Modern America Name: __________________________________ Shen

The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb

Atomic Bomb Chronology August 2, 1939 Albert Einstein letter to FDR suggesting that an incredibly powerful new type of bomb could be built by the Germans. This led to the development of the top secret Manhattan Project in August 1942 (it was unofficially begun in 1939.)

September 1, 1939 WWII begins when England & France declare war on Germany, a decision prompted by the

German invasion of Poland. October 9, 1941 FDR gives approval for the development of an atomic weapon. April 1945 U.S. troops seized control of Germany’s atomic research site, discovering that German scientists

had not yet succeeded in developing the bomb. April 12, 1945 President Roosevelt dies and Vice President Truman is sworn in as president. He is quickly told

of the atomic bomb project. April 27, 1945 The Target Committee of the Manhattan Project selects four Japanese cities as possible targets for

the atomic bomb. They are: Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kokura, and Niigata. May 1945 An advisory group of scientists, military leaders, and government officials, called the Interim

Committee, was established to debate the decision and make a recommendation. May 8, 1945 Germany surrenders and the war ends in Europe. July 16, 1945 The first atomic test bomb, code-named “Trinity,” was successfully detonated in a desert in New

Mexico. After twelve years of research and more than $2 billion in expenditures, President Truman set about the task of deciding if and how the atomic bomb would be used.

July 26, 1945 Potsdam Declaration is issued by the Allies demanding the unconditional surrender of Japan. It was presented as an ultimatum and stated that without a surrender, the Allies would attack Japan, resulting in "the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as inevitably the utter devastation of the Japanese homeland". The atomic bomb is not explicitly mentioned. Two days later, the Japanese govt. rejects the demand.

The Setting: It is late July 1945. Nazi Germany has surrendered and Japan’s island empire in the Pacific has been smashed. A few days ago, scientists in New Mexico successfully tested a powerful new weapon—an atomic bomb—to further strengthen our country’s arsenal. Given the unprecedented destructive power of this new weapon, President Truman created an Interim Committee in May 1945 to advise him on atomic matters. Task: As a member of the Interim Committee, your task is to advise the President on whether or not to use the atomic bomb on Japan. To help you come up with your recommendation, please read over the factors below and indicate if they are worthy of consideration in making your recommendation (Yes/No/Unsure). Once you have weighed the factors carefully you are ready to make a recommendation and defend your position.

Factor:

Justifies/Does Not Justify Use of the

Bomb (Yes/No/ Unsure)

Possible land invasion. The high casualty rate and ferocity of Japanese resistance faced in the island hopping campaign is evidence of Japan’s unwillingness to surrender. A land invasion of Japan would inevitably result in massive loss of life on both sides. Military estimates suggested that a land invasion of Japan would result in close to 1.2 million American casualties. Additionally, firebombing had proven ineffective at crushing the Japanese spirit. In the firebombing of Tokyo in 1945, 2,000 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on the city. 16 miles in and around the city were destroyed and somewhere between 80,000-130,000 Japanese civilians were killed. It is unlikely that traditional military tactics would work.

Possibility of Japanese Surrender. The war had taken a huge toll on Japan. The Allied powers had blockaded Japan, cutting off supplies of food and war materials. Japanese oil shipments—critical to the war effort—had been reduced by 85 percent. The Japanese people were facing the prospect of slow starvation. In addition, the blockade had made it impossible for Japan to get the 3 million Japanese soldiers who were in China back to the their homeland (meaning they were militarily weak.) U.S. air strikes on Japanese cities had cut down Japan’s industrial production by 40% and killed thousands of Japanese civilians. Allied bombing had destroyed 180 square miles of Japanese urban areas, and military planners believed they would run out of targets within several months. The U.S. also knew that Japan was secretly talking to the Soviets to get help in ending the war. Japanese diplomats wanted an impartial third party to mediate their surrender.

U.S. Military Casualties. By July 1945, U.S. forces had already suffered more than one million casualties. American POWs in Japan are dying of starvation. Some have been tortured and others publicly executed. The Japanese Government has announced that it will execute Allied pilots captured over Japan.

Unconditional surrender. The U.S. and the Allies agreed that the Axis powers must surrender unconditionally (meaning they must surrender without the ability to maintain their govt., military, or emperor.) In May, Germany surrendered unconditionally, after Adolf Hitler committed suicide. The Japanese are refusing to surrender (the Japanese wanted to keep their emperor as a figurehead.)

