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27 February 2020
The Bombing of Hiroshima
Hiroshima bombing was unavoidableto propel the U.S to become the World’s superpower. During theSecond World War,two Japanese cities, namely Hiroshima and Nagasaki, experienced thedevastating effects of the atomic bomb attacks. This paper willdiscuss the terror campaign of Hiroshima. The attack contributed tothe surrender of the Japanese Empire, bringing to an end the WorldWar II (WWII). Hiroshima city suffered extensive damage to human lifeand infrastructure from the explosion. Ananalysis of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima reveals that the U.Swanted to end the WWII with minimal casualties, but the nationactually used it to prove its supremacy to the world.
According to the Americanstrategists, the size and shape of Hiroshima would maximize theA-bomb casualties (Malam 14). Experts predicted that the blast effectwould be the most destructive while fires would cause secondarydamage. Consequently, the best target required a city with a densepopulation and closely constructed buildings to maximize the victimsof the detonation. Hiroshima was densely populated and extended atleast more than a mile, which was the estimated radius ofobliteration (Malam 16).
Moreover, the U.S wanted totarget a city with the highest army significance to the Japaneseforces. Hiroshima had a high concentration of defense forces’facilities, troops, and factories. As such, a successful destructionof the military hardware could have dealt the Japanese forces a majorblow.
Another consideration that madethe destination a suitable location is the fact that the region hadnot been bombed in the past. Consequently, it was easy to determinethe damage level resulting from the outburst. Furthermore, it hadgood weather during August, which was necessary for the scoutingplane accompanying the Enola Gay to record the efficiency of theatomic weapon (Tames 29).
The refusal of the Japanese toend the Pacific War and its escalated injuries the western alliessustained made them approve the U.S to use all the necessary means toend the war. It is notable that Japan had failed to retreat duringthe World War II at the Pacific. In fact, the country declined thecall for unconditional surrender even after its allies, such asGermany, were defeated. President Truman’s advisers believed thatthe A-bomb would be essential to coerce the country to pull out ofthe Pacific war with quickly and with fewer casualties to the “LittleBoy” (Bodden 49).The onslaught of Hiroshima is approximated to haveresulted in between 90,000 and 146,000 deaths. Whereas the number didnot arise from the initial attack, many people died out ofradiations, physical injuries, and burns in the following months.Both civilians and military personnel died during the assault. Thecity suffered widespread damage that crippled the economic, social,and medical services for several months (Poolos 60).
Properties and other essentialinfrastructures were destroyed. In particular, it is estimated thatthe explosion razed down about two-thirds of the buildings inHiroshima. After the explosion, torrential rains, commonly known asblack rain, started falling in the northwest regions of the city. Therainwater was full of dust, soot, and radioactive materials. Theoutcome resulted in contamination of the physical environment (Takaki28).
Similarly, the aggressionresulted in fear, unprecedented terror, and dismay among thesurvivors and neighboring residents. The victims of the blasts livedin fear of a similar violence. The majority of the residents andsurvivors left the city in search of secure dwelling. To sum it all,the explosion shattered the confidence and belief exhibited by thecitizens during the war.
Conclusion
Hiroshima bombing was, allegedly,intended to coerce Japan to surrender unconditionally during theWWII. However, The U.S and its western allies already knew they couldeasily overpower Japan even without using the A-bomb. As such, theassault was intended to help the U.S.A declare itself the World’sundisputed superpower. The Soviets had strong military and stableeconomy, which could have challenged the political hegemony of theU.S.A in the post WWII era. Nonetheless, the rivals could notchallenge its dominance knowing that it had functional weapons ofmass destruction.
Works Cited
“Bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki.” A&ETelevision Networks, LLC. 2016. Web. 8 June 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki>.
Bodden, Valerie. TheBombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki., 2016. Print.
Malam, John. TheBombing of Hiroshima: August 6, 1945.North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2003. Print.
Poolos, Jamie. TheAtomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.New York: Chelsea House, 2008. Print.
Takaki, Ronald T. Hiroshima:Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb.Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1995. Print.
Tames, Richard. Hiroshima:The Shadow of the Bomb.Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library, 2006. Print.