating effect that the “Little Boy” bomb had on just one small part of the city.

Comparing Effects of the Bomb to the 2011 Earthquake/Tsunami In Japan

Pocket Watch 1, 600 m from the hypocenter Kengo Nikawa (then 59) was exposed to the bomb crossing the Kan-on Bridge by bike going from his home to his assigned building demolition site in the center of the city. He suffered major burns on his right shoulder, back, and head and took refuge in Kochi-mura Saikigun. He died on August 22. Kengo was never without this precious watch given him by his son, Kazuo.

Survivors from Hiroshima These victims are covered in blisters created by radioactivity

A survivor described the damage to people: The appearance of people was. . . well, they all had skin blackened by burns. . They had no hair because their hair was burned, and at a g lance you couldn't tell whether you were looking at them from in front or in back. . They held their arms bent [forward] like this. . . and their skin - not only on their hands, but on their faces and bodies too - hung down. . If there had been only one or two such people. . . perhaps I would not have had such a strong impression. But wherever I walked I met these people. . Many of them died along the road - I can still picture t hem in my mind -- like walking ghosts.

Toll of Death 140, 000 Killed in Hiroshima (mostly civilians) 74, 000 Killed in Nagasaki (mostly civilians)

Casualties from the US bombing of Japanese cities in 1945

Acute Effects The most common acute disorders were epilation; symptoms of damage to mucous membranes including diarrhea, dysentery, melena and bleeding from gums; and impeded blood-forming functions. The acute effects had largely subsided by the end of December, approximately five months after the bombing. Hair combed off of head in 3 strokes of a brush

Radiation The defining characteristic of an atomic bomb that distinguishes it from any conventional bomb is radiation. Those exposed within about 1000 meters of the hypocenter received life-threatening doses, and most died within a few days. Decades later, that radiation was still producing harmful aftereffects. Leukemia and other cancers appeared over the course of 2 to 20 years, and radiation effects still threaten the health of the survivors.

Black Rain Soon after the explosion, a giant mushroom cloud billowed upward, carrying dirt, dust, and other debris high into the air. After the explosion, soot generated by the conflagration was carried by hot air high into the sky. This dust and soot became radioactive, mixed with water vapor in the air, then fell back to earth in what came to be called “black rain. ” The black rain contained radioactive material. Fish died and floated to the surface in the ponds and rivers where this rain fell. Many of the people who drank from wells in areas where the black rain fell suffered from diarrhea for three months.

Keloids Scars left by exposure to heat and radiation erupted 2 -3 years after the blast.

Burn Victims

Cataracts The patient was exposed 820 m from the hypocenter and had white cloudiness in both eyes. The dark area in the center of this photo is the cloudiness caused by an A-bomb cataract. Cataracts occurred several months to several years after exposure.

Leukemia and Cancer Leukemia is cancer of the blood. The white blood cells multiply wildly without fully maturing. Red blood cells and platelets are reduced, leading to anemia. The white blood cells increase in number but lose normal functioning, which lowers resistance to infection. The incidence of leukemia was greatest 7 to 8 years after the bombing. The younger the survivor was at the time of exposure, the earlier was the onset of leukemia. Cancers began to increase about 1960. Some cancers for which a correspondence has been confirmed between distance from the incidence are: myeloma, ovarian cancer, urinary tract cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer.

Birth Defects Radiation harmed fetuses in various ways. Some were stillborn. Some children were born without obvious problems but had higher mortality rates, even those who lived past infancy. Development tended to be slower than that of other children. Some were born with abnormally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly. Those who were exposed close to the hypocenter in early pregnancy were likely to display microcephaly accompanied by severe mental retardation that renders them unable to manage everyday life without assistance.

Human Shadow Etched in Stone A person sitting on the bank steps waiting for it to open was exposed to the flash from the atomic bomb explosion. Receiving the rays directly from the front, the victim undoubtedly died on the spot from massive burns. The surface of the surrounding stone steps was turned whitish by the intense heat rays. The place where the person was sitting remained dark like a shadow.

Pictures

Relief The atomic bomb instantaneously destroyed the Prefectural government offices, City Hall, the police stations, and all government buildings. The next day, the Army Marine Headquarters (commonly known as the Akatsuki Corps), which sustained only slight damage, took the lead in establishing the Hiroshima Security Regiment Headquarters. The military, the government, and the people united to carry out relief activities, often with little understanding of the effects of radiation.

