Why did the USA drop two Atomic Bombs on Japan in 1945?GCSE History Coursework2003By Mr RJ Huggins

The Atomic Bombing of JapanOn 6th August 1945 the Americans dropped the worlds 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 10th August 1945, the day after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan surrendered.

Terror BombingTerror 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 TokyoThe 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.

Enola Gay B 29 SuperfortressEnola 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)HiroshimaNagasaki

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

Photograph of Hiroshima

Survivors from HiroshimaThese victims are covered inblisters created by radioactivity

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

Casualties from the US bombing of Japanese cities in 1945

Chart2

14000010000081000

Fire Bombing of Tokyo

Hiroshima

Nagasaki

Chart1

140000

100000

81000

Cities

Sheet1

Fire Bombing of Tokyo140000

Hiroshima100000

Nagasaki81000

Sheet1

14000010000081000

Fire Bombing of Tokyo

Hiroshima

Nagasaki

Sheet2

Sheet3

Different InterpretationsWhy did the USA dropThe Atomic Bombs onJapan?

Interpretation 1: Military WeaponThe 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.

US Governmentestimated thatboth Japan & the USAwould each lose250,000 soldiers duringthe invasion of Japan!

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

Chart1

680022000

3793113593

2016298654

USA

Japanese

Sheet1

USAJapanese

Iwo Jima6,80022,000

Luzon3,793113,593

Okinawa20,16298,654

113593

Sheet1

USA

Japanese

Sheet2

Sheet3

Interpretation 2: RevengeOn 7th 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 didnt declare war on the USA or give any warning that they were about to go to war.

Revenge for Pearl HarborPearl Harbor was done while we were at peace with Japan and trying our best to negotiate a treaty with them All you have to do is to go out and stand on the keel of the Battleship in Pearl Harbor with the 3,000 youngsters underneath it who had no chance whatever of saving their lives.. It was plain murder! Harry Truman, 1963

Interpretation 2: Revenge POWsThe 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 RussiansAt 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.RIP

Interpretation 3: Frighten the RussiansBy the time the big three met again at Potsdam on 23rd 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.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!

Interpretation 3: Frighten the RussiansRussian Historian: Vadim Nekrasov, 1984 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.

Interpretation 3: Frighten the RussiansBy 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!The use of this barbarous weapon was of no assistance to our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated. Admiral Leahy, 1950

Interpretation 4: To Test the WeaponThe 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 WeaponA 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 WeaponA 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 wasteHenry Stimson, American Secretary for War, 1945

Conclusion: Now You Decide!Why did the USA dropThe Atomic Bombs onJapan?

Counting the CostHiroshima 100,000 Nagasaki 81,000POWs 400,000 US 250,000 Japanese 250,000US Invasion of JapanUse the BombWhat would you do?

*The BBC Video: Era of the SWW Making The Peace, has a series of clips that will help to supports this presentation. You can also download my source booklet from www.schoolhistory.co.uk : The Use of the Atomic Bomb.*The BBC Video: Era of the SWW Making The Peace, has an excellent clip/re-enactment from BBC Timewatch Programme: The Summer of the bomb of a conversation between James Burns & a journalist!