Was the dropping of atomic bombs justified?

Why did the US decide to Why did the US decide to drop the bomb?drop the bomb?

Pacific warPacific war Millions invested Millions invested

in developmentin development Growing threat Growing threat

from USSRfrom USSR Vengeance for Vengeance for

torture & suicide torture & suicide attacksattacks

What happened when the What happened when the bomb was dropped?bomb was dropped?

6 August 1945 Enola 6 August 1945 Enola Gay dropped atomic Gay dropped atomic bomb on Hiroshimabomb on Hiroshima

70,000 immediate 70,000 immediate deathsdeaths

200,000+ deaths 200,000+ deaths radiation and radiation and fall outfall out

9 August, Nagasaki9 August, Nagasaki 40,000 deaths40,000 deaths

14 August Japan 14 August Japan surrenderssurrenders

www.peace-museum.org/welcome.htm

What did the bombs look What did the bombs look like?like?‘Little Boy’ Uranium,

Hiroshima

‘Fat Man’, Plutonium, Nagasaki

How powerful were they?How powerful were they? ‘‘Fat Boy’ blast equivalent to 20,000Fat Boy’ blast equivalent to 20,000 tons of tons of

explosives detonated at onceexplosives detonated at once Strong winds from blast destroyed all buildings Strong winds from blast destroyed all buildings

within a 1.5 mile radiuswithin a 1.5 mile radius Heat generated incinerated everything in its Heat generated incinerated everything in its

pathpath

What was the impact?What was the impact?

Your taskYour task

Read Source 1 (an eye-witness Read Source 1 (an eye-witness account) and list the different account) and list the different effects the bomb had on people effects the bomb had on people and things in the city of and things in the city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima.

Eye-witness account

Which of these images tells us more Which of these images tells us more about the effects of the atomic bomb?about the effects of the atomic bomb?

Drawing by Sawami Drawing by Sawami KatagiriKatagiri

Photograph taken days after the Photograph taken days after the Hiroshima bomb was dropped in Hiroshima bomb was dropped in

August 1945August 1945