The Atomic Bombs Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

The atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Introduction

The present research work aims to determine whether the United States’ decision to use atomic bombs against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was only part of a war strategy of the United States, or if there were other political or economic factors that promoted theNorth American country to carry out nuclear aggression against Japan. In addition, the consequences of the military actions of the North American country against Japan and, at the international level, the short and long -term consequences of the attack on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The main obstacle to developing this monograph is to analyze the decisions of then President Harry Truman regarding military actions carried out by the United States during the war with Japan. Likewise, it is necessary to compare and contrast the different sources of information that grant the possibility of analyzing a diversity of perspectives on the subject to be discussed, to establish with the greatest possible objectivity, a clear conclusion that answers the question Center for Research.

To develop this monograph, different sources of information will be analyzed, both primary and secondary, with the purpose of collecting a diversity of appreciations about the nuclear attack on Japan. Primary sources will be used as the speeches of the then leaders in the countries involved to obtain the government’s perspective and analyze the reasons and motivations that lead the leaders to take military actions in the first instance.

Likewise, secondary sources will include websites, newspaper articles and books dedicated to the research topic, with the aim of obtaining a broad and impartial approach to this historical fact to finally answer the question: to what extent do bombings to the cities ofHiroshima and Nagasaki were part of a war strategy of the United States to end the war with Japan?

Developing

After the victory of the triple entente in World War I, the winning powers made the Washington Naval Agreement, which established a certain amount of ships and naval armament for the participating countries of the treaty, with the aim of preventing a second armed confrontationin the maritime territory;However, the agreement represented an unfair condition for several countries, including the Japanese Empire, because, the number of boats that this country could arrange while, the United States and Britain could affirm their advantage in the Naval Department was delimited in the Naval Department.

Also, during World War II, Japan agreed with Germany and Italy form. The strategies used by the United States was to minimize oil supply in almost its entire. These measures, although were widely effective for the US cause of economically weakening Japan, had an unexpected effect for the United States because, contrary to US beliefs, Japan did not give up the powers of the axis and carried out the attack on Pearl Harbor in1941. The Americans considered these actions as an attack without justification and, this attack would be largely one of the factors that would lead to war;However, the United States had other motivations. 

According to National Geographic on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy Air Forces bombarded without warning the Military Central of Pearl Harbor located in Hawaii, the aggression meant for the United States low of around 3200 soldiers (Rodríguez, 2016). In addition, this action would also mean the loss of the majority of Naval and Air weapons of the Americans located in the Pacific, this event was the Casus Belli of the War against Japan. 

A day after the Japanese military actions against Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt presented the formal war declaration and expressed to Congress the famous speech known as "The Day of Infamia", in which he expressed that the American Navy of PearlHarbor had been deliberately attacked by the Japanese militia, and that this act would always remain in the memory of the United States as an unjustifiable action for which the United States would retaliate against Japan.(Insert appointment)

After this pronouncement before Congress, President Roosevelt obtained the approval of the Congress community to carry out military actions against Japan. According to President Roosevelt’s speech, it can be evidence.

Manhattan project

According to an article published on the RT television chain website (2018) it is stated that:

In 1939, a group of physicists, among which was Albert Einstein directed a letter to the US president.UU., Franklin Roosevelt, to alert him that, in the future, Nazi Germany could have an atomic bomb of terrible destructive force. (RT, 2018)

After reading the letter written by Albert Einstein, President Roosevelt had already persuaded the need to approve the “Manhattan Project”, so that subsequent attacks from Japan to Pearl Harbor, only corroborated what President Roosevelt meant it was necessary, decree the establishment of a group of scientists who will develop new weapons for the United States.

The "Manhattan Project" was a secret project in charge of an American nationality scientist, Robert Openheimer, who sought to develop new weapons with greater power and effectiveness in the war, and that could give the tactical advantage to the United States in theArmed conflicts, the members of the Manhattan project tried to use materials such as uranium and plutonium as a new source of energy, which could be used in the war, and that will guarantee victory to the United States of America;However, the development of these new weapons, although they delivered the war advantage to the United States, were the origin of harsh criticisms of the United States.

Similarly, the creation of atomic bombs caused the war to become an even more violet event, because after the launch of atomic bombs by the United States, other powers began the processes for the manufacture of those new weapons,That is, this event was the trigger factor of the end of World War II and the beginning of an arms race between several countries, but especially for the United States and the Soviet Union. In addition to other factors, the discovery of the atomic bomb would lead to the conflict that would later be called the cold war.

