The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb World War II was the most widespread and costly war in the history of our country. It lasted for six years bringing conquest, slaughter, misery and death. It was fought by approximately 70 million people and shifted the balance of power away from Western Europe into the hands of the United States and the Soviet Union. The cost in human lives was tremendous and loss of property was so great that we can set no proper figure on either. All of this to rid the world of Germany's Hitler, Italy's Mussolini, and Japan's Tojo.
In August 1945 two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombs led to the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II for the Americans. President Harry S. Truman made the final decision to drop these bombs.
There were many horrors caused by the atomic bomb.
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Nagasaki, Japan. September 24, 1945, 6 weeks after...
Ground Zero marker in Nagasaki, Japan" The bomb itself contained the equivalent of 21,000 tons of TNT. The explosion could be seen over 200 miles from where it was dropped. "Fat Man" was the name of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima and "Little Guy" was the name of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Immediately after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, 70,000 Japanese were killed instantly. The force of the explosions vaporized glass, metal, concrete and human flesh. More slaughter was committed when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki three days later. There were many deaths but it was less than Hiroshima. Forty thousand Japanese were killed instantly. In Hiroshima, 4 square miles were completely destroyed and in Nagasaki, 3 square miles were destroyed. Forty eight thousand buildings were destroyed total in Hiroshima," (The Impact of the Atomic Bomb 1). These damages were suffered by both cities.
Even...