Tuesday, March 15, 2011

U.S. bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki

During World War 2, the United states tried various tactics to prevent war with Europe/Japan, by remaining isolationist. However, by 1939, Germany wolf packs began attacking U.S merchant ships, which lead to United states's decision to enter war. As World War 2 was fought throughout Europe and the Pacific, on Dec. 7, 1941, japanese kamikaze suicide pilots attack Pearl harbor, Hawaii. Kamikazes sunk 18 ships, and killed 2,400 people. As a result, U.S. placed a trade embargo on Japan, but this did not end the problems between the U.S. and Japan. By 1945, looking for a way to end the war quickly, the United states developed the atomic bombs. On Aug. 6, 1945, U.S. dropped the first of the two atomic bombs in Hiroshima. The second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki two days later. Almost 300,000 civilians died from the bombings, and almost all were injured from radiation from the bombings. The United states was not justified in the dropping of the atomic bombs becuase the United states did not know the effects and pugnency of radiation, the U.S. were performing crimes against humanity, and The U.S. was not educated enough and aware of how lethal the atomic bombs would be.
Exert from Truman on dropping of bombs-
"Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima...The force from which the sun draws its powers has been loosed against those who brought the war in the Far East." - Truman
http://americanhistory.about.com/cs/harrystruman/a/quotetruman.htm

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