Problems with the Soviet Union. Tension is starting to build between the US and Soviets. Although they were allies during the war, the two nations do not trust each other (remember, the Soviets are communist and America hated communism!) and are starting to fight over what the world will look like after the war. The US is worried that now that the war is over in Europe, the Soviets will “help” the US finish the war in Japan (they have promised to jump in and help us fight the war against Japan some time in August.) The US is concerned that if the Soviets help defeat Japan, they will demand territory in Asia after the war which would strengthen them in the post-war era. We do not want to see the Soviets become stronger.

The Destructive Power of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was known to be able to wipe out an entire city at once. The radiation emitted from the explosion seeps into the landscape; the bomb not only destroys people and buildings on impact, but its effects continue to harm the environment for many years. Scientists at the time were aware of the dangers of radiation, but did not fully understand its potential.

Preservation of U.S. Values. The U.S. prides itself on being a democratic nation which protects the rights of all people. The US throughout the war had argued that they were fighting to put an end to aggression and to defend the rights of people worldwide. The atomic bomb gave the U.S. the ability to bring about a quick end to a war fought by a nation, which was considered barbaric and uncivilized in their treatment of civilians and POWs. At the same time, some feared using the bomb against Japan might make the U.S. look cruel and uncivilized for targeting innocent Japanese civilians.

Policy Options: Please select ONE of the following two options. Circle your choice and be prepared to defend your choice. Once you choose your position, use the additional information

on previous page to strengthen your argument. Option 1 – A Time for Peace Japan is defeated. Japan’s top military officials recognize how hopeless it is to keep fighting. The only reason Japan hasn’t already surrendered is that the Japanese people want to keep their emperor (who is a figurehead – much like the Queen of England.) The U.S. should assure the Japanese people that it does not intend to put their emperor on trial or simply agree to let them keep the emperor. To use the atomic bomb against a desperate, defeated people would damage our position as a moral leader in the world. Once the war is over, we will need all the goodwill we have earned to build a world of peace and democracy. We cannot be regarded as a nation who would use such a deadly and dangerous weapon against civilians. Also, no one is sure of the effects of such a weapon, and a number of the scientists who worked on the bomb said that it not be dropped on a heavily-populated area. There are other options, which would be more humane and practical, including demonstrating the power of the atomic bomb by staging an explosion on a deserted island in the Pacific. We must not use the atomic bomb to end the war when we have other, viable options at our disposal. Option 2 – Push Ahead to Final Victory For four years, Americans have willingly sacrificed their lives, money, and their resources to overcome the evil forces of fascism and militarism. Now, with final victory within reach, we owe it to our troops to end the war as quickly and decisively as possible. Dropping atomic weapons without warning on Japan’s cities, at reasonable intervals, is the best way to end the war on our terms and prevent further American casualties. The Japanese will not surrender unless they are forced to by overwhelming military force. Victory over fascism and militarism has not been achieved through hesitation and halfway measures. As the defenders of democracy and freedom, we must remain strong and confident in our convictions. Dropping the atomic bomb is the only option to ending the war quickly and on our terms.

Was it necessary and justified for the United States to drop the atomic bombs on Japan?

Was it necessary and justified for the United States to drop the atomic bombs on Japan?

Yes, it was the right decision at the time.

No, it was not the correct decision at the time.

Atomic Bomb Chronology (cont.) August 6, 1945 The Enola Gay dropped “Little Boy” on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima was

described as "an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urban industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large part of the city could be extensively damaged.” An estimated 80,000 people (more than 30% of the population of Hiroshima) died and at least as many were injured by fire, radiation sickness, or the force of the explosion. At least 90% of the city’s buildings were damaged or destroyed.

August 7, 1945 U.S. decides to drop warning pamphlets on Japanese cities. August 9, 1945 “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, one of the largest seaports in Japan and a center of

much of their industrial activity. It is estimated that somewhere between 40,000-75,000 people were immediate killed and by the end of 1945, the death toll had reached 80,000.

August 10, 1945 U.S. drops more warning pamphlets on Nagasaki. August 14, 1945 The Japanese govt. officially surrendered. September 2, 1945 A formal agreement was signed aboard the USS Missouri

detailing the Japanese govt.’s unconditional surrender.

