The Significance of Hiroshima 

“Use of the bomb had besmirched America's reputation…”

-Richard Norton Smith

            The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima began a new era.  It was essentially the end of the line for Japan’s imagined immunity, it was a power far greater than any weapon seen to that date, and it was the end of World War II.  In doing the above, it established the United States as the nation with the biggest stick and made the Soviet Union want to take that stick away.  This would be otherwise known as the beginning of the Cold War.

            Hiroshima unleashed a new threat to humankind.  Using the power of the atom, something so small that it cannot be seen to annihilate whole cities and eventually continents, warfare evolved into an ordeal where the whole world was at stake at once instead of a region.  Any nuclear war now has the potential to destroy the entire human race, as we know it.

            On the positive side, the secrets revealed with the atom were used to create a new and relatively clean energy source.  As Einstein had pressured FDR in his letter
(located in the Primary sources section), the development of nuclear powered energy plants has vastly improved life (if electricity is considered an improvement; some might argue that) for people around the world and within the United States. 

The atomic attack on Japan

The atomic attack on Japan known as Hiroshima took place in the city of the same name.  Hiroshima was destined to be the sight of the first atomic strike in history once President Roosevelt’s top military advisors were informed of the new weapon.  It was left untouched during the entirety of WWII because of the U.S. Department of Defense’s desire to see and accurately measure the total destructive capabilities of their newly developed atomic bomb.

            The after effects of what started in a relatively backwater region of Japan have crossed the globe in the near-60 years since Hiroshima.  The atomic and nuclear bombs have made their way across all continents except Antarctica (and you can never be fully sure of that).  While the dropping of the first atomic bomb took place in Hiroshima, the waves caused as a result have spanned the world.

Whos Who

Important Leaders

During Hiroshima

Hideki Tojo:         

Initially a soldier in the Japanese army, he worked his way up to the rank of general, was appointed vice minister of war, minister of war, and eventually prime minister.  He was the leader of Japan in title, and in practice, had more power to command than did the Emperor Hirohito.  He was a supporter of Nazi Germany and like Hitler, feared the power of the communist USSR.  He began to negotiate with the United States but when he was convinced that the negotiations were going nowhere, ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Emperor Hirohito:                              

He was the man who was Japanese emperor-god during WWII.  He was a man fascinated by Western culture and took a six-month tour of Europe in his youth.  He was a peace-loving man, more interested in marine biology and haiku poetry.  While he was in power, he was little more than a figurehead for Japan, the true power of military and state in the hands of the prime minister figure, Hideki Tojo.  He called for peace, and attempted to negotiate peace via his son through Russia.  On August 15, 1945, the people of Japan heard their emperor for the first time; he expressed to his people the need for their surrender, in which they must “endure the unendurable.

Harry Truman:                                   

He was president of the United States who made the final decision to use the newly contrived atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.  The 33^rd president of the United States, he had been vice president to the renowned Franklin Delano Roosevelt up until FDR’s death.  His humble beginnings as a farmer in Kansas gave him a very grounded view of life and decision-making.  He saw the atomic bomb simply as a way of ending the war swiftly in order to save the lives of American troops.

General Douglas MacArthur:

A military man from the cradle to the grave, MacArthur has been called “one of the protagonists of the 20^th century*.”  He attended West Point and from there, continued on a career of military service until he received the honor of Chief of Staff.  He was in control of an air base in the Philippines, which was destroyed as the same time as Hiroshima.  He fought the Japanese forces until on September 2, 1945 he oversaw the Japanese surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri.

  

                       

Whos Who

Atomic bomb / Manhattan Project

Leo Szilard:

A Hungarian-born physicist, he contemplated on and believed that it would be possible to formulate an atomic bomb while walking down the streets of London.  Working with his friend and colleague Enrico Fermi, the two developed the first primitive fission reactor.  He urged the United States government to begin formulation of an atomic weapon, contrary to Albert Einstein’s pleas to hold use fission only for an added energy source.

Neils Bohr:

A brilliant scientist from Denmark who studied physics, Bohr moved to the United States in 1943 after refusing to work for Nazi Germany in their race to achieve the atomic bomb.  He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922 and formulated the Bohr-Wheeler theory, which attempted to explain fission and the uranium required to create the reaction (and would be instrumental during the Manhattan Project). He pleaded with the United States’ government to rid the world of nuclear weapons and to use fission for the betterment of humanity.

Enrico Fermi:

This nuclear physicist was born in Rome, Italy and forced into his role in life after the death of his brother.  He taught nuclear physics and high-level mathematics in the University of Rome for years until he split the atom, for the first time in Rome in 1934.  In 1942 he created the first fission chain reaction, required for the bomb.  Then in 1944, he was recruited onto the Manhattan Project where he oversaw and advised on the progress of the A-bomb.

