How students worldwide learn about the dropping of the atomic bombs.
-General Curtis E. LeMay
- Allies/Allied supporters
- Axis
- Co-Belligerent
- Entered as territory of an Ally
- Entered as territory of an Axis
- Neutral
- Invaded/occupied by Ally
- Invaded/occupied by Axis
This side of the page will feature a direct quote from a ______ Reddit thread asking users around the world how they were taught about the dropping of the atomic bomb. It will also feature the distance in miles that this country is from Japan.
The goal of this book is to examine differences in how the decision to drop the atomic bomb is
taught throughout the world. The pages include information about the country’s war
involvement to provide context for their teachings. This book begins with a more in depth look
at how the United States teaches about the decision to drop the atomic bomb, and closes with
a more in depth analysis of how Japan teaches on the atomic bomb. In between, countries are
organized based off of their distance from Japan.
This side of the book will
detail how the country
entered WWII. A circle or
set of circles above this
section will indicate the side
that this country joined on,
as well as whether or not
they were
invaded/occupied as part of
the war.
1. The emperor of Japan was seen as a sort of deity by his people.
2. All people of Japan were hell-bent on destroying the Americans, because it was the will of the
emperor, and the emperor would bow to no one.
3. The Japanese were bombing American ships in the Pacific theater, and an end was needed before
the loss of life became unbearable.
4. Americans weighed the potential for loss of life in continuing a land invasion into the Japanese
islands, versus the detonation of an Atomic Bomb, and viewed the latter as more preferable.
5. After the detonation of the first atomic bomb, the emperor remained resolute and would not
surrender, which led to the detonation of the second atomic bomb, leading to the surrender of the
Japanese Emperor and the end of that war.
-American reddit user
The 1990s curriculum focused on the following points:
Majority of texts agree that by 1945 Japan was a defeated nation
Little invitation to consider whether or not the continued bombing and
blockading of Japan would’ve forced surrender,
All claimed the bombing of Hiroshima necessary to avoid a land invasion and to
save the lives of US men (17/18 books had this as the main justification)
Estimates of death from land invasion ranged up to a million Allied/US soldiers
Little discussion of American voices raised in opposition to bomb within military
General MacArthur was never consulted, saw no justification
Discussion of surrender did not reference evidence that Japanese advisers were
working on surrender.
The Japanese military were fundamentally against unconditional surrender, but if
Truman had said that this would not mean removal of emperor they might have
agreed.
Study of 1990s curriculum showed:
■ “When I was in school, it was simply stated that we dropped two bombs, thus ending the war.
■ When in college the focus around the bomb was an emphasis on the pacific theatre. Very much an idea of, "they won't quit so we must use the bomb, it will save many American and Japanese lives to do so."
■ Last year when I taught U.S history to Juniors, we took the latter approach. We looked at casualties of each island, projected casualties, and discussed why the bomb was so effective. It is a more "matter of fact" that it was used and not a real dwelling point. However, the bomb is the heart and center of the Cold War section.”
Latter half of the 2000s
-American reddit users
There is evidence of a genuine belief that a land invasion would cause massive loss of American lives. In 1945, the United States printed nearly 500,000 purple hearts in anticipation of casualties resulting from the land invasion of Japan. The stockpile was so great that the US did not order more until the year 2000.
It was only pointed as theweapon that ended the war.Really brief.
11,073 miles from Japan
I remember this part of WorldHistory being very sad and polemic.Our teachers tried hard to show usthe consequences and power of thebomb.
10, 679 miles from Japan
Chile began the war as a neutral
power. They had a strong history of
grievances against the US, and hoped
to maintain German trade relations.
They declared war on Japan in 1943
out of fear that without Chilean
support, the US would back Bolivia and
Peru’s claims against Chile from the
War of the Pacific.
The dictator of Brazil began the war
maintaining neutrality, but declared
war on Germany and Italy in 1942
following fatal submarine attacks
against Brazilian ships. There was a
sizeable population of German, Italian,
and Japanese born immigrants in Brazil
at the time.
We learned why the bombs weredropped, and whether that wasreasonable as an action of warand as a prevention of even moredeaths. We read/listened tocountless primary sources, andended the quarter with a week-long debate on whether or not itwas justified.
8, 399 miles from Japan
South Africa declared war on
Germany shortly after the UK,
as a member of the British
Commonwealth.
They teach us that the U.Sdropped one bomb, Japansurrendered, the U.S droppedthe other bomb to test it.
7, 111 miles from Japan
I remember there was someemphasis on how the bombwas unnecessary (since thewar was already drawing to aclose) and how it was one ofthe many atrocities of thewar.
7, 040 miles from Japan
Iran initially tried to remain neutral,
but faced stiff Allied demands to
remove German nationals. This
pressure culminated in a UK/Soviet
invasion, replacing the Iranian
leader with his son, who was
supportive of the Allied powers.
