Who Done It

Who Done It

History - Rachael Bunn
Introduction - Rachael Bunn
Photo/Video Gallery - Rachael Bunn
Justification - Reuben Brazeal
Bibliography - Reuben Brazeal

Bibiliography

References

DebatePedia. (n.d.). Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified? In Debate: Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from idea database.

Farlex. (n.d.). Manhattan Project. In The Free Dictionary [word definition]. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from The Free Dictionary database.

HISTORY.com. (n.d.). World War II. In World War II. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from History.com database.

Wikia. (n.d.). Battle of Okinawa. In World War II WIki [Okinawa]. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from Wikia database.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Wiki article]. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from WIkipedia database.

WIkipedia. (n.d.). Bombing of Tokyo. In Bombing of Tokyo [WIki article]. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from WIkipedia database.

WIkipedia. (n.d.). Hiroshima. In Hiroshima [wiki article]. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from WIkipedia database.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Nagasaki. In Nagasaki [Wiki article]. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from WIkipedia database.

Photo/Video Gallery

Battleship USS West Virginia in flames after Pearl harbor attack

 

America in the 20th Century: World War II: The World at War

Anti-Japanese propaganda

Ant-American propaganda

Industrial poster supporting the war effort

The Battle of Midway

A B-29 over Osaka on 1 June 1945

Crew that dropped the bomb "Little Boy"

After the bombing in Hiroshima

Before the bombing in Hiroshima

The Bockscar and its crew, who dropped "Fat Man" on Nagasaki.

Nagasaki before (top) and after (bottom) bombing.

The Manhattan Project and the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hatazō Adachi, the commander of the Japanese 18th Army in New Guinea surrenders his sword

Justification: Pros and Cons

    Although the bomb was very brutal and killed many, overall numerous lives were saved. If the bomb was not dropped, the Japanese would fight to the death and take everyone they can with them. The ruthlessness of their culture would end more of their own lives as well as American lives and our Allies. This is a pro as the bomb saved so many more than were killed. Also this bomb demonstrated the power of the military and devastation it will cause. Having power will keep countries in fear of what another war may cause, hopefully out of fear they would stay away from war.

   Cons for the war are also great however, yet the major pro outweighs the cons. Many citizens were killed in the wake of the bombs, however some may say that is justified because the citizens were just as guilty as the military. They would fight for their emperor until death stripped them away. However the bombs caused radiation poisoning for at least 2 generations after, infant children were born with missing limbs and deformations.

Landing of Allies on Okinawa

   The bomb was justified, even though hundreds of thousands were killed, many more were saved. With the quick surrender of the Japanese, the invasion was not necessary. This invasion would have been more tragic than the bomb. Just as the battle of Okinawa was devastating with more more ships, troops, guns, and supplies used than any other pacific battle. The battle lasted for 82 days. Moreover, compared to the brutal, somewhat barbaric strategy of the Japanese could have been worse than the bomb. The Japanese basically hypnotize teenage boys into thinking it was right to kill themselves for the emperor. The emperor was thought of as a God on earth so he sent his people as Kamikaze pilots to their death. Kamikazes would fly their planes into their targets to do more damage, the pilot would be killed during the process. These tactics could be seen as more evil the atomic bomb. Furthermore, during the time of this world war, blood had drenched the battlefield. Corruption and devastation simply flooded the minds of everyone. Civilians had the fear of being killed by bombings or sighting of warships while trying to relax at the beach. The atomic bomb was not that bad compared to the tragedies that occurred during World War II as a whole. For example, the fire bombing of Tokyo had much more impact than the atomic bomb did, although many more bombs were required. World War II was a total war and the Japanese would have used any means necessary to win the war just as the US had decided to do with the atomic bombs.

Young Kamikaze pilots that would give their life for their emperor showing the Japanese would do anything to win this war. 

History

"Little Boy"(top)
"Fat Man"(bottom)

• During the end of World War II in 1945, the Allies of World War II successfully dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.  These were the only nuclear weapons used in war. 

• After firebombing campaign that destroyed many Japanese cities, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Republic of China demanded the surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945 under the threat of "prompt and utter destruction".  

Tokyo before and after fire bombing

• Despite the destruction of some of its cities, Japan ignored the final warning of the Allies. Japan's decline of the Potsdam Declaration lead to the development of two nuclear weapons by the Manhattan Project. 



Hiroshima after bombing

• The Manhattan project was a former United States executive agency for the secret United States project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs for use in World War II.

• Hiroshima was a minor supply base for the Japanese military. The city was a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area for troops. It was also one of several Japanese cities left purposely untouched by American bombing. On August 6, 1945, "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima killing 90,000-166,000 people within the first two to four months of the bombing. 

Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Nagasaki

• The city of Nagasaki had been one of the largest sea ports in southern Japan and was important to the war because of its wide-ranging industrial activity; including the production of ordnance, ships, military equipment, and other war materials. Nagasaki had never been subjected to large-scale bombing prior to the explosion of a nuclear weapon there. On August 1, 1945, however, a number of high-explosive bombs were dropped on the city. On August 9, 1945, "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki killing 60,000-80,000 people within the first two to four months of the bombing.

   Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Japanese Government, ending World War II.

• On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its surrender to the Allies, and signed the Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.

Introduction

On August 6–9, 1945 two bombs were dropped on two cities of Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Six days after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan surrendered to the Allies and signed the Instrument of Surrender on the second of September, officially ending World War II in 1945.  Dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a necessary catastrophe to end further destruction, therefore was a justified action.  The invasion of Japan would have cost more lives for the Allies and the Japanese.  To the Japanese, the Emperor was considered a god on earth.  He praised civilians for cooperating with the Japanese army by committing suicide if they were ever captured by the United States.  The citizens, like the army refused to surrender and even turned suicide into a strategy.  The Japanese used young men to fly a plane filled with explosives and would make a deliberate suicidal crash on their designated target; this action was known as kamikaze.  Some of the people who worked on building the bomb said they made it out of fear, that the bomb was an instrument of genocide, yet they decided to make it anyways because they realized that it would be the weapon that would end the war.