"Trinity" is the nuclear test developed in New Mexico that would culminate with the investigation of the Manhattan project. After the simulation made on July 16 on the scope and power of one of the bombs developed, it is finally decided that the bombs will be the definitive tool to complete the conflict with Japan, as the results were more than satisfactory. The atomic bomb had presented a destructive potential greater than expected.

After the nuclear test, the use of even more advanced bombs was approved: Little Boy and Fat Man, which would have the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Political circumstances

The Potsdam Conference was a meeting between the representatives of the winning countries of World War II, participated in this meeting: the prime minister of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, the US president, Harry S. Truman and Great Britain Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

In addition, within the issues that were discussed, they stood out: the division of Germany, the resolution of problems in Czechoslovakia and the pronouncement of the United States, demanding the absolute surrender of Japan;However, despite the various members who had participated in the Potsdam Conference they had agreed to surrender to Japan, this demonstration was fully rejected by the Japanese Empire, consequently, this decision was the necessary confirmation for President HarryTruman will authorize the use of atomic bombs days after August 3, 1945, the date on which the leaders conference in the German city of Potsdam took place.

In short, the Potsdam Conference was one of the most important political events and that would have the most effects on the United States conflict and the Japanese empire, because, despite Japan’s rejection of the agreements established in Potsdam to end the conflict ofPacific form, this leaders meeting allowed the United States to obtain sufficient justification to finish the conflict by the media that it considered necessary.

Description of the attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The attack on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was the war tactics of the United States, which consisted of throwing two nuclear bombs into the cities that were responsible for supplying and storing the Armament of the Military Forces of Japan.

One of the objectives of the United States through the use of bombs was to culminate the war against Japan’s empire in the most efficient way;However, although the attack achieved this task, it is not successful to talk about this attack as a necessary action whose main and only purpose was according to President Truman: “[…] shortThe lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans ”(Wallace, 2016). The statements made by President Truman, days after the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were part of a strategy through which the United States sought to justify the use of atomic bombs, mitigate the negative impact of new weapons and, create in thePopulation The impression that using atomic bombs was a successful decision, that is why, still 74 years after the attack, the United States is not yet retracting the decision carried out by then President Harry Truman.

Similarly, it was also alleged that the United States had invested a lot of resources in this war, consequently, it should ensure to win it, and the best way to fulfill this purpose was to use the new developed weapon, which had meant for the United StatesA great investment, not using the atomic bomb could have been considered as a waste of capital and time. Likewise, this action could have meant harsh criticism for President Truman. Because of this, after rejection of what was agreed at the Potsdam Conference by Japan, the United States decides to bomb the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the use of a new weapon of mass destruction.

The attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were held on August 6, 1945 respectively, following the orders of President Harry Truman. In a journalistic article published by the BBC, it states that, previously, President Truman had convened a committee that advises him about the decision to attack the Empire of Japan with these new weapons and, if so, the establishment of the timely schedule and theChoice of attack objectives that would weaken Japan to a greater degree (Wallace, 2016). The willingness to attack Japan was definitive and is justified after the rejection of Potsdam’s statements by Japanese authorities, who refused to surrender in the war against the United States.

Finally, on the sixth day of the month of August, the first bomb called Little Boy was launched, on the city of Hiroshima, the bombs damaged much of the city’s infrastructure, mainly hospitals, therefore, the demographic impact was even greater than theExpected, the large number of deaths that caused the attack was inexcusable;However, even after the United States shows the scope of the disaster that atomic bombs could cause, the second launch was not suspended and, three days later, the bomb called Fat Man would be thrown over the city of Nagasaki;The demonstration of mass destruction that weapons could generate entailed to the surrender of the Empire of Japan in a definitive and total way, but it was not all, because the entire world had witnessed the power of destruction that the United States possessed. Therefore, the long -term negative effects were that countries such as the Soviet Union and Great Britain began the processes to be able to develop atomic bombs and, against all American prognosis, European and Asian powers would achieve their goal in a lower time than expected,Therefore, the population of that time lived with the constant fear of a war as never seen before.

Pumps used in the attack on Japan

In the attacks on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, United States employment even more powerful than those used in the demonstration called Trinity in New Mexico, because of this the impact of the Little Boy bomb was even more devastating. According to National Geographic, the Little Boy bomb was built from Uranium 235 and had an explosive power greater than or equal to 13 kilotons of dynamite and, despite being a rudimentary bamba model compared to other bombs already built, it was forecastthat it was a reliable type of bomb and, therefore, it was decided.

