the atomic bombing of hiroshima and nagasaki: the end of …...superpowers. thus, the atomic bombing...
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The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
The End of a War, the Dawn of an Age
Noah Adams
Junior Division
Historical Paper
2,497 Words
World War II was by far the bloodiest war in human history, resulting in over 15
million military deaths and over 45 million civilian casualties. This devastating war 1
lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved all of the major military powers of the time, 2
divided into the Allied and Axis powers. The Allied powers consisted of the United
States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union, while the Axis powers included
Germany, Italy, and Japan. Near the end of the conflict, the world grew tired of the 3
fighting. Because of this, it was a relief to many when Germany finally surrendered to
the Allied powers on May 7, 1945. This meant that Japan was the only remaining 4
nation continuing to oppose the Allies, but yet they chose not to surrender. Two months
after the Germans had surrendered, the Allied powers gathered once more at an event
known as the Potsdam Conference to discuss Japan’s commitment to continuing the
war and what the Allies should do about it. Eventually, the Allies drafted the Potsdam
Declaration, which demanded that Japan unconditionally surrendered the war, and
promised “prompt and utter destruction” if they refused to comply with the stated
demands. The Allies were forced to carry this promise through when Japan denied the 5
declaration, and the United States proceeded to detonate the world’s first two atomic
1 "Research Starters: Worldwide Deaths in World War II | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans." Home | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <http://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war>. 2 Royde-Smith, John Graham and Thomas Hughes. "World War II." Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II>. 3 "Allies and Axis: Who’s Who in WWII?." The National WWII Museum. 14 Dec 2011. Web. 18 Feb 2019. <http://www.nww2m.com/2011/12/allies-and-axis-whos-who-in-wwii/>. 4 "Surrender of Germany (1945)." Ourdocuments.gov. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=78#>. 5 "Draft of the Potsdam Declaration from President Harry S. Truman to Ambassador Patrick J. Hurley for Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, July 23, 1945. Naval Aide Files - Berlin Conference File.." Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. 26 Jul 1945. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <https://trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/naval/berlin/index.php?documentVersion=original&documentid=hst-naval_naid1701729-04&pagenumber=3>.
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bombs over two different Japanese cities. The first atomic bomb was dropped over
Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, by an American B-29 Superfortress aircraft known as the
Enola Gay (see Appendix A), and the second over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, by a 6
different B-29 known as the Bockscar. Following these attacks, the Japanese 7
government decided that it would not be wise to continue the fight, and so they
surrendered to the Allied powers on September 2, 1945, bringing an official end to
World War II. During the two atomic bombings of Japan, over 130,000 people lost their 8
lives, and the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastated. However, the effects 9
of the bombings extended far past the cities themselves. The atomic bombs detonated
over Japan in August of 1945 also sparked an arms race between the United States
and the Soviet Union that came to be known as the Cold War. This conflict lasted for
over 40 years and left many people fearing a nuclear war that seemed to be growing
ever more likely. As a result of these fears, anti-nuclear organizations were formed. 10
These organizations believed that the development of nuclear weapons and technology
should be banned to prevent a nuclear war from breaking out. In essence, the 11
bombings of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a huge short-term triumph
for the Allied powers because it resulted in the official end of World War II, meaning that
6 Enola Gay. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/115_2726550/1/115_2726550/cite. Accessed 31 Jan 2019. 7 "Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 1945." Atomic Heritage Foundation. 5 Jun 2014. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/bombings-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-1945>. 8 "Japan Surrenders." History. Web. 23 Jan 2019. <https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-surrenders>. 9 "Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 1945." Atomic Heritage Foundation. 10 "The Cold War." John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Web. 30 Jan 2019. <https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-cold-war>. 11 Rothwell, Susan. "Antinuclear Movement." Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 29 Jan 2019. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/anti-nuclear-movement>.
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a costly full-scale invasion of Japan would not be necessary to bring an end to the war.
However, the bombs tragically took over 100,000 Japanese lives, and the use of the
bombs resulted in the Cold War conflict between the United States and Soviet Union
superpowers. Thus, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a triumph in
that it ended World War II, but also caused many deaths, contributed to the start of the
Cold War, and brought about the dawn of a tragic new era of humanity: the Atomic Age.