The Mexican government severed
economic ties with Axis powers
after Pearl Harbor, and was
eventually prompted to declare
war after two separate Mexican
submarines were attacked and
sunk by German U-boats in 1942.
I remember being taught thatthe second bomb wasunnecessary. My social studiesteachers tended to vilify theU.S. for Nagasaki.
Most Canadians are unware ofthe crucial role Canada playedin the development of theatomic bombs that destroyedHiroshima and Nagasaki
(a uranium refinery in Ontario supplied the Manhattan Project)
6, 087 miles from Japan
In 1939 Canada issued
their first declaration of
war as an independent
nation. Canada’s military
was involved in every facet
of the war, with most of
their fighting taking place
in Italy, Northwest Europe,
and the Atlantic. Canada
was subject to direct attack
by German U-boats during
the war.
Basically we see thebombings as part of theatrocious disasters ofworld war 2, through thetechnological advancedmassive killings weapons"progress".
6, 060 miles from Japan
France was one of the original
guarantors of Polish security, and so
were one of the first to declare war on
Germany. The French government
signed an armistice with Germany
after the Battle of France in 1940. This
lead to the foundation of Vichy France
(occupied by Germans) and the Free
French Forces, which continued to
fight in exile. Vichy France remained
neutral but was forced into
widespread collaboration with
Germany. Charles de Gaulle, the
leader of the Free French, took control
of France in 1942, and the country
ended the war as an Ally.
There was no doubt that in very little time theJapanese, already at the end of their tether, wouldhave had to surrender ... What seems certain isthat the show of force, made indiscriminately at theexpense of unarmed people, increased the UnitedStates' weight in post-war tensions and decisions,especially concerning the Soviet Union. It isprobably therefore that Truman's decision wasinspired more by post-war prospects than bycalculations on the most convenient method to putan end to the conflict with Japan.
In 4th grade (10 years old) we studied it the firsttime, dedicating a lot of time to the victims and thehorrors of the bomb…. Later on, in middle schooland high school the message was always the same:the Americans compellingly "thought" the bombwas the ONLY thing that could end the war.
5,935 miles from Japan
Italy joined the war in 1940
after the early success of
the Nazi Germany
campaigns. They fought
with the Axis powers
initially, aiming to claim
some allied territory. After
Allied invasion of Italy in
1943, the new royal
government signed an
armistice with the allies,
only to be invaded by the
Germans. The army was left
in chaos. The royal
government still controlled
the southern part of Italy,
and declared war on
Germany. The military
forces it still controlled
joined the allies in a
position off co-
belligerence.
I was taught it was to speed theend of the war. The morality of itwas questionable butunderstandable in the context ofthe time (i.e. no one at the timeknew about black rain and thehorrible drawn out deaths fromradiation). The reasons fordropping it were to saveAmerican lives in a landing onthe main islands after the highcausalities in Okinawa and otherisland hopping campaigns.
5, 855 miles from Japan
New Zealand declared war in 1939,
stating:
With gratitude for the past and
confidence in the future, we range
ourselves without fear beside
Britain. Where she goes, we go;
where she stands, we stand. We are
only a small and young nation, but
we march with a union of hearts and
souls to a common destiny.
New Zealand’s home islands were
never attacked, but the casualty rate
of their military was the worst per
capita of all Commonwealth nations
outside of Great Britain.
We were taught about themas more of a start to the ColdWar, rather than as an end tothe Second World War. Thiswas because it was viewed asan American show of nuclearstrength to the Soviets inorder to act as a deterrent,rather than just an act ofaggression against Japan.
5, 842 miles from Japan
Switzerland intended to remain
neutral, but prepared for war
under Axis threats and
advancements. Switzerland was
fully mobilized within three days
of the German invasion of
Poland. Switzerland was never
invaded, likely due to their
military strength and the
difficulty of their terrain
compared to other European
nations. Switzerland was hostile
to both Allied and Axis powers.
The government was anti-Nazi,
but never directly intervened in
the war.
I like to use it as anexample to develop thestudent's argumentformation. It's usuallytaught as a standalonelesson with the topic'Was the dropping of theatomic bombs justified?'Give the kids evidence,reports, accounts and letthem make up theirmind.
5, 706 miles from Japan
The UK was one of the
original Allies. They entered
the war in 1939, honoring
their guarantees to Poland.
They were one of the Big
Three in the war, the only
one of the Big Three in
Europe for a time after
France fell. They maintained
close ties with the nations of
the British Empire, and the
forces of those countries
were frequently
incorporated into British
military operations.
The main narrative in high schoolhistory was the cost of invasionand the political desire for a swiftend to the war.
5, 659 miles from Japan
In school, most of the history of war wasabout the German atrocities. … Otheratrocities (killing of native Americans,Hiroshima, CIA involvement in topplingdemocratic states leading to torture etc.)were not covered at all, or only verybriefly.
5,556 miles from Japan
The Netherlands joined the
allied forces after heavy
bombing from Axis forces.
