Hiroshima

Hiroshima

In 1939, the Manhattan Project began. A scientific and militaristic breakthrough, the atomic bomb would forever change the world we live in. The two elements needed by the scientists on the project were uranium-235 and plutonium. The greatest difficulty of the project was finding this isotope of uranium. Another problem was that the uranium-235 isotope was prone to neutron bombardment, and would become uranium-236, which did not detonate the bomb. The atomic explosion happens as an effect of the nuclear fission. In order to combine two masses of uranium-235 into each other, the bomb had a smaller explosion within that shot one mass into the other. Through lots of tests, calculations, and frankly luck, America was the first nation to develop the atomic bomb (“Science Behind the Atomic Bomb”).

The atomic bomb has only been used twice in history. The bomb “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, and the bomb “Fat Man” which was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. Specifically, “Little Boy” was a uranium gun-type bomb. The bomb weighed almost five tons and was dropped from an American B-29 Bomber. The weapon immediately killed 80,000 people; approximately 90% of Hiroshima’s population. The effects on the city were catastrophic. Three days later a second bomb, dropped on Nagasaki, caused more mass death and destruction.

One question that continues to nag Americans is: should we have dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? In my perspective, it was the correct choice. The alternative to our nuclear attack on the Japanese people, was a homeland invasion. We had offered surrender on multiple occasions, but the Japanese refused. President Truman’s decision was the best given scenario. An invasion of Japan was predicted to cause one million American casualties, and an even higher number for the Japanese. The leaders in Japan had committed to a policy of “no surrender,” and forced the Allies to decide.

Another issue that the Japanese faced us with was their continuous attack on China, The Philippines, and other Pacific and Asian countries. Japan was ruthless-- even barbaric-- in the second world war. The allies had redeemed Europe, Hitler was dead, and the war was essentially over. Japan remained, alone, and had to be stopped. Some may argue that the atomic bomb was far too cruel. To many live were taken for it to be justified. The inconvenient truth that all people must recognize is that there was no better way. An atomic bomb, or a homeland invasion- the only two options.

The bomb was tragic, but it saved time, American lives, and Japanese lives. The sheer destructive force of two nuclear bombs was what finally closed the greatest war in the history of the human race (Chalasani). The American did it. To quote the Marvel character Thanos-- “The hardest decisions require the strongest wills.” The American people were the only ones capable of doing what needed to be done, without question. For the greater good, The United States of America killed over 120,000 people, in order to save the rest of Japan, and many Americans. Japan had to be stopped, the war had dragged on long enough, and the alternative was a full scale invasion. President Truman did the right thing.

The atomic bomb was catastrophic to Hiroshima. The United States was one of the first nations to lend aid after, even before the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945. By April of 1946 the United States and Japan were back on equal footing and to this day we continue to maintain our relationship with them. The radiation that the bomb caused has since dissipated from both Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Waxman). Both countries will always remember the bombings; the final strike that gave the allies eternal victory, and in many ways fueled the Cold War that followed, when nuclear weapons would spread across the world. That initial bombing in Hiroshima changed the world forever.

The Manhattan Project itself was successful. The atomic bomb worked. It ended Japan’s war efforts, and effectively ended World War II, laying waste to two of their military cities. The complex nuclear weapon used two masses of uranium-235 to level a city, and shatter a country. Americans used their technological advancements to execute the atomic bombardment, causing the atomic explosion. The United States of America, along with a continuously growing number of other nations, have the ability to do damage much greater than the original “Little Boy.” It is a great responsibility to be in possession of such weapons. Nuclear chemistry is a dangerous thing to control.

Works Sighted

• “Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki.

• Chalasani, Radhika. “The Atomic Bombings.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 25 May 2016, www.cbsnews.com/pictures/anniversary-hiroshima-nagasaki-atomic-bomb-world-war-ii/.

• “Science Behind the Atomic Bomb.” Atomic Heritage Foundation, 5 June 2014, www.atomicheritage.org/history/bombings-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-1945.

• Waxman, Olivia B. “Japan and the U.S. Reconciliation.” Time, Time, 6 Aug. 2018, time.com/5358113/hiroshima-nagasaki-history-reconciliation/.

• “What Happened in Hiroshima?” BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/33733410.

• “Long-Term Health Effects of Hiroshima.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 11 Aug. 2016, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160811120353.htm.