12
The two atomic bombs detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki were
devastating, killing between 90,000-166,000 people at Hiroshima and an additional
40,000-75,000 people at Nagasaki. Many other people who were not killed by the 13
initial blast were also greatly injured by the bombings. For example, many people
suffered greatly from radiation poisoning due to the large amount of radiation released
by the explosions. Radiation poisoning from the bombings resulted in many spots on 14
the victim’s skin similar to burns, as well as large welts appearing on the skin (see 15
Appendix B). The amount of deaths and injuries caused by the bombs is not terribly
surprising, however, when it is taken into account that the atomic bomb dropped over
Hiroshima held explosive power equivalent to 20,000 tons of trinitrotoluene(TNT), as
was stated in a press release from the White House sixteen hours after the bomb was
12 "The Atomic Age: The Discovery and Evolution of Nuclear Science." The Atomic Age. Web. 31 Jan 2019. <https://atomic.lindahall.org/about.html>. 13 "Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 1945." Atomic Heritage Foundation. 14 "Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Atomic Heritage Foundation. 27 Jul 2017. Web. 31 Jan 2019. <https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/survivors-hiroshima-and-nagasaki>. 15 Hiroshima Victim. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/115_2740020/1/115_2740020/cite. Accessed 31 Jan 2019.
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detonated over the city. The bomb dropped at Nagasaki was of similar power to the 16
one used in Hiroshima, and therefore caused a similar amount of damage. This colossal
quantity of explosive power contributed massively to the damages dealt to the city, and
both cities were left in ruins from the attacks. One survivor of the bomb detonation at
Hiroshima, Dr. Michihiko Hachiya, described that “one thing was common to everyone I
saw-complete silence. All who could were moving in the direction of the hospital.” 17
However, many people found that the hospitals that they sought were damaged and
dysfunctional, if not completely obliterated. Many buildings in Hiroshima were severely
damaged in the bombings, and the damage was tremendous (see Appendix C). The 18
damages at Nagasaki were similar, destroying a great deal of the city (see Appendix 19
D). These lost lives and damages dealt to the city had a major impact on the Japanese
government and the Japanese people, as the morale of soldiers was greatly reduced
and much of the desire of the Japanese people to keep up the war was completely
eradicated. Thus, the bombing of Japan ultimately resulted in the decision by the
Japanese to surrender the war due to lack of public support and fear of destruction.
Upon learning of the destruction that had commenced at Hiroshima on August 6,
1945, Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese government convened to discuss their
16 "Press release by the White House, August 6, 1945. Ayers Papers, Subject File. Army U. S., Press releases, the atomic bomb and atomic energy.." Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. 6 Aug 1945. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.php?documentid=59&pagenumber=1>. 17 Hachiya, Michihiko. "The Bombing of Hiroshima, 1945." EyeWitness to History.com. 1955. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/hiroshima.htm>. 18 "World War II, Bombing, Japan, Hiroshima. [photograph]." Smithsonian Institution. 1945. Web. 21 Jan 2019.<http://collections.si.edu/search/detail/edanmdm:siris_arc_383915?q=edanmdm%3Asiris_arc_383915&record=1&hlterm=edanmdm%3Asiris_arc_383915&inline=true>. 19 Nagasaki Bombed. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/115_2730494/1/115_2730494/cite. Accessed 22 Jan 2019.
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options for the nation, one of which being surrendering to the Allied powers. The
emperor was strongly of the belief that Japan should surrender to the Allies to prevent
any further attacks on his nation, however eventually they decided that the Japanese
would wait to see if the Soviet Union would provide them with assistance in their military
struggle. This hope was swiftly dashed, however, when the Soviet Union declared war
on Japan on August 8, 1945, and hope of continuing the fight was all but lost when
Nagasaki was bombed the following day. When the war council was once again brought
together, the vote on whether to surrender or not was a tie, until Emperor Hirohito
himself stepped up and voted for Japan to surrender the war. Finally, after many long 20
years of fighting, World War II was to come to an end. Emperor Hirohito recorded a
message to be broadcast to the Japanese public on August 15, 1945, announcing the
surrender of Japan. This was monumentally important to the Japanese people, as it
marked the first time Hirohito had spoken to the public, despite that the broadcast was
only a prerecorded message. This surrender announcement was followed by the 21
official surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945. That day, over 250 Allied warships
sat anchored in Tokyo Bay in Japan, where the surrender was officialized. Aboard the
decks of the USS Missouri, the flags of the United States, Great Britain, China, and the
Soviet Union were flown, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed. The 22
Japanese Instrument of Surrender commanded “all Japanese forces wherever situated
20 "Japan Surrenders, August 10-15, 1945." The Manhattan Project: an Interactive History. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 23 Jan 2019. <https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945/surrender.htm>. 21 "Hirohito Speech." World War II. Web. 23 Jan 2019. <https://www.worldwarii.org/p/jewel-voice-broadcast-was-radio.html>. 22 "Japan Surrenders." History.
