Barton J. Bernstein has suggested that Trumans comment about all those kids showed his belated recognition that the bomb caused mass casualties and that the target was not purely a military one.[64]. [77]. This includes a number of formerly top secret summaries of intercepted Japanese diplomatic communications, which enable interested readers to form their own judgments about the direction of Japanese diplomacy in the weeks before the atomic bombings. According to the official US version of history, an A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, and another on Nagasaki three days later, to force Japan to surrender. Various personnel and guards are standing around the loading area. Some of the highlighted parts even emphasize signs of life (contrary to all the evidence, we saw how in various places the grass was beginning to turn green and even on some scorched trees new leaves were appearing.). If the United States had been more flexible about the demand for unconditional surrender by explicitly or implicitly guaranteeing a constitutional monarchy would Japan have surrendered earlier than it did? The first paragraph mocks the Japanese press for exaggerating the aftereffects of the explosion, for giving in to popular rumor that takes press reports to absurdity. The Soviet report suggests that the exaggeration of the Japanese press stemmed from Japans attempt to save face in light of the defeat. Explain your answer. Judgment at the Smithsonian(New York: Matthews and Company, 1995), pp. A new body of scholarly work emerged, often based on hitherto unavailable documents, which countered revisionist arguments that the atomic bomb was primarily a diplomatic weapon in 1945, that Japan would have surrendered prior to the planned U.S. invasion had the bomb not been used, and that projected casualty figures for the anticipated invasion . The conventional justification for the atomic bombings is that they prevented the invasion of Japan, thus saving countless lives on both sides. After Stalin reviewed in considerable detail, Soviet military gains in the Far East, they discussed the possible impact of the atomic bombing on Japans position (Nagasaki had not yet been attacked) and the dangers and difficulty of an atomic weapons program. Two scientists at Oak Ridges Health Division, Henshaw and Coveyou, saw a United Press report in the Knoxville News Sentinel about radiation sickness caused by the bombings. If you were President Truman in 1945, would you have dropped the bomb? 25,000 more were injured. An importanton-line collection focuses on the air-raids of Japanese cities and bases, providing valuable context for the atomic attacks. We gave them fair warning and asked them to quit. However, the Department of the Interior opposed the disclosure of the nature of the weapon. Tsar Bomba, the Largest Atomic Bomb in History President Franklin Roosevelt called the attack a day which will live in infamy, and the American people were shocked and angered. Those and other questions will be subjects of discussion well into the indefinite future. He wanted to end war in the Pacific without having to invade Japan b. Although they have been public for 30 years, new translations of these sources are now freely accessible on the Wilson Centers Digital Archive. After the first successful test of the atomic bomb in 1945, U.S. officials immediately considered the potential non-military benefits that could be derived from the American nuclear monopoly. Russia hurried in and the war ended., Truman characterized the Potsdam Declaration as a fair warning, but it was an ultimatum. As to how the war with Japan would end, he saw it as unpredictable, but speculated that it will take Russian entry into the war, combined with a landing, or imminent threat of a landing, on Japan proper by us, to convince them of the hopelessness of their situation. Lincoln derided Hoovers casualty estimate of 500,000. It had nothing to do with Russia or Britain or Germany. Atomic Bomb Pros 1. Some historians believe President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb in order to intimidate the Soviet Union whereas others believe it was a strictly military measure designed to force Japan's unconditional surrender. This update presents previously unpublished material and translations of difficult-to-find records. With the Japanese surrender announcement not yet in, President Truman believed that another atomic bombing might become necessary. The 27-tonne Soviet Tsar Bomba was the most powerful weapon ever constructed. On August 9th, 1945, Truman declared that the use of the A-bomb had saved THOUSANDS of American lives. For Groves and the problem of radiation sickness, see Norris, 339-441, Bernstein, Reconsidering the Atomic General: Leslie R. Groves,Journal of Military History67 (2003), 907-908, and Malloy, A Very Pleasant Way to Die, 513-518 and 539-542. Atomic bomb pros. Atomic Bomb Pros And Cons. 2022-11-10 [22]. Despite the interest of some senior officials such as Joseph Grew, Henry Stimson, and John J. McCloy in modifying the concept of unconditional surrender so that the Japanese could be sure that the emperor would be preserved, it remained a highly contentious subject. [41]. 1. The National Security Archive is committed to digital accessibility. Atomic Bomb Dbq - 1222 Words | 123 Help Me Possibly not wanting to take responsibility for the first use of nuclear weapons, Army Air Force commanders sought formal authorization from Chief of Staff Marshall who was then in Potsdam, RG 77, MED Records, Top Secret Documents, Files no. At the beginning of the discussion, Eisenhower made a significant statement: he mentioned how he had hoped that the war might have ended without our having to use the atomic bomb. The general implication was that prior to Hiroshima-Nagasaki, he had wanted to avoid using the bomb. As this August marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are once again urged to reflect on the political role of the weapon that inaugurated the Nuclear Age. That the original copy is missing from Berias papers suggests that he may have passed it on to Stalin before the latter left for the Potsdam conference. 