Download The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In the spring of 1945, World War II was
coming to an end. Victory in Europe was
claimed on May 8, 1945. Hitler was dead. The
Germans had surrendered. In the Pacific, Allied
forces had captured many Japanese owned
islands, including Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and
Wake Island. Still, Japan did not surrender.
After the death of President Roosevelt, Vice-President
Harry S. Truman stepped into the role of president. Truman knew
that the Japanese citizens were armed. If the U.S. invaded
Japan, not just soldiers, but everyday citizens of Japan would
also fight against an American attack. It was thought there were
still nearly two million Japanese soldiers inside Japan. Truman
thought that invading Japan would result in too many deaths on
both sides. He believed the war would drag on until the last
Japanese had been killed.
The leaders of the United States, Great Britain, and China
issued the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945. This
document called for the surrender of Japan to the Allied Powers.
It stated that Japan would face "prompt and utter destruction" if it
did not surrender.
In the 1930s, atomic power was discovered. Splitting the
nucleus of uranium atoms released a huge amount of energy.
During World War II, it was feared that Germany would be the
first to use atomic weapons. Americans were afraid Germany
would make a "super bomb." American scientists worked secretly
to beat Germany in the race to develop the first atomic bomb. It
was called "the Manhattan Project." On July 16, 1945, the first
atomic bomb was tested in the New Mexico desert. That first
bomb had the power of 13,000 tons of explosives. A giant
mushroom cloud rose over the site. Blinding light came from the
blast. Hurricane force winds swept over the desert. Huge
amounts of deadly radiation filled the area. This new weapon
would be monstrously effective.
Despite how horrific this new weapon appeared, President
Truman had to make a choice. Invading the island of Japan
would cost America thousands of lives, but no one knew for sure
what using the atomic bomb would do to the Japanese. In the
end, Truman chose to use the atomic bomb. He ordered this
terrible new weapon to be dropped on the city of Hiroshima,
Japan, on August 6, 1945. About 80,000 Japanese people died
instantly. Tens of thousands more died later. Some died soon
after from burns. Some died many years later from the effects of
the atomic radiation. Most of the city of Hiroshima burned to the
ground.
However, the Japanese government still did not choose to
surrender. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped
on the city of Nagasaki. Finally the Japanese government
accepted defeat. It agreed to surrender to the Allied forces on
September 2nd, 1945. This terrible new weapon of war brought
peace - an end to World War II.
1. What was the Potsdam Declaration? What did it say?
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2. What was the Manhattan Project?
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3. At first, which country was the U.S. racing to develop the first atomic
bomb?
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4. Which came first, Victory in Japan or Victory in Europe? Why?
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5. Who was President when the atomic bombs were dropped?
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6. Where were the atomic bombs dropped on Japan?
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7. Deciding to drop the atomic bombs was a tough choice, and President
Truman has been second-guessed for his decisions ever since. In your opinion,
was President Truman right to use this new weapon?
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