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and the Japanese people to cease hostilities” and finalized “the unconditional surrender
to the Allied powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters.” This surrender 23
was heard of all around the world, and in many places even celebrated, which can be
seen in a photograph of a group of American soldiers who held up newspapers with
headlines describing the recent Japanese surrender. (see Appendix E). 24
In essence, the use of the first American atomic bombs against Japanese cities
Hiroshima and Nagasaki played a hugely significant role in ending World War II, but yet
it was only one of the many major impacts of the bombs used to coerce Japan into
surrender. This event marked the first time in history that atomic bombs had been used
in warfare, and the knowledge that atomic bombs with extremely devastating power
could be created spread across the world rapidly. This quickly initiated an arms race
mainly between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop more advanced and
powerful nuclear weapons than the other nation before a nuclear war began. This
conflict was known as the Cold War, despite that no battles were fought during the
entire 45 years that the war lasted. The United States and the Soviet Union continued 25
to develop more nuclear weapons that contained greater power throughout the war, and
many people in the United States and around the world began to fear that a nuclear war
was coming. This fear was heightened by the knowledge that the Soviet Union had
successfully tested their first atomic weapon in 1949, meaning that the United States
23 "Instrument of Surrender." DocsTeach. 2 Sep 1945. Web. 23 Jan 2019. <https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/instrument-surrender>. 24 Japanese Surrender /jubilant GIs, 1945.. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/109_145585/1/109_145585/cite. Accessed 23 Jan 2019. 25 "The Cold War Erupts." U.S. History. Ushistory.org, Web. 24 Jan 2019. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/52a.asp>.
6
was no longer the only nation to be in possession of atomic bombs. The fear that the 26
Soviet Union may initiate nuclear attacks on the United States led to the creation of
protective shelters for use in case of an atomic bombing. Additionally, nuclear bomb
drills in schools and the workplace became frequent in an attempt to be better prepared
for a nuclear strike should one come, although many of the drills were simply intended
to provide a peace of mind to the public and would not actually protect them against a
nuclear explosion. Precautions were taken throughout the entirety of the Cold War to 27
stay as safe as possible during a nuclear attack, although none ever came. Eventually,
the Cold War was ended through the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe , but it still 28
has many significant impacts on the world today, decades after the war was concluded.
The United States spent trillions of dollars on weapons and military defenses , a 29
significant sum of money that ended up not being used in the war. Furthermore, the
fears of nuclear warfare that were established during the Cold War are still present
today, if to a somewhat lesser degree. The impacts that the Cold War had on the world
are undeniably important, and had the United States failed to develop or use an atomic
bomb before the end of World War II, the arms race between the United States and the
Soviet Union would have been virtually nonexistent. Thus, the bombing of Hiroshima
26 "Cold War: International Politics." Encyclopædia Britannica.Encyclopædia Britannica, 20 Jul 1998. Web. 24 Jan 2019. <https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War>. 27 "Atomic Fears and the Arms Race." Khan Academy. Khan Academy, Web. 24 Jan 2019. <https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1950s-america/a/atomic-fears-and-the-arms-race>. 28 "The End of the Cold War [ushistory.org]." US History.Ushistory.org, Web. 25 Jan 2019. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/59e.asp>. 29 Ibid.
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and Nagasaki not only ended the extremely significant and deadly World War II, but it
also resulted in the beginning of the Cold War.
Since the first use of atomic bombs against Japan at the end of World War II,
many organizations have formed to oppose the development of nuclear technology,
more specifically nuclear weapons. These organizations believe that the development of
more powerful atomic weapons will only result in more destruction and death should
another war come about, and therefore production and possession of nuclear weapons
should be completely prohibited. One such organization is the Bulletin of the Atomic
Scientists. According to the mission statement listed on their website, “The Bulletin of 30
the Atomic Scientists believes that advances in science and technology should make
life on earth better, not worse.” The organization was founded in 1945 by a few of the 31
scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project who wanted to raise awareness about
the devastating power of nuclear weapons they had helped to create. This 32
organization represents the oldest of several anti-nuclear organizations that have
formed as a result of the atomic bombs detonated over Japan and the fear caused
during the Cold War. Starting around the year 1950, opposition to the development of
nuclear technology rapidly increased as fear of nuclear war heightened, and people
began to further desire an end to nuclear weapons testing. As the Soviet Union and the
United States continued developing larger and more powerful nuclear weapons
throughout the 1950s, anti-nuclear activists finally began to have an impact on nuclear
30 "Mission and History." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Web. 25 Jan 2019. <https://thebulletin.org/about-us/mission-and-history/>. 31 Ibid. 32 Ibid.