The consequences of throwing the bombs were catastrophic, thousands of people died instantly and many others agonally during the following days, as hospitals and in general, most buildings were destroyed after the massacre. It is estimated that the number of victims after the attack was 145,000 and five years later that amount amounted to 250,000 (Posada, 2002).

The bomb launched to the city of Nagasaki was composed of Uranium 239, it was a weapon that had even with greater power and scope of destruction compared to the bombs that had previously been triggered. The Fat Man bomb acts in three phases, caused the destruction of buildings, the incineration of the city and, subsequently, the radioactivity led almost instantaneously to the death of approximately 72,000 people, some time later this figure rose. 

Being a more advanced weapon, the second atomic bomb increased the negative demographic, economic and environmental impact that had caused the first atomic bomb, the consequences were inexorable to Japan. Harry Truman’s decision meant an attack with disastrous effects for the infrastructure and assembly of Japan’s forces, but mainly for the population.

It is deductible that the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki would attract the attention of the world, so it is reasonableThe Nation, at the same time, was able to ensure the non -intervention and influence of the Soviet Union in Asia and a propaganda of North American predominance and power was presented to the world.

Alternative attack areas and different courses of action to follow to end the conflict

According to the Committee for the study of the political and legal implications of the bomb, the then recent weapons developed by the United States could be used in various ways and in different scenarios;However, there were several reasons to determine the objectives of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

To begin with, the United States was looking for a target where Arsenal, Artillery and other war resources were located, in order to weaken the Japanese Navy. In addition, the United States was aimed at causing the greatest possible damage and, in this case, Hiroshima’s geographical location was favorable. Additionally, it was the knowledge of the committee convened by Truman to attack urban areas would cause a greater psychological impact on the population and generate an unprecedented media response at an international level.

According to the United States, the main objective of the use of atomic bombs was to end the war;However, it is evident that in addition to this, the United States had for the recognition of the international attack to later develop a propaganda campaign on the power and capacity of the United States to deal with a country in an armed conflict,That is, the aggression to Japan was not only part of a war tactic through which it would be completed with the war between the United States and Japan since, this action was also part of a political strategy whose objective was to demonstrate to the world the military power ofUnited States and obtain greater influence on the international level.

United States reasons to throw bombs

While it is true that one of the main motifs of the United States to throw the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was to terminate the conflict with the Japanese empire, it should be clarified that there were other means to achieve this task, for example: the occupation ofJapan by North American soldiers, the detonation of the bomb in the ocean or selecting as a objective a desert field in the presence of media and representatives of the Empire of Japan to produce a psychological impact on the Japanese and get their surrender without having to harmThe cities (Posada, 2002). Although, it is undeniable that no other means used could have achieved such fast results and that they represent so many advantages for the United States, since, throwing the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki managed to end the conflict in a resounding way and did not result in the death of anyAmerican soldier.

In addition, the attack would demonstrate to the Japanese and Soviet authorities the developed armament that the United States had to combat. Japan admitted that its possibility of winning was zero. Additionally, throwing the bomb on Japanese metropolis represented an unprecedented advertising campaign on the war power of the United States.

The United States had planned that the other powers would try to create their own bombs, but the United States had convinced themselves that the Soviets would take decades successfully replicating the atomic bomb, so they did not represent any immediate threat.

United States position on the bombs thrown in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The sixth day of August 1945, after the refusal of the Japanese empire to surrender completely, President Harry Truman authorized the attack on the city of Hiroshima;Truman’s main reasons to carry out this maneuver were the president’s desire to culminate with the conflict in an absolute and early way, as well as avoid the expansion of communism by the Asian continent (McPhaul’s, 2009). Also, in one of his pronouncements President Truman defends the use of atomic bombs as the most effective tools to resolve conflicts in a definitive way, and therefore as the simplest method towards world peace;However, President Truman had also declared that the launch of atomic bombs was the United States military response to Pearl Harbor attack years before and, as mentioned in a statement from the White House on August 7, 1945:

The Japanese began the war from the air in Pearl Harbor. We have more than. And that is not the end yet. With this bomb we have now added a new revolutionary increase to complement the growing power of our armed forces. In their current form these pumps are now in production and many even more powerful are now in development.

