The Atomic Bomb By the summer of 1945, the victory for the Allies (the U.S., Britain, the USSR, and France) was almost complete. Germany surrendered completely on May 7, 1945. Only Japan was still fighting. The U.S. had been winning the war against Japan since 1942 the only question was how to deliver the knockout blow to the Japanese. When President Franklin Roosevelt died in the spring of 1945, Harry Truman became President. Truman decided to use America s new, secret weapon, the atomic bomb. Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima equal to 12,192 tons of TNT (dynamite) Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki equal to 22,352 tons of TNT (dynamite) Hiroshima population 285,000 Nagasaki population 174,000 Died first day 45,000 Died first day 22,000 Total dead after 4 months 64,000 Total dead after 4 months 39,000 Surviving casualties 72,000 Surviving casualties 25,000 Total casualties 136,000 Total casualties 64,000 Should the United States Have Dropped the A-Bomb on Japan? With your group, you will read several documents that either support or oppose the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. Read each document, summarize it and decide whether it supports or opposes the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. Document # Is this document FOR or AGAINST dropping the atomic bomb? In your own words, what is the argument? (Summarize the document) 1 2
3 4 5 6 Should the Atomic Bomb have been dropped on Japan? Using at least two arguments from the gallery walk to back up your view, answer the above question. You MUST pick a side and explain your answer below.
Argument # 1 Save American Lives! President Truman wanted to stop fighting and to save American lives. He believed that if he dropped the atomic bomb, then Japan would surrender and the war would be over. Some of President Truman s advisors believed that between 500,000 and 1 million American lives would be lost if the US fought a land battle against the Japanese. After the war, Truman said: I wanted to save a half a million boys on our side I never lost sleep over my decision.
Argument # 3 Stop the Soviet Union The United States was scared that the Soviet Union wanted to spread communism to other countries. They wanted Japan to surrender to the United States before the Soviet Union could get to them. The U.S. was scared that if Russia made Japan surrender, they could influence it to become a COMMUNIST country. Instead, the United States wanted Japan to be a democratic country. They believed that if they dropped the bomb, they would hold back the threat of Soviet influence on Japan.
Argument # 5 - Japan s Warrior Spirit Japanese soldiers believed in the Samurai Warrior spirit and did not accept surrender. To them, surrender meant dishonor. Tomorrow, I drink a ceremonial cup of sake (wine) with my commander and then take off for my mission. Tomorrow, I die for my Emperor and for my country. - A kamikaze (suicide) pilot
Argument # 2 Japan Already Defeated Japan was in a hopeless condition by the time the argument was made to drop the bomb. They were wiped out, socially and economically, as well as in morale. Many Japanese government officials and civilians wanted peace. They wanted to surrender, and to still keep their dignity. They did not want to feel humiliated (embarrassed) The Americans, who wanted Japan to surrender unconditionally (completely), could not accept this. If the Americans had changed the terms of the surrender, the Japanese would have surrendered.
Document # 4 Dropping the Atomic Bomb was Against International Law After the Holocaust, the US, Britain, France and the USSR signed an agreement that made the following illegal: (b) Killing civilians during war is illegal. Destroying cities, towns or villages that have nothing to do with the war campaign is illegal. (c) Crimes against humankind are illegal. Murder, torture, genocide committed against any civilians is illegal.
Document # 6 Suffering of Innocent People Within a few seconds of the bomb being dropped, thousands of people were burned by a giant wave of heat. Everything was destroyed, including houses, factories and other buildings. Trains were flung off the rails as though they were toys. Every living thing felt unbelievable suffering. Houses were flattened like they were made of cardboard. I tried to find my mother, but all I saw was a bunch of white ashes with one black spot, and a heap of charred (burnt) bones. I then saw a young woman lying in the road with her two children. Her face was one big swollen blister, with the skin starting to peel off. -A Japanese woman in Nagasaki