Atomic bombs have been used only twice in war—both times by the United States Soon after arriving at the Potsdam Conference in July , U. President Harry S. On July 24, eight days Ever since America dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, , the question has persisted: Was that magnitude of death and destruction really needed to end World War II?
American leadership apparently thought so. A few days earlier, just 16 hours after the Ever since August 6, , when the first atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima, the human race has lived in fear of nuclear annihilation. In the annals of history, few events have had more import than this first atomic bombing, and no historical figure has been associated with The instability created in Europe by the First World War set the stage for another international conflict—World War II—which broke out two decades later and would prove even more devastating.
Rising to power in an economically and politically unstable Germany, Adolf Tsutomu Yamaguchi was preparing to leave Hiroshima when the atomic bomb fell. Reiko Hada was nine years old when the bomb exploded in Nagasaki. In an interview with photojournalist Lee Karen Stow , she described her experience: "I made it to the entrance of my house, and I think I even took a step inside, then it happened all of a sudden.
The colours were yellow, khaki and orange, all mixed together. In no time, everything went completely white. The next moment there was a loud roar. Then I blacked out. Hada witnessed some of the catastrophic injuries from the atomic bomb. People with their eyes popped out, their hair dishevelled, almost all naked, badly burned with their skin hanging down. I was asked to give them water, so I found a chipped bowl and went to the nearby river and scooped water to let them drink.
People died one after another. They didn't die like human beings. This is the day when fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would. Approximately 80, people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35, are injured. At least another 60, would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout. Though the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan marked the end of World War II , many historians argue that it also ignited the Cold War.
Since , the United States had been working on developing an atomic weapon, after having been warned that Nazi Germany was already conducting research into nuclear weapons.
By the time the United States conducted the first successful test an atomic bomb was exploded in the desert in New Mexico in July , Germany had already been defeated.
The war against Japan in the Pacific, however, continued to rage. President Harry S. Truman , warned by some of his advisers that any attempt to invade Japan would result in horrific American casualties, ordered that the new weapon be used to bring the war to a speedy end. A blast equivalent to the power of 15, tons of TNT reduced four square miles of the city to ruins and immediately killed 80, people.
Tens of thousands more died in the following weeks from wounds and radiation poisoning. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, killing nearly 40, more people. A few days later, Japan announced its surrender. In the years since the two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, a number of historians have suggested that the weapons had a two-pronged objective.
Suga announced last month that medical benefits will be extended to 84 Hiroshima survivors who had been denied aid because they were outside a government-set boundary.
AP journalist Emily Wang contributed to this report. Sections U. Science Technology Business U. Hiroshima marks 76th anniversary of US atomic bombing. A child prays in front of the cenotaph dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan Friday, Aug.
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