Dropping the Atomic Bomb Describing the Cities Hiroshima Home to Japans 2 nd Military Headquarters Also a populated civilian city Nagasaki Large Japanese sea port Many private industries forced into military production ID: 460048
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Japanese Perspective
Dropping the Atomic BombSlide2
Describing the Cities
Hiroshima
Home to Japan’s 2
nd Military HeadquartersAlso a populated civilian cityNagasakiLarge Japanese sea portMany private industries forced into military productionBuilding things for the warSlide3
Damage
1 mile radius of destruction
Over 200,000 deaths
Billions of dollars in damagesSlide4Slide5
International Laws of War
Aerial bombardment for the purpose of terrorizing the civilian population, of destroying or damaging private property not of military character, or of injuring non-combatants is prohibited.
Aerial bombardment is legitimate only when directed at a military objective, that is to say, an object of which the destruction or injury would constitute a distinct military advantage to the belligerent.Such bombardment is legitimate only when directed exclusively at the following objectives: military forces; military works; military establishments or depots; factories constituting important and well-known centers engaged in the manufacture of arms, ammunition or distinctively military supplies; lines of communication or transportation used for military purposes.
The bombardment of cities, towns, villages, dwellings or buildings not in the immediate neighborhood of the operations of land forces is prohibited. In cases where the objectives specified in paragraph 2 are so situated, that they cannot be bombarded without the indiscriminate bombardment of the civilian population, the aircraft must abstain from bombardment.Slide6
Was the U.S. justified in using the Atomic Bomb?
Imagine you are Harry Truman, president of the United States. You have to make the decision on whether or not you will use the atomic bomb.
If you choose to use it, you must write a letter to the League of Nations explaining why you chose to break international rules of warfare, and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.
If you choose not to use it, you must write a letter the parents of the soldiers who are going to continue to needlessly die in the war when you had the power to end it.