5g (copy from microfilm), As director of Los Alamos Laboratory, Oppenheimers priority was producing a deliverable bomb, but not so much the effects of the weapon on the people at the target. Would the Soviet declaration of war have been enough to compel Tokyo to admit defeat? According to a 2006 study by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, while John F. Kennedy was campaigning in 1960 on the idea that there was a "missile gap" between the United States and Russia . In what Stimson called the letter of an honest man, Oswald C. Brewster sent President Truman a profound analysis of the danger and unfeasibility of a U.S. atomic monopoly. It was a decision to loose the most terrible of all destructive forces for the wholesale slaughter of human beings. A blog of the History and Public Policy Program. According to what Byrnes told Brown, Truman, Stimson, and Leahy favored accepting the Japanese note, but Byrnes objected that the United States should go [no] further than we were willing to go at Potsdam. Stimsons account of the meeting noted Byrnes concerns (troubled and anxious) about the Japanese note and implied that he (Stimson) favored accepting it, but did not picture the debate as starkly as Browns's did. Some of the key elements of Stimsons argument were his assumption that Japan is susceptible to reason and that Japanese might be even more inclined to surrender if we do not exclude a constitutional monarchy under her present dynasty. The possibility of a Soviet attack would be part of the threat. As part of the threat message, Stimson alluded to the inevitability and completeness of the destruction which Japan could suffer, but he did not make it clear whether unconditional surrender terms should be clarified before using the atomic bomb. Ramsey, a physicist, served as deputy director of the bomb delivery group, Project Alberta. Leaflets Warning Japanese of Atomic Bomb | American Experience - PBS According to Merkulov, two fissile materials were being produced: element-49 (plutonium), and U-235; the test device was fueled by plutonium. As noted, some documents relating to the origins of the Manhattan Project have been included in addition to entries from the Robert P. Meiklejohn diaries and translations of a few Soviet documents, among other items. [73] As it turned out, a few hours later, at 4:05 p.m., the White House received the Japanese surrender announcement. [9], RG 77, Correspondence ("Top Secret") of the Manhattan Engineer District, 1942-1946, file 25M. The non-specialist staff sent to observe these effects, their biased premise, and the markings on the documents all suggest that the report was from the beginning meant to anticipate and align with Stalins intention to downplay the importance of the United States atomic bomb while pushing the Soviet Unions own nuclear project forward. To a great extent the documents selected for this compilation have been declassified for years, even decades; the most recent declassifications were in the 1990s. (Photo from U.S. National Archives, RG 77-BT), A "Fat Man" test unit being raised from the pit into the bomb bay of a B-29 for bombing practice during the weeks before the attack on Nagasaki. bobert. [Editors Note: Originally prepared in July 2005 this posting has been updated, with new documents, changes in organization, and other editorial changes. Within a few days Japan surrendered, and the terrible struggle that we call World War II was over. The U.S believed the bomb was the only way to send out a warning.When the bombs were dropped on Japan, it was world shocking news which was what the U.S wanted from the start. [19]. The bomb would be dropped in the citys center. and offer details on potential protection (protective clothing against a uranium bomb includes rubber and any kind of insulation against electricity). [74]. The nuclear age had truly begun with the first military use of atomic weapons. Truman, who had been chair of the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, said that only on the appeal of Secretary of War Stimson did he refrain and let the War Department continue with the experiment unmolested.. At the time of the first report, various methods for producing a chain reaction were envisioned and money was being budgeted to try them out. The alternative is prompt and utter destruction. The next day, in response to questions from journalists about the governments reaction to the ultimatum, Prime Minister Suzuki apparently said that We can only ignore [mokusatsu] it. Besides discussing programmatic matters (e.g., status of gaseous diffusion plants, heavy water production for reactors, and staffing at Las Alamos), the participants agreed that the first use could be Japanese naval forces concentrated at Truk Harbor, an atoll in the Caroline Islands. Lower image - August 11, 1945, photo by 6th Photo Reconnaissance Group The U.S. documents cited here will be familiar to many knowledgeable readers on the Hiroshima-Nagasaki controversy and the history of the Manhattan Project. [79]. What was at stake was the definition of the kokutai (national policy). The World Wide Web includes significant documentary resources on these events. [11], Documents 6A-D: President Truman Learns the