Aftermath of the bomb: Within the first 2-4 months of the bombings, 90,000-166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000-80,000 people were killed in Nagasaki. Roughly half of those deaths in each city occurred on the first day. In the months after the bomb was dropped, large numbers of people died from the effects of flash or flame burns (20-30%), radiation sickness (15-20%), and other injuries compounded by illness (50-60%). Since then, more have died from leukemia and cancer attributed to exposure to radiation released by the bombs. Survivors of the bombings are called “hibakusha,” a Japanese word that literally means “explosion affected people.” As of March 2009, 235,569 hibakusha were recognized by the Japanese govt. In the book The Last Train From Hiroshima, Charles Pellegrino writes about an interview with Yamaguchi in which Yamaguchi described injured survivors in the

aftermath of the atomic bombs. Yamaguchi called the victims "ant-walking alligators" who "were now eyeless and faceless—with their heads transformed into blackened alligator hides displaying red holes, indicating mouths. [...] The alligator people did not scream. Their mouths could not form the sounds. The noise they made was worse than screaming. They uttered a continuous murmur—like locusts on a midsummer night. One man, staggering on charred stumps of legs, was carrying a dead baby upside down." The hibakusha suffered from stigma and social discrimination at the hands of other Japanese citizens following the bombings. They faced reduced chances of marriage, brought on by a fear among many Japanese that the health of children and grandchildren of ‘hibakusha' would be affected by radiation. As radiation sickness was not really understood at the time that the bombs dropped, people were afraid that it was hereditary or contagious. One man describes his ‘hibakusha' status as a "death penalty" because he did not know when he would be diagnosed with a radiation-related sickness. In the words of one survivor, “We were considered contaminated and therefore must be avoided.” Ultimately, many Hibakusha found themselves ostracized from society, and some kept their Hibakusha status secret so that they would not be discriminated against.

Additional Documents Relating to the Decision to Drop the Bomb Document A: Nuclear physicist Leo Szilard’s recollection of a 1945 meeting between foreign policy advisor James Byrnes and a group of concerned atomic scientists. The question of whether the bomb should be used in the war against Japan came up for discussion. Mr. Byrnes did not argue that it was necessary to use the bomb against the cities of Japan in order to win the war. He knew at that time, as the rest of the Government knew, that Japan was essentially defeated and that we could win the war in another six months. At that time Mr. Byrnes was much concerned about the spreading of Russian influence in Europe… Mr. Byrnes’ concern about Russia I fully shared, but his view that our possessing and demonstrating the bomb would make Russia more manageable in Europe I was not able to share. Indeed I could hardly imagine any premise more false and disastrous upon which to base our policy, and I was dismayed when a few weeks later I learned that he was to be our Secretary of State.

Document B: Report of a Scientific Panel (comprised of nuclear physicists) to the Secretary of War (June 16, 1945) The opinions of our scientific colleagues on the initial use of these weapons are not unanimous: they range from the proposal of a demonstration to that of the military [use] best designed to induce surrender. Those who advocate a demonstration wish to outlaw the use of atomic weapons…. Others emphasize the opportunity of saving American lives by immediate military use, and believe that such use will improve the international prospects…. Document C: Leaflet dropped over Japan, 1945 TO THE JAPANESE PEOPLE: America asks that you take immediate heed of what we say on this leaflet. We are in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by man. A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2,000 of our giant B-29's can carry on a single mission. This awful fact is one for you to ponder and we solemnly assure you it is grimly accurate. We have just begun to use this weapon against your homeland. If you still have any doubt, make inquiry as to what happened to Hiroshima when just one atomic bomb fell on that city. Before using this bomb to destroy every resource of the military by which they are prolonging this useless war, we ask that you now petition the Emperor to end the war. Our President has outlined for you the thirteen consequences of an honorable surrender: We urge that you accept these consequences and begin the work of building a new, better, and peace-loving Japan. You should take steps now to cease military resistance. Otherwise, we shall resolutely employ this bomb and all our other superior weapons to promptly and forcefully end the war. EVACUATE YOUR CITIES Document D: Harry Truman, radio address (August 1945) I realize the tragic significance of the atomic bomb. Its production and its use were not lightly undertaken by this Government. But we knew that our enemies were on the search for it… That is why we felt compelled to undertake the long and uncertain and costly labor of discovery and production… Having found the bomb, we have used it. We have used it against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against those who have abandoned the pretense of obeying international laws of warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans. We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy Japan’s power to make war. Only a Japanese surrender will stop us.