War Orphans and Discrimination Thousands of war orphans were created by the bomb. Survivors of the bomb were victims of discrimination after the war. Known as Hibakusha, they found it difficult to find spouses to marry, get into good schools and colleges, and get hired for decent jobs. Listen at http: //www. atomicarchive. com/Docs/Hibakusha_i ndex. shtml

Jimmy Carter in Hiroshima This memorial must be a constant and permanent reminder for all people to work for peace and better understanding.

The Dalai Lama As humans, we all have the duty to eliminate, from this earth, weapons with destructive capacity beyond expression and conception. Please, every one of you, use all of your power to accomplish this duty. A Tibetan Shakya Bhikshu (Signature) March 30, 1995

Poems and Testimonials The following verse is from "Flower of Summer" (Natsu no Hana), a collection of short stories by Tamiki Hara (1905 -1951), writer and A-bomb survivor. This is a human being? Look how the atom bomb changed it. Flesh swells fearfully. All men and women take one shape. The voice that trickles from swollen lips on the festering, charred-black face whispers the thin words, "Please help me. " This, this is a human being. This is the face of a human being.

Sadako and the Thousand Cranes Sadako was a young, Japanese girl who was 2 years old when the bomb struck Hiroshima. At 11 years old, she developed Leukemia. In an effort to influence the gods to help her survive, she folded 1, 000 paper cranes. She died at 12 years old. Sadako represents all of the children who died in Hiroshima, and the paper crane has become an international symbol of peace.

Sadako’s Story https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=l. BZs. Yc e. H 4 n. M

Hiroshima Today

J. Robert Oppenheimer, Director of the Manhattan Project “We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad. Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multiarmed form and says, ‘Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. ’ I suppose we all felt that one way or another. ”

Different Interpretations To frighten the Russians so that they wouldn’t confront the West. Eastern Europe To test the weapon on live human beings to see what affect it had. A military weapon to end the war quickly, save lives and keep the Russians out of the war. Why did the USA drop The Atomic Bombs on Japan? Revenge for Pearl Harbor and Japanese war crimes against Allied prisoners of war

Interpretation 1: Military Weapon US Government estimated that both Japan & the USA would each lose 250, 000 soldiers during the invasion of Japan! The war in the Pacific was expensive for the USA. For example, on Iwo Jima it took five weeks of bitter fighting at a cost of more than 24, 000 casualties before the USA took the island. In taking another island, Okinawa, the US incurred a further 20, 195 dead and 55, 162 wounded.

Interpretation 1: Military Weapon “. . it was done to save 125, 000 youngsters on the American side and 125, 000 on the Japanese side from getting killed and that is what it did. It probably also saved a half million youngsters on both sides from being maimed for life. Harry Truman, 1963

Casualty Figures for 1945 The Japanese government threatened to put to death 400, 000 Allied prisoners of war if the USA invaded Japan!

Interpretation 2: Revenge On 7 th December 1941, 2400 American servicemen, six battleships and ten other ships were destroyed during a surprise attack by the Japanese. Roosevelt described the Japanese attack as a ‘day that shall live on in infamy’ because the Japanese didn’t declare war on the USA or give any warning that they were about to go to war.

Interpretation 2: Revenge POWs The Japanese religion Bushido believed that people who surrendered were cowards and should be mistreated. Allied prisoners of war were beaten, deliberately starved, tortured, worked to death and even experimented on with chemical & biological weapons by the Japanese. Some were even crucified on trees and beheaded by their captors! There was a strong feeling in both the USA & Europe that the Japanese should be taught a lesson!

Interpretation 3: Frighten the Russians RIP At the Yalta Conference in March 1945, the big three agreed that there should be early free elections in Eastern European countries like Poland as soon as the war was over. With the death of Roosevelt in April 1945, Harry Truman became the President of the USA. Truman did not trust Stalin to keep his promises.

Interpretation 3: Frighten the Russians He is trying to spread Communism! We have been attacked twice in less than 25 years! The USA dropped the first atomic bomb 14 days later! By the time the big three met again at Potsdam on 23 rd July 1945, Stalin did not trust the Americans. He wanted to create a buffer between USSR (Russia) and Western Europe to protect her from future invasions. He started putting his Communist supporters into power in the Eastern European countries that he controlled.