Secret, G 77, Commanding Generals file no. Note: The second page of the diary entry includes a newspaper clipping of the Associated Presss transmission of the Byrnes note. The bomb ended the war. The controversy, especially the arguments made by Alperovitz and others about atomic diplomacy quickly became caught up in heated debates over Cold War revisionism. The controversy simmered over the years with major contributions by Martin Sherwin and Barton J. Bernstein but it became explosive during the mid-1990s when curators at the National Air and Space Museum met the wrath of the Air Force Association over a proposed historical exhibit on the Enola Gay. Three days later another atomic device was exploded over Nagasaki. Updated National Security Archive Posting Marks 75thAnniversary of the Atomic Bombings of Japan and the End of World War II, Extensive Compilation of Primary Source Documents Explores Manhattan Project, Eisenhowers Early Misgivings about First Nuclear Use, Curtis LeMay and the Firebombing of Tokyo, Debates over Japanese Surrender Terms, Atomic Targeting Decisions, and Lagging Awareness of Radiation Effects, First update - April 27, 2007 With direct access to the documents, readers may develop their own answers to the questions raised above. Was the bombing of Nagasaki unnecessary? Photo restoration by TX Unlimited, San Francisco, A nuclear weapon of the "Little Boy" type, the uranium gun-type detonated over Hiroshima. Magic summaries for post-August 1945 remain classified at the National Security Agency. Obama in Hiroshima: Why the U.S. Dropped the Bomb in 1945 | Time If the Japanese decided to keep fighting, G-2 opined that Atomic bombs will not have a decisive effect in the next 30 days. Richard Frank has pointed out that this and other documents indicate that high level military figures remained unsure as to how close Japan really was to surrender. For example, the governing clique that supported the peace moves was not trying to stave off defeat but was seeking Soviet help to end the war. This marked the beginning of a U.S.-Soviet tug of war over occupation arrangements for Japan. 77 (copy from microfilm). The destruction of two cities and their civilians merely to intimidate Russia seems to be an overtly extreme and vicious act that no rational person would deem just. Read more, The Nuclear Proliferation International History Project is a global network of individuals and institutions engaged in the study of international nuclear history through archival documents, oral history interviews, and other empirical sources. But on 7 August, Stalin changed the instructions: the attack was to begin the next day. By early August he decided that 9-10 August 1945 would be the best dates for striking Japanese forces in Manchuria. The British National Archives, Records of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, FO 800/461. The "Tsar Bomba," as it became known, was 10 times more powerful than all the munitions used during World War II. 961 Words4 Pages. Officially named AN602 hydrogen bomb, it was originally intended to have a . Frank, 273-274; Bernstein, The Alarming Japanese Buildup on Southern Kyushu, Growing U.S. Historians Reassess: Did we need to drop the bomb? [40]. By Marc Gallicchio. Every August, newspapers are dotted with stories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, accompanied by a well-picked-over but never resolved . Dbq help!! The atomic bomb on Hiroshima | CourseNotes The first Japanese surrender offer was intercepted shortly before Tokyo broadcast it. The Historical Society, Boston University His implicit preference, however, was for non-use; he wrote that it would be better to take U.S. casualties in conquering Japan than to bring upon the world the tragedy of unrestrained competitive production of this material.. Why the United States dropped the Atomic Bomb - 1239 Words | 123 Help Me (Photo from U.S. National Archives, RG 77-BT), Ground view of Nagasaki before and after the bombing; radiuses in increments of 1,000 feet from Ground Zero are shown. The Supreme War Council comprised the prime minister, foreign minister, army and navy ministers, and army and navy chiefs of staff; see Hasegawa, 72. The US bombed Japan in 1945 to demonstrate its power to the USSR Japan was already a day late in responding to the Byrnes Note and Hirohito agreed to move quickly. [2]. The Debate to Use Atomic Bombs Against Japan - The New York Times [53], RG 457, Summaries of Intercepted Japanese Messages (Magic Far East Summary, March 20, 1942 October 2, 1945), box 7, SRS 491-547, This Far East Summary included reports on the Japanese Armys plans to disperse fuel stocks to reduce vulnerability to bombing attacks, the text of a directive by the commander of naval forces on Operation Homeland, the preparations and planning to repel a U.S. invasion of Honshu, and the specific identification of army divisions located in, or moving into, Kyushu. Stimson did not always have Trumans ear, but historians have frequently cited his diary when he was at the Potsdam conference. Claypool, 1984) With such motivation to back them, the United States felt justified in dropping the atomic bomb in order to prevent the spread of communism in Europe by intimidating Russia. My analysis will provide some historical and political context and offer an initial assessment of these documents. According to Meiklejohn, None of us doubt that the atomic bomb speeded up the Soviets declaration of war.. More than seventy years after the end of World War II, the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains controversial. The 509th Composite Groups cover story for its secret mission was the preparation of Pumpkins for use in battle.