WHY DID THE UNITED STATES

CHOOSE HIROSHIMA AND

NAGASAKI TO DROP THE

ATOMIC BOMBS DURING WW2?LEANNA FLORES

WWH 4TH

MAY 29, 2015

PROJECT

INTRODUCTION

• THERE HAS BEEN AN AGREEMENT OF WHERE THE ATOMIC BOMBS SHOULD BE DROPPED. HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI, KOKURA, AND TOKYO WERE FOUR PLACES THAT WERE POSSIBLE PLACES TO DROP THE BOMBS. IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS TO BE DROPPED IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO HELP SEND A MESSAGE ABOUT STARTING A WAR.

EFFECT OF THE ATOMIC BOMB

• ON AUGUST 6, 1945, PRESIDENT HARRY ANNOUNCED THAT AN ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED IN HIROSHIMA, JAPAN. ON AUGUST 9TH ANOTHER ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED IN NAGASAKI, JAPAN. IN HIROSHIMA ABOUT 130,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND IN NAGASAKI ABUT 60,000-70,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY THE ATOMIC BOMB.

FIRST PERSPECTIVE

• THE REASON WHY HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI WERE CHOSEN TO DROP THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS THAT THEY WERE BOTH VERY IMPORTANT MILITARY CITES IN JAPAN. HIROSHIMA WAS A MILITARY CITY/CENTER THAT SHELTERED JAPAN’S SECOND ARMY GROUP COMMAND. NAGASAKI WAS THE LARGER MILITARY VALUE TO JAPAN BECAUSE THE ORDNANCE, SHIPS, MILITARY INDUSTRIES, MILITARY EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER WAR MATERIAL PRODUCED IN THE CITY.

SECOND PERSPECTIVE

• THE PLAN TO DROP THE BOMB IN CERTAIN CITIES WAS GUIDED BY THE UNITED STATES MILITARY AND THE SCIENTISTS DESIRE TO EVALUATE THE ACTUAL DAMAGE CAUSED ONCE THE A-BOMB WAS DETONATED. THE OTHER TWO CITIES, BESIDES HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, ON THE ORIGINAL LIST WERE KOKURA AND NIIGATA. THESE TWO OTHER CITIES FIT THE DESIRED PARAMETERS REQUIRED TO MEASURE THE DESTRUCTION. TOKYO WAS NOT ON THAT LIST BECAUSE IT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SUBJECT TO INTENSE AERIAL BOMBING. THIS WOULD MAKE MEASURING THE DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY THE A-BOMB ONLY DIFFICULT.

PICTURES

WORK CITED• CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (2015), UNDERSTANDING

THE DECISION TO DROP THE BOMB ON HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, HTTP://CSIS.ORG/BLOG/UNDERSTANDING-DECISION-DROP-BOMB-HIROSHIMA-AND-NAGASAKI

• U.S. HISTORY (2008-2014), PRE-COLUMBIAN TO THE NEW MILLENNIUM, 51G. THE DECISION TO DROP THE BOMB, HTTP://WWW.USHISTORY.ORG/US/51G.ASP

• ROY ROSENZWELG (2010-2015), NATIONAL HISTORY EDUCATION CLEARINGHOUSE, HTTP://TEACHINGHISTORY.ORG/HISTORY-CONTENT/BEYOND-THE-TEXTBOOK/25484