Interpretation 3: Frighten the Russians “Officially the Americans claimed that the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was aimed at bringing the end of the war nearer and avoiding unnecessary bloodshed and casualties. But they had entirely different objectives. The purpose of the bombings was to intimidate other countries, above all the Soviet Union. ” Russian Historian: Vadim Nekrasov, 1984

Interpretation 3: Frighten the Russians The use of this barbarous weapon was of no assistance to our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated. By October 1944 the Japanese had been cut off from 80% of their oil supplies. The US secret service had cracked the Japanese diplomatic codes and knew that they wanted to surrender before they dropped the bomb! Admiral Leahy, 1950

Interpretation 4: To Test the Weapon The Atomic Bomb cost $2, 000 million to develop! Many of the Scientist & military advisors were keen to test the atomic bomb to sell what affect it would have on human beings. No one knew about the affects of radiation from a nuclear explosion. Later many US & British troops were exposed to radiation from the testing of nuclear weapons.

Interpretation 4: To Test the Weapon A demonstration of the bomb might best be made on the desert or on a barren island. Japan could then be asked to surrender. Robert Oppenheimer, June 1945

Interpretation 4: To Test the Weapon A demonstration in an uninhabited area was not regarded as likely to make Japan surrender. There was the danger of the test being a dud. Also we had no bombs to waste Henry Stimson, American Secretary for War, 1945

Conclusion: Now You Decide! To frighten the Russians so that they wouldn’t confront the West. Eastern Europe To test the weapon on live human beings to see what affect it had. A military weapon to end the war quickly, save lives and keep the Russians out of the war. Why did the USA drop The Atomic Bombs on Japan? Revenge for Pearl Harbor and Japanese war crimes against Allied prisoners of war

Arguments for Dropping the Bomb Save (1, 000? ) American and Japanese lives. Japanese resisted US forces by use of Kamikaze pilots in Okinawa and fighting without surrender at Iwo Jima and other battles. They didn’t surrender after the fire bombing of major cities. No worse than fire bombing those cities. End the war quickly. The US was tired after 4 years of war. Germany had already surrendered in May, 1945. Japan resisted an unconditional surrender. End the war before the Soviets join the Pacific war. The USSR had promised to join the war in August 1945. Demonstrate US power to the world. Convince the world that these weapons should be abolished. Racism. US policy makers expressed racist attitudes toward Japanese Revenge. Truman suggested after the war that he wanted to exact revenge for Pearl Harbor. Large resources went into the development of the atomic bomb, and there was a desire to use it and test it. As an unelected President, Truman was controlled by his close advisors who favored using the bomb. Scientists and policy makers didn’t fully appreciate effects of the bomb. With only 2 bombs, it would have been wasteful to detonate one as a demonstration. It might even be embarrassing if it didn’t go off.

Arguments Against Dropping the Bomb Moral failure for being the only country to use an atomic bomb in war. The attack struck mainly civilians who outnumbered military personnel 6: 1. When Truman announced the attack, he falsely claimed that Hiroshima was “a military base. ” Japan was ready to surrender anyway. It was blockaded. Its navy and air force was destroyed. It’s overseas possessions were confiscated. The US needlessly insisted upon an unconditional surrender, since Japan was willing to surrender if it could retain the Emperor. A demonstration of US power would have been sufficient US moral authority, nationally and internationally, was weakened. Contributed to mistrust held by the USSR and prompted a dangerous arms race. There was no need for the second bomb on Nagasaki. There were many prominent military personnel against dropping the bomb, like Eisenhower, under-Secretary of the Navy, Ralph Bard, Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet.

Websites and Sources http: //www. colorado. edu/Am. Studies/lewis/2010/atomic. htm http: //www. trumanlibrary. org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/bomb. htm ; http: //www. trumanlibrary. org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/small. htm Primary documents from the Truman Library http: //www. pcf. city. hiroshima. jp/peacesite/index. E. html Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: http: //www 1. city. nagasaki. jp/na-bomb/museume 01. html Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum: http: //hnn. us/articles/190. html The trial of Harry Truman http: //www. dannen. com/decision/index. html Full text documents on the dropping of the atomic bomb http: //www. vw. cc. va. us/vwhansd/HIS 122/Hiroshima. html Article by David Hansen on the decision to drop the bomb http: //sun. menloschool. org/~sportman/ethics/project/topics/hiroshima/index. html Student website that outlines the pro and con of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki http: //wgordon. web. wesleyan. edu/papers/hiroshim. htm Argument against the dropping of the bomb by Bill Gordon, a masters student at Wesleyan University http: //encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761557001_4/Harry_Truman. html Encarta entry on Harry Truman http: //www. csi. ad. jp/ABOMB/index. html The A-Bomb www museum http: //www. grolier. com/wwii_mainpage. html Links to WWII sites http: //www. japan-guide. com/e/e 2125. html Links to A-Bomb sites http: //www. nuclearfiles. org/ Documents and sites from The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. http: //www. doug-long. com/marshall. htm General George Marshall's argument for dropping the bomb