8
weapons development as treaties and agreements were created and signed to limit the
testing of nuclear weapons. The first of the agreements involving nuclear technologies 33
was the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963, which was agreed upon and signed by the
United States and the Soviet Union. This nuclear weapons test ban prohibited the
testing of nuclear weapons or the creation of any nuclear explosion in the atmosphere,
in outer space, and underwater. Although this treaty still allowed testing underground, 34
it helped to significantly slow down the very rapid development of nuclear weapons at
the time. The rise of anti-nuclear organizations such as the Bulletin of the Atomic 35
Scientists were a direct result of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in
early August, 1945, and as a result of the efforts of these organizations and the efforts
of the public, the development of nuclear weapons was slowed dramatically in several
countries around the globe.
On August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated over the
Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed by a second being dropped over the Japanese city
of Nagasaki on August 9, only three days after the first nuclear attack. After the 36
bombings, the Japanese government felt that it would be futile, even foolish, to continue
their fight against the Allied powers , and so they conceded the war to the Allies on 37
33 Rubinson, Paul. "The American Antinuclear Movement." Oxford Research Encyclopedias: American History. Apr 2016. Web. 28 Jan 2019. <http://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-26>. 34 "Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water." U.S. Department of State.Web. 28 Jan 2019. <https://www.state.gov/t/isn/4797.htm>. 35 Kimball, Daryl and Wade Boese. "Limited Test Ban Treaty Turns 40." Arms Control Association. 1 Oct 2003. Web. 29 Jan 2019. <https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_10/LTBT>. 36 "The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." AtomCentral.com.Web. 29 Jan 2019. <http://www.atomcentral.com/hiroshima-nagasaki.aspx>. 37 "Japan Surrenders, August 10-15, 1945." The Manhattan Project: an Interactive History.
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September 2, 1945, thus officially bringing an end to the bloodiest war in recorded
human history. However, over 130,000 people were killed in both of the bombings, 38 39
and significant damage was dealt to both cities, as can be seen in a photograph
showing the aerial view of the city of Hiroshima taken after the bombing (see Appendix 40
F). As another result of the detonation of the atomic bombs, an arms race that came to
be known as the Cold War was sparked between the United States of America and the
Soviet Union, a war that would last for over 40 years and inspire fear of a nuclear war in
many people around the world. Finally, as a result of the bombings and the Cold War, 41
anti-nuclear organizations and movements were founded, organizations with the belief
that nuclear weapons and technology should be prohibited in an effort to prevent the
world from entering into a destructive nuclear war. All in all, the bombings of Japanese 42
cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a massive triumph for the Allied powers, and the
world as a whole, because it resulted in the end of World War II. This meant that the
fighting would finally cease, and an invasion into the Japanese homeland would not be
necessary to bring an end to the war. However, despite this triumph, the bombs
tragically took over 100,000 Japanese lives, and the detonation of the atomic bombs
contributed to the start of the Cold War, a conflict between the United States and Soviet
Union. Thus, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought a triumphant end
38 "Japan Surrenders." History. 39 "Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 1945." 40 Aerial View of Hiroshima aft.Atomic Bomb. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. Accessed 29 Jan 2019. <quest.eb.com/search/109_136445/1/109_136445/cite>. Accessed 29 Jan 2019 41 "The Cold War." John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. 42 Rothwell, Susan. "Antinuclear Movement." Encyclopædia Britannica.
10
to World War II, but also brought about the dawn of a new era of humanity: the Atomic
Age. 43
43 "The Atomic Age: The Discovery and Evolution of Nuclear Science." The Atomic Age. Web. 31 Jan 2019. <https://atomic.lindahall.org/about.html>.
11
Appendix A
Enola Gay. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/115_2726550/1/115_2726550/cite. Accessed 31 Jan 2019.
The American B-29 Superfortress aircraft called the Enola Gay was the aircraft
chosen to drop the atomic bomb over Hiroshima. This airplane was accompanied by
several others in its mission in Japan.