From this pronouncement it can be evidence. At the same time, the president would qualify the bombs that had caused the death of thousands of people and the complete destruction of cities such as unprecedented scientific progress, that is, the attack was also a representation or proof of the United States arms development.

Later, President Truman would be justified by saying that too many resources had been invested in the investigation and development of this weapon to not use it. Likewise, several criticisms of President Tuman would have meant that a weapon that could have concluded the conflict without loss of American lives (Browne, 2016) could not have completed the conflict without loss of lives (Browne, 2016).

Japan posture about attacks on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki represented for Japan a serious blow that would place it in a situation of inability to continue the war, because of this, on August 15, 1945, without more options, the Empire of Japan surrendered.

For Japanese representatives, the use of the atomic bomb was not justified under any circumstances, since the consequences of this attack remain until today, from the perspective of the Japanese authorities, the United States did not launch the atomic bomb to end the war of the war of thepossible as possible, but on the contrary, the attack constituted an act of revenge for the offensive to Pearl Harbor years before, in addition, for Japan the attack on its cities represented an implicit message for everyone, but especially forThe Soviet Union, since the United States sought to make it clear who had power and thus consolidate in the eyes of the entire world as the power with the most advanced war equipment in the world with the aim of obtaining greater influence on international matters and nothave to worry about the consequences of your actions and your intervention in other countries.

Effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs for Japan

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki constituted fatal consequences for their economy, population and environment, since it is estimated that the number of instant victims was 145,000 and a half decade later this figure increased to 250,000 (Posada, 2002)

The information within Japan took too much to arrive, even days after the attack, many people did not know what happened, by the time the population of Japan was reported to what happened was already too late, because many people who had gone to help were not aware of thedangers that were exposed as radiation, due to this in number of victims in later years increased. In short, the psychological and environmental effects were devastating. Japan lost two cities, infrastructure and population in this conflict

Effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombard

The nuclear attack by the United States to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of great relevance at the international level since the reaction of international media was immediate (Posada, 2002), for the other countries this attack meant a threat onThe United States arms capacity, especially for the Soviet Union, who from the attack would try to create a weapon similar to that used by the United States against Japan. From this event, a series of indirect actions and conflicts would be triggered between these two countries, both powers would undertake an arms race that would mean the beginning of the period known as a cold war.

Although the United States had predicted these actions by the Soviet Union, it did nothing to try to avoid them, since it had been estimated that the Soviets would take at least two decades successfully reproduce the atomic bomb, soBoth the United States focused on carrying out a propaganda campaign on the "great bomb" both within the country and internationally on the ability to destruction of the bomb. The United States manipulated and censored the information to show the bomb as an event of development and advantage for the United States. Because of this, when European countries successfully replicated the atomic bomb in a time less than expected, all advertising on destructive potential greatly affected the population for fear of the beginning of a nuclear war.

conclusion

To what extent did the bombings with the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki form a war tactic of the United States to end the war against Japan?

The bombings to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were only partiallyof atomic bombs on Japanese cities. The bombardment and destruction of the territories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also aimed to project a message from the hegemony and power of the United States to the world, but mainly towards the Soviet Union;However, the use of these new weapons was also a trigger for competitiveness and indirect confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, known as the Cold War. In addition, the bombing of the Japanese metropolis constituted an act of revenge for the inadvertent Japanese attack on the American central of Pearl Harbor, which resulted in the loss of soldiers and naval armament. Similarly, the United States used atomic bombs to justify the investment of millions of dollars and resources in the research and development of the Manhattan project. Additionally, Japan’s disposition must be taken into account to surrender with the condition that Emperor Hirohito retained his position, this alternative represented the end of the war in a peaceful and rapid way. It should also be considered the fact that due to the creation and launch of atomic bombs, the United States obtained greater influence and power in international matters, that is, President Harry Truman’s decision not only responded to military motives, but also topolitical purposes that sought to grant the United States greater influence, recognition and power;However, the United States rejected Japan’s proposals because it sought to publicize its arms development, and justify the investment of time, economic resources and effort in the creation and development of the atomic bomb.

In short, the bombings to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a war tactic through which, the United States managed to finish the armed conflict with Japan;However, the nuclear attack had several political and military objectives, which have been exposed during the development of work, and that represented substantial advantages for the United States, so it can be deduced that the launch of atomic bombs towards Hiroshima and Nagasaki,He was also part of a political strategy that would allow the United States to increase his power and influence in international situations.