CONTENTS Foreword 1 Introduction 4 World Map 8 Chapter 1 Historical Background on the Atomic Bombings 1. An Overview of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 11 Gale Encyclopedia of World History On August 6, 1945, and three days later, on August 9, the first and only atomic bombs ever used in warfare were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing World War II to an end. These two bombs killed more than one hundred thousand people instantly and caused terrible damage, but they may have prevented the even greater death toll that would have resulted from continuing the war. 2. The First Test Explosion of an Atomic Bomb 18 US War Department Three weeks before the bombing of Hiroshima, the first test of an atomic bomb was conducted in a desert area of the state of New Mexico. The scientists and military personnel who observed it were relieved that the test worked and found the spectacle both beautiful and terrifying.
3. The US President Announces the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima 28 Harry S. Truman The people of the United States first learned of the existence of the atomic bomb and its use in an attack on Hiroshima from a statement written by President Harry S. Truman that was released to the press sixteen hours after the bombing and broadcast on the radio. 4. The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima Is Described in the Press 35 Chicago Tribune A front-page news account that appeared two days after the bombing of Hiroshima reports the flight crew s comments on what they observed after dropping the bomb. 5. Atomic Energy Must Be Used Responsibly 43 George Fielding Eliot Immediately after the bombing of Hiroshima, an editorial argues that atomic energy will have both constructive and destructive uses, that it is providential that it was developed by the United States rather than by Hitler or a Japanese warlord, and that America has a responsibility to use it wisely. 6. The British Reaction to the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima 49 Sunday Times (London) Britain s major newspaper, the Times, in commenting on the significance of the attack on Hiroshima two days prior, emphasizes that atomic energy can provide tremendous
benefits to mankind, but that only a love of peace can prevent it from being used destructively. Chapter 2 Controversies Surrounding the Atomic Bombings 1. The Atomic Bombings Were Justified Because They Saved Many Lives 57 Andrew Kenny A South African energy consultant argues that, as terrible as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were, it saved both Japanese and American lives and was necessary because conflict within the Japanese government made surrender impossible without an overwhelming attack. 2. The Atomic Bombings Ended the Savagery of Both Sides 66 Paul Fussell A professor with military experience argues that those who say the atomic bombings were unnecessary have never fought personally in a war and do not have a realistic understanding of what the saving of soldiers lives meant, of the Japanese belief that to die fighting for the emperor was glorious, nor of the brutality in which both sides engaged during the war. 3. Many Scientists Who Worked on the A-Bomb Opposed Its Use 81 Leo Szilard In an interview, the Hungarian-born physicist, who was the first scientist to seriously consider the idea of nuclear weapons, explains his
efforts to persuade the government to demonstrate the atomic bomb rather than use it against Japan, and his belief that if the United States had not used it, the nuclear arms race could have been avoided. 4. The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb Seemed Right at the Time 91 Max Hastings An editorial in a British newspaper on the sixtieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima explains that, although it is now believed that Japan could not have continued the war even if the bomb had not been used, that was not known at the time. It argues that people who find it easy today to condemn the use of the bomb fail to recognize the dilemmas faced by those who made the decision to use it. 5. The Atomic Bombing of Japan Prevented a Third World War 99 Klaus Wiegrefe A German journalist describes the events leading up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for a European audience. He declares that, despite the terrible destruction, the world benefited from the use of the atomic bomb, because it prevented the Cold War from becoming a military war. 6. The Atomic Bombing of Japan Was Not Necessary 113 Mark Weber A historian argues that Japan was attempting to make peace before the atomic bombs were used, that their use was unnecessary and
wrong, and that although most Americans accepted the official justifications, there were critics even at the time. 7. The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima Was Necessary but that of Nagasaki Was Not 122 Bruce Loebs A professor explains that despite its already desperate situation, Japan had resolved to continue fighting even at the cost of selfdestruction. In his opinion, only the atomic bombing of Hiroshima caused the emperor to end the war, and there was no justification for the bombing of Nagasaki, as Japan had not yet been given time to surrender. 8. Majority Opinion Across the Political Spectrum Initially Favored Use of the Atomic Bomb 136 Paul F. Boller, Jr. A historian points out that it is commonly thought that the political right approved of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the left opposed it, but this was not true at the time. In 1945 majority opinion at both ends of the political spectrum supported the bombings, although there were critics among both. 9. The United States Owes Japan No Apology for Using the Atomic Bomb 145 Neil Steinberg A newspaper columnist, commenting on the controversy over the display of the Enola Gay by the Smithsonian Institution, argues that America owes Japan no apology for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, considering
the atrocities committed by Japan during the war, and that Americans should not take such a dark view of the nation s history. Chapter 3 Personal Narratives 1. Working to Develop the Atomic Bomb 151 Paul Olum A scientist who took part in the development of the atomic bomb describes what it was like to be part of the Manhattan Project and why the scientists were willing to continue the work after the defeat of Nazi Germany. 2. Training as a Member of the Enola Gay s Crew 157 Theodore Dutch Van Kirk The navigator of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, describes the training of the flight crews for atomic bombing missions. He believes that the use of the atomic bomb saved Japanese as well as American lives. 3. Experiencing the Horrors of the Atomic Bombing 163 Keiko Murakami A Japanese peace activist who was eight years old at the time Hiroshima was bombed tells how she and her family emerged from the rubble of their collapsed house, about the hardships that followed, and how she later became ill with radiation sickness. 4. Tending the Injured in the Aftermath of the Atomic Bombing 170 Johannes Siemes
A German priest who was at a Jesuit mission just over a mile from Hiroshima describes the effects of the blast. He describes how he and his fellow priests helped the crowds of wounded who managed to reach their chapel, and how his group made its way into the devastated city to rescue others. 5. The Pilot of the Enola Gay Looks Back 179 Paul Tibbets, interviewed by Studs Terkel In an interview a few years before his death at age ninety-two, the pilot of the Enola Gay describes the dropping of the atomic bomb and declares that he has had no second thoughts about it. 6. Opposing the Atomic Bomb as a Teen in 1945 189 Daniel Ellsberg A political activist known for his strong opposition to war tells how he felt when he heard the news of the dropping of the atomic bomb, which occurred when he was fourteen years old. Unlike most Americans at that time, he believed it was destructive for humanity. 7. Gratitude for the Atomic Bomb that Ended the War 197 Bob Greene A journalist who wrote a series of columns about the pilot of the plane that bombed Hiroshima quotes from responses he received from veterans and others who believe that the use of the atomic bomb saved lives. Chronology 203
For Further Reading 209 Index 215