The Bombings of Japan Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Merle Wigner

History (ROOMNUMBER HERE) TEACHERNAME HERE June 19 2011

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ABSTRACT This paper reviews the United State's decision to drop two nuclear bombs on Japan in the cities of Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. This paper explores the reasoning behind the bombing of Japan, as well as the numerous effects it has had on the people living in those cities, and the outlying areas. In summer of 1945, Harry S. Truman decided to drop two nuclear bombs on Japanese soil. One in Nagasaki, and another shortly after, in Hiroshima. His reasoning was quite simple, in that he wanted to end the war. These attacks were unjustified by today's standards, as over 200,000 people were killed in the two bombings. Most of these people were innocent civilians. Shortly after the Bombing of Nagasaki, Japan had surrendered to the Allied Powers, ending the Pacific War. The bombings of Japan still affect the people in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, as well as the near by cities affected by fallout. Even over 50 years from the bombings, many survivors still produce mutated red and white blood cells. The radiation entering human bone marrow, causes mutation in the genes of a person, altering the way that cells are created in the body. Over 45,000 people have reported tumor growth as a direct effect from the explosion of a nuclear bomb. The bombs also had a very great psychological effect on the people of Japan. Many of the people to this day suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, often losing hair and having severe diarrhea even when showing no signs of physical or radiation injuries. INTRODUCTION Nearing the end of World War II, the Allied powers had called for the surrender of Japanese forces. The people of Japan refused, and a decision had to be made. The Russian USSR was to invade Japan, therefore the United States had to show a display of power, to keep Russian forces from interfering with the Pacific War. The invasion of Japan by United States troops, was estimated to be

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the cause of over 1,000,000 casualties. Would United States troops invade Japan, possibly causing the death of millions of people? The president of the United States at the time, Harry Truman, had opted to prevent the death of millions of human beings. The launching of two nuclear bombs would certainly make an impact. Hiroshima being a large industrial city, was the 2nd Japanese Army Headquarters, which was in control of the defense systems in Southern Japan. At the cost of over 200,000 Japanese lives, two Nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan. The first of the bombs to hit Hiroshima, the second detonated over the City of Nagasaki. A few days after the bombing of Nagasaki, on September 2nd, Japan the Instrument of Surrender, officially surrendering to the Allied Powers. Nuclear Effect on the People of Japan Since the bombing of Japan, recent studies have shown an increase in men and women getting breast cancer due to mutated tissue creation. Even over 50 years from the initial bombing, traces of mutated proteins can be found in the survivors, and some of their descendants blood. Radiation enters the marrow of their bones, and stays there, continually causing damage to the genes. Many cases of mutated blood cells have also been reported. Many of the survivors of the initial explosion retained extreme burns, deeply scarring much of the skin on their bodies. Radiation poisoning also contributed to a large number of deaths in Japan at the time. The people Japan were also effected psychologically, a large number of survivors suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Reports of people losing their hair and having severe diarrhea, even when not exposed to radiation, or having any signs of physical injury. The nuclear attack was demoralizing enough to cause the surrender of the Japanese Government. People have since constructed a memorial shrine near the hypocenter of the Nagasaki bombing, in an attempt to ease the pain of the loss of thousands of their countrymen.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki 4 CONCLUSION The destruction of 2 large Japanese cities and the loss of over 200,000 Japanese citizens was acceptable back in the time of World War II, but in today's day and society the use of nuclear weapons would be looked down upon, and discouraged. The use of a nuclear weapon would be the last thing that the people of this country would use to change the tide of a war. The people of Japan were scarred and burned, disintegrated and destroyed. The sheer amount of destruction is unacceptable today, whereas after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 13% of voting Americans were completely okay with the slaughter of every single Japanese man, woman, and child. Acts of nuclear war are only detrimental to the survival of the human race as a whole. It's barbaric, and not to be tolerated in today's age. Though it may have effectively ended World War II, causing the mutation of countless innocent human beings as well as the loss of several Prisoners of War, is often considered inhumane, a crime against nature. Further study of the events preceding the bombings of Japan, as well as the events that occurred after the bombings, would offer a more complete understanding of the reasoning behind the dropping of the two nuclear devices. Whether or not the dropping of the second bomb was necessary or not is a controversial topic, as such further research on the subject is difficult. The use of nuclear weapons should be outlawed by international law, as well as the manufacturing and possession of any nuclear device. The Uranium and Plutonium used to make such nuclear devices should be locked away, or used only for nuclear power, to run the cities of the planet instead of destroying them. We could be using nuclear substances for much greater causes, instead of murder and devastation.