USA Bombing Japan
Mamady T. Diallo
Who, What, When, Where, Why?
After the death of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, vice president Harry Truman was sworn into office as the new president. As a result of wanting to bring the war to a speedy end, Truman ordered to drop two new weapons on Japan. On August 6, 1945, the world's first atomic bombs were dropped by American B-29 planes over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The combined civilian population of these two cities was approximately 495,000.
Perspective #1
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 made the United States look like a weak country. Thousands of American lives were lost and the entire nation was in shock. Many people in the US felt that justice was served after the bombs were dropped on Japan.
Perspective #2
The majority of the victims from the bombings in Japan were only civilians. About 226,00 Innocent civilians were killed in the bombing. Nearly half of the deaths in each city took place in the same day. The deaths that followed were a result of the radiation surrounding the area after the nuclear weapons were dropped.
Media Bias
The attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were tragic and unnecessary. Too many innocent people who had nothing to do with the war were killed. Harry Truman let inoffensive children, women, and men die and suffer. Many of the survivors of the blast from the atomic bombs were severely injured and deformed. The presence of radiation in the area caused birth defects years after the war. I believe that the United States could have brought the war to an end by demonstrating the power and strength of the bombs where there were no civilians but still close enough for Japan to see. This could have been enough to frighten Japan and other countries.
Marxist Criticism
The United States is one of the most wealthy nations in the world. We had the money to build stronger, better, and more powerful weapons than the majority of countries involved in the war. The power and strength of our military is a result of the country's wealth. Countries with less money would have never been able to build weapons as strong as the ones used on Japan at the time of the war.
Archetypal Criticism
Uncle Sam represents the United States military. Posters with the man saying, "I want you for U.S. Army" were everywhere. People started to see Uncle Sam as the mascot for the United States.
Citations
"Birth Defects among the Children of Atomic-bomb Survivors (1948-1954)." - Radiation Effects Research Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2016.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Harry S. Truman in World War II." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 May 2016.
"The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Total Casualties. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2016.
"Atomic Bomb." HISTORY. N.p., 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 May 2016.