History Controlled Assessment Task. The Atomic Bomb

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1 General Certificate of Secondary Education History Controlled Assessment Task Unit 3: Investigative Study The Atomic Bomb [GHY31] VALID FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 MAY 2015 INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Answer both questions. The candidate should show evidence of having studied and evaluated between 10 and 15 sources in their Investigative Study. The sources which accompany the tasks must be used as part of the Investigative Study. The time allocation of 3 hours for the formal write-up of the task must not be exceeded. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES Controlled Assessment is marked out of 50. Question 1 is worth 15 marks and Question 2 is worth 35 marks. Quality of written communication will be assessed in both questions. You should aim to write approximately 2000 words in total. Candidates work to be submitted May 2015 Controlled Assessment Tasks must comply with the Regulations as detailed in the Subject Specification. NB: Some Controlled Assessment Tasks instructions may constitute more than 1 page. Please check you have all the information you need to complete the task if printing from a computer. 1 [Turn over

2 Controlled Assessment Task: The Atomic Bomb Answer both questions. You should use the source material provided and other evidence gathered during your investigative research to complete your answers. Source A From Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan by J. Samuel Walker, published in Experts agreed that the bomb was not needed to avoid an invasion of Japan and to end the war within a short period of time. It is clear that alternatives to the bomb existed and that Truman and his advisers knew it. Source B From President Truman s first address to the US Congress, April So that there can be no possible misunderstanding, both Germany and Japan can be certain that America will continue the fight for freedom. We are deeply aware of the fact that much hard fighting is still ahead. Having to pay such a heavy price to make complete victory certain, America will never accept partial victory. Our demand has been, and it remains, unconditional surrender! Source C From a History textbook, International Relations by Tony Rea and John Wright, published in There has been much debate about the dropping of the atomic bombs. Was President Truman justified in bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The war did end after its second use. It has been said that the use of the bombs was wrong and unnecessary and that Truman and his advisers failed to think of the long-term issues such as the potential arms race. Some observers have said that the bombs were dropped to intimidate the Soviet Union. Source D From a CBS television programme by Walter Lippmann, broadcast in Japan was ready for surrender before we dropped the bombs. And in my view, we should have negotiated a surrender before we dropped them. One of the things I look back on with the greatest regret, as an American, is that we were the ones who first dropped atomic bombs [Turn over

3 Source E From a press conference by General Curtis LeMay, 20 September LeMay: The war would have been over in two weeks without the Russians entering and without the atomic bomb. The Press: You mean that, sir? The war would have ended without the Russians and the atomic bomb? LeMay: The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war at all. Source F From an article by Henry Stimson in Harper s Magazine, published in February The Interim Committee s conclusions were similar to my own, although I reached mine independently. I felt that, to get a genuine surrender from the Emperor and his military advisers, they must be given a tremendous shock which would carry convincing proof of our power to destroy the empire. Such an effective shock would save many times the number of lives, both American and Japanese, than it would cost. Source G From a memorandum by Brigadier-General George A. Lincoln, prepared for the Operations Division, 4 June Though its industries had been seriously crippled and its armed forces were weak, Japan was still far from surrender. It had plenty of weapons and ammunition and an army of 5,000,000, troops some of whom could be expected to put up strong resistance to invasion. Neither blockade nor bombing alone would produce unconditional surrender before the date set for invasion. 3 [Turn over

4 Source H A British cartoon published in The Evening Standard, 25 August It is referring to the debate over America s use of the atomic bomb. Source I From a letter by Ichizo Hayashi, a 23-year-old Kamikaze pilot, sent just a few days before his final mission, April I am pleased to have the honour of having been chosen as a member of a Special Attack Force that is on its way into battle, but I cannot help crying when I think of you, mum. When I reflect on the hopes you had for my future I feel so sad that I am going to die without doing anything to bring you joy. Source J From the memoirs of Admiral William D. Leahy, published in Once the atomic bomb had been tested, President Truman faced the decision as to whether to use it. He did not like the idea, but he was persuaded that it would shorten the war against Japan and save American lives. It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender [Turn over

5 Questions available marks 1 Explain why there was tension between Japan and America in the period [15] 15 2 Source A claims that the bomb was not needed to avoid an invasion of Japan and to end the war. Using all the evidence you have studied (including representations and interpretations), how far would you agree with this interpretation that it was not necessary to use the atomic bomb to end the war with Japan in 1945? [35] 35 Total 50 5 [Turn over