General Leslie Groves:

A native-born American military man, Groves was born in Albany, New York in 1896.  His educational career landed him in West Point Military Academy.  He would eventually be posted as the director of the Manhattan Project and appointed the nation’s best scientists and European physicists fleeing Nazism and fascism.  He advised President Truman to drop his “special bomb” and delivered “Little Boy” to Gen. Carl Spaatz who was in charge of the Air Force in the Pacific.  He continued to work for the country’s nuclear research program until his retirement in 1948.

6 Months Later

Now that Lennie is out of the way, I guess that I can actually do something with my life. But, It's been 6 months since leaving the farm and I still don't have a job. Oh, here's a sign. A mentally handicapped hospital needs an attendant. I can do that, and it pays well too. $150 a month. "At that rate, I'll be able to get that land soon enough. Ain't that right," I asked Candy? "We sure are," he replied with enthusiasm. As we stepped into the complex, the first thing I saw was the reception desk with a young, pretty, receptionist sitting behind the desk, polishing her nails. Lennie would have enjoyed watching her I pondered. She asked us what we wanted, and I told her that we were just here to find out 'bout the job. After getting a quick overview and job description, I was ready to work right away. Candy was also lucky enough to get hired as a nurse for $100 a month. I stepped into the bedroom and I saw about 25 kids sitting around a middle-aged man, listening to a story. As I stepped in, the story teller stepped over to me and told me what I had to do. Educate them and talk to them. That was it. I was getting paid $150 just to teach a group of handicapped kids.



I sat down next to the story teller, Bob, and I looked around and carefully observed them. As I did this, I could see Lennie's face flashing in my mind. What was happening to me. Why couldn't he just leave me alone. I survived through my first day of work, reluctantly. The hospital also provided housing. That night, I had the most horrible dream of my life. I could see Lennie petting hundreds of rabbits, one at a time. But he was crying and screaming in rage. The rabbits were dying. "George, why do they die? Don't let them die George, please. Can I still tend the rabbits? I know I done a bad thing," exclaimed Lennie. I got up, screaming. "Lennie, please leave me alone, please," I asked. It was silent. Nobody was awake.       I looked like a complete nut with all those kids, including Candy, staring at me. Candy just went back to sleep. He was the only one that could understand the pain that I was going through. This happened to me several nights after the first nightmare. Each one would consist of rabbits, lots of them, and Lennie. After a while, they just told me to leave because they thought that the kids were already tortured with their own handicaps. Candy wanted to stay, so I told him that I would come back for him when I gathered enough money. After one day alone, I had done a lot of thinking. Mostly about Lennie and the others, but one thing I thought a lot about was the things Lennie said. "I could go off to the mountains and find a cave, you know. And I wouldn't eat any ketchup," he would say. Now that I think about it and know what it feels like to be alone, I am glad that Lennie stayed with me the whole time, till death had separated the two of us. I also realize that he always obeyed me and tried really hard to help me. He tried so hard to keep those pups alive, and yet they died. He was such a hard worker, worked harder than any of us. I also realize that we couldn't do some of the things that he could do. Such as understanding a person more deeply than any of us. He knew more about myself than I did. And he always kept up to a task, like trying to be able to remember. He could never do that. He would have taken good care of those rabbits. If only he had a chance. He could prove to me, to everybody else, and most importantly himself, that he was capable of doing something right. Sure he killed Curly's wife, but she sure as hell was a bitch. She probably didn't deserve to die, but Lennie didn't know any better? He probably thinks that she's still alive, stupid boy. Wait a minute. I'll ask for one more chance at the hospital, and then Candy and I could get ready to leave after just one month. I guess I'll start to walk back the ten miles it took to get here. I know, I'll get a wife, and invite people to stay at my new ranch. And Candy could invite people too. It would be great. But why am I so happy?? I just killed my best friend; he was so helpless. Maybe he's better off know, but I will never know. All that I can think about now is what Lennie said to me just before he died. "George, can I still tend the..... the rab-bits."

The bombing of Hiroshima did not happen overnight

Before it Happened

Stepping-stones to tragedy

The bombing of Hiroshima did not happen overnight.  The events leading up to it can be traced back nearly as far as one wants to go, but in this case to January 30, 1933, the date when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.  This caused many German and Jewish scientists to flee to the Unites States out of fear for Hitler’s anti-Semitism.  Many of these were the great minds that would eventually formulate and make atomic energy a reality.  Leo Szilard, one such former-German scientist would place a patent on the concept of using neutrons to break apart atoms and create a chain reaction in July of 1934. 

Numerous discoveries and firsts occur between 1934 and lead up to the next significant date, December 6, 1941.  On this date, one day before the “day that will live in infamy,” President Roosevelt signs over $2 billion to the Manhattan Project for research.  Unbeknownst to his vice president, Harry Truman, the weight of this research will eventually fall onto his shoulders. 