They dedicated their
remaining forces to the
defense of East Asia
Nazi Germany, led by Adolf
Hitler, was the primary Axis
Power in the European
Theatre.
We were mostly just taught aboutthe war going on in Europe fromwhat I can remember. ... It almostfelt like we were running out oftime at the end of the semester;
4, 910 miles from Japan
US needed to finish the war with Japan
quickly but at the same time they
needed to show strength. So that they
will be taken seriously in the future.
4, 952 miles from Japan
Sweden remained neutral
throughout the war, but lengthy
fighting in Norway led to increasing
demands of support from Germany.
Eventually, the Cabinet was forced to
allow continuous unarmed German
troop transports through Swedish
railroads to Norway.
Lithuania was occupied and
forcibly annexed into the Soviet
Union as part of a pact between
Nazi Germany and the Soviet
Union. When Hitler invaded
Lithuania, some Lithuanians sided
with Germany in hopes of restoring
their independence.
Even though the Japanese never
surrender, when there was a
possibility of a nuclear threat, they
were ready to surrender. However,
the president at the time chose to
do it anyway to send a message to
the world (or mainly the USSR).
3, 372 miles from Japan
The main questions raisedwere not why the bombs weredropped, but why they weredropped so late, and only afterso many died and suffered.
2, 934 miles from Japan
The Indian Empire entered
into the war when Britain did,
as they were controlled by
Britain at this time. The
citizens of the Indian Empire
formed the largest army
raised by volunteer enlistment
in the war.
Singapore was part of a British
Crown colony. It was invaded
by Japan in February of 1942,
likely due to it’s strategic
location for shipping between
Europe and Asia. It remained
under Japanese occupation until
the end of the war.
The bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki was seen as astepping stone that eventuallyprovided the opportunity toproclaim our independence.
2, 709 miles from JapanAt this point in history, Indonesia
was part of the Dutch East Indies.
They were attacked by Japan in
December 1941, likely because of
their rich oil resources. The area
was occupied by the Japanese for
the remainder of the war.
Horrible atomic bombs broughtJapan to her knees
1,629 miles from Japan At this time the Philippines were the
Philippine Commonwealth, a semi-
independent territory of the US. They
were one of the first countries
invaded by Japan. Filipino and
American forces resisted, but
eventually the American troops were
ordered to retreat to Australia.
American forces in the Philippines
surrendered in 1942.
From what I remember being taught
about the bomb while in Korea was 2
parts — first, to end a long drawn out
invasion of Japan and any territories in
order to secure a surrender. There were
moral considerations but mostly the
discussion involved the mechanics of
using war technology developed
during a time of war to save American
lives. And secondly, to demonstrate to
the world that the US had the
technology and was willing to use it as
the US considered a post war political
climate.
285 miles from Japan
Korea was under Japanese
rule during the war.
100,000 Koreans were
mandatorily drafted into
the Imperial Japanese
Army. Following Japan’s
defeat, Korea was jointly
occupied by Soviet and US
forces. Related political
disagreements led to the
separation of Korea into two
independent nations.
Textbooks recognized nation was on verge of defeat
■ No Japanese texts evaluate the possible allied loses that might have occurred from a land invasion of Japan as a possible explanation for bombings.
■ US - Soviet relationship is fully explored as a crucial context for the bombing within Japanese texts.
■ No texts presented the possibility that the United States doubted Japan’s forthcoming surrender
“The Soviet Union, America and Britain presented Japan with the Potsdam
Declaration which recommended that Japan accept a policy of post-war
management and an unconditional surrender of Japanese troops. While the
Japanese government was struggling to respond, America dropped the
atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki”
(Ishii, Kasahara, Kodama, & Sasayama, 1995, p. 323).
Study of 1990s curriculum showed:
In the cities directly affected, there are special history classes all about the atomic bomb. The courses cover:
Technical workings of the bomb
Effects of radiation
Development of the bomb
The decision making process
Physical and Psychological effects of those directly affected
The rebuilding of the city
Hiroshima students learn deeply about the bombings
The fire bombings of General Curtis E Lemay, whose quoteopens this book, killed more people than the atomic bombs
Rather than continue precisely targeted daytime air raids, LeMayhollowed out planes, filled them with firebombs, and took tobombing cities at night. Many of these towns and cities were builtwith wood, making firebombs incredibly effective.
Lemay was tasked with destroying 60 major Japanese citiesprior to the planned land invasion of Japan.
By the time the atomic bomb was dropped, 58 of those citieshas been decimated by fire bombings. The cities remaining?Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/06/how-the-hiroshima-bombing-is-taught-around-the-world/
https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/3fvjs1/how_is_the_hiroshima_atomic_bomb_taught_in_your/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_by_country
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ776358.pdf
http://www.americanheritage.com/content/half-million-purple-hearts
http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/1801
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2012/06/lithuania-under-nazis
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