12
Appendix B
Hiroshima Victim. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/115_2740020/1/115_2740020/cite. Accessed 31 Jan 2019.
Many victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who were not killed
immediately by the explosions suffered from severe radiation poisoning, which left large
welts on the victims’ skin.
13
Appendix C
"World War II, Bombing, Japan, Hiroshima. [photograph]." Smithsonian Institution. 1945. Web.21
Jan2019.<http://collections.si.edu/search/detail/edanmdm:siris_arc_383915?q=edanmdm%3Asiris_arc_383915&record=1&hlterm=edanmdm%3Asiris_arc_383915&inline=true>.
The city of Hiroshima was hugely devastated by the atomic bomb detonated
within it. Many buildings were completely reduced to rubble, and people were left
without places to go after the bomb exploded.
14
Appendix D
Nagasaki Bombed. Photographer. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/115_2730494/1/115_2730494/cite. Accessed 22 Jan 2019.
Although the location at which the bomb was dropped shielded parts of Nagasaki
from the blast, much of the city was destroyed by the atomic bomb used on it. Similarly
to the damage at Hiroshima, many important structures in Nagasaki were completely
obliterated.
15
Appendix E
Japanese Surrender /jubilant GIs, 1945.. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. quest.eb.com/search/109_145585/1/109_145585/cite. Accessed 23
Jan 2019.
Citizens and soldiers of the United States were extremely excited to hear that the
Japanese had finally surrendered. Many Americans celebrated the victory in the war in
the days following the surrender.
16
Appendix F
Aerial View of Hiroshima aft.Atomic Bomb. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016. Accessed 29 Jan 2019.
<quest.eb.com/search/109_136445/1/109_136445/cite>. Accessed 29 Jan 2019
An aerial view of Hiroshima after the attack was carried out shows just how much
devastation was caused by the bomb, and how the damage varies from the areas near
the epicenter of the blast to the outer edges of the explosion.
17
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18
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19
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20
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21
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22
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changed the world and helped to end the Cold War.
"Japan Surrenders, August 10-15, 1945." The Manhattan Project: an Interactive History. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 23 Jan 2019. <https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945/surrender.htm>.
Leading up to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many large events such
as the Potsdam Conference occurred, and this source covers those as well as the
reaction of the Japanese government to the bombings.
"Japan Surrenders." History. Web. 23 Jan 2019. <https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-surrenders>.
Japan surrendered World War II to the Allied powers on September 2, 1945,
aboard the battleship USS Missouri, and all information related to said surrender can be
found in this source.
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Kimball, Daryl and Wade Boese. "Limited Test Ban Treaty Turns 40." Arms Control Association. 1 Oct 2003. Web. 29 Jan 2019. <https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_10/LTBT>.
This source provides significant information about the Limited Test Ban Treaty
and how it came to be created and signed by the United States and the Soviet Union.
"Mission and History." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Web. 25 Jan 2019. <https://thebulletin.org/about-us/mission-and-history/>.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists organization was founded in 1945, soon
after the atomic bombings of Japan. This is simply the organization’s mission statement,
as well as some history on the organization’s origins.
"Research Starters: Worldwide Deaths in World War II | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans." Home | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <http://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war>.
Millions of people died over the course of World War II, and those people were of
many different nations. This website provides the number of casualties of each nation
involved in World War II.
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Rothwell, Susan. "Antinuclear Movement." Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 29 Jan 2019. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/anti-nuclear-movement>.
This source details how the anti-nuclear movement began, how it changed over
the course of the Cold War, and how it lost momentum towards the end of the conflict.
Royde-Smith, John Graham and Thomas Hughes. "World War II." Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 21 Jan 2019. <https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II>.
This encyclopedia entry contains an abundance of information about World War
II, from Hitler’s rise to power to the eventual atomic bombing of Japanese cities
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Rubinson, Paul. "The American Antinuclear Movement." Oxford Research Encyclopedias: American History. Apr 2016. Web. 28 Jan 2019. <http://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-26>.
This article describes the different stages of the “American Anti-nuclear
Movement,” and how they varied from decade to decade, including how these
movements resulted in the creation of nuclear weapons test ban treaties.
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"Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Atomic Heritage Foundation. 27 Jul 2017. Web. 31 Jan 2019. <https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/survivors-hiroshima-and-nagasaki>.
This source includes many important details about the bombings of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, including information about the bombs themselves, some short-term
impacts of the explosions, and a few long-term ones.
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