The next event, which will lead the United States to its destiny of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, will serve the generation of the day most strongly in the justification of the dropping of Little Boy and Fat Man.  December 7, 1941, while entertaining dead-end negotiations over the acquisition of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, the Japanese bomb the US naval fleet docked at the Hawaiian island.  Also, the Philippines and the islands of Wake and Guam, under the control of the US Navy are bombed and occupied by the Japanese forces.

A little known event in US history is that in July 17, 1944, in a fairly important San Francisco area base, a huge explosion erupted and killed 323 men, totally disintegrated two ships and the entire length of a train stationed there.  Recent declassified documents have lead to speculation of a miscalculated nuclear explosion test on US soil. 

As the war escalates and the United States begins to regain its composure in the Pacific, the American forces are able to take away greater and greater victories.  The US forces begin a campaign of “island hopping,” taking island after island on a route to the Japanese homeland.  The fighting gets bloodier and bloodier for the Americans and a ratio emerges from the carnage: about one American will die for every two Japanese killed.  The US victories in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands in March of 1945 are the harshest-fought, as they are getting so very close to mainland Japan.  The American troops begin to set up Okinawa as a base of operations for what they anticipate to be a very brutal and very bloody invasion of Japan.

On April 12, 1945, FDR dies in office and leaves the presidency to his vice, Harry Truman.  For the first time, on the 25^th, Truman is given word of the Manhattan Project and that General Leslie Groves had always intended it for use in Japan.

July 16, 1945, the infamous New Mexico Trinity Test, an atomic bomb is exploded in the desert with the equivalent of 18,000 tons of TNT.  Accounts of the day say that some Manhattan scientists in attendance took bets as to whether or not the bomb would start a chain reaction and destroy the world on the spot.  The bomb itself was said to have been transported out across the pothole-ridden dirt roads in the back of a pickup truck.

August 6, 1945, in response to Japanese heel dragging over the requisite unconditional surrender, President Truman orders the atomic bomb to be dropped over Hiroshima.  The explosion completely devastates the city, annihilating square miles upon miles of buildings and the death toll to a total of around 100,000 persons.

2nd essay

Over the years I have read many great books which have sparked my interest and stimulated my mind. When I find a book I enjoy I tend to run with the author until his style of writing grows old, or until ive read them all. While most of the books I have read some extraordinary books there have been some that have made me want to shoot my self in the face (metaphorically no need to worry). I am currently reading Homer’s Iliad for enjoyment and in school I am reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet both of which I truly enjoy. My personal favorite and I believe under appreciated book of all time was the WWI book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich M. Remarque.

             As a boy I found that I enjoyed reading. Books such as Wayside School series by Louis Sacher, and Maniac McGee were the first books I read. I then began to read the books by Mark Twain including the beginning of the one about being a cowboy. Through middle school I began to read books by S. E. Hintion starting with Outsiders and That Was Then This Is Now and ending with the book Rumble Fish. I read many others over Elementary and Middle School, most of which I can’t remember the name or the plot (including one which was a modern version of king Midas with chocolate instead of gold).My favorite books of middle school were Bridge To Teribetheia as well as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

            High School holds my favorite and most memorable selection of books to date probably cause it’s the most recent. In my Freshman years I went through a Tolkien stage in which I read almost every one of his books including Unfinished Tales put together by his son Christopher Tolkien. I have in many ways yet to recover from this phase I was even one of those nerds who dressed in Middle-Earth clothing to the release of Two Towers. Directly after that and contributing greatly to my “Aura of nerd” I read all of the Harry Potter books. After that I read the book One Flew Over The Coocoo’s Nest which sparked my intrest in human psyche. Instantly my sister recommended Clockwork Orange which I enjoyed though I found the English a little difficult. My surch for insanity lead me to the short storys written by the great Baltimore citizen Eger Allen Poe (personal favorit The Pendulam). Flowing like a stream I quickly picked up several of the butiful works of Steven King, I started with Pet Semetery and included It, and Cristean. Over the summer and beginging of my senior year I started to read books about the world famous British Secrit Agent James Bond, ranging from bouth Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice, Live And Let Die, and Casino Royal and John Gardner’s License Renewed, and Never Send Flowers. I am currently reading Homer’s Iliad with the help of a book called Mythology by Edith Hamilton and Clifnotes, I was inspird to read this book after watching the movie O’ Brother Where Art Thou which is based off the Odyssey but I want to read them in order. During the school year I have been assigned many other books several that I had alredy read (One Flew over the Coocoo’s Nest) and others I had to read for the first time (Hamlet, Turn of the Screw)

            My history with books has covered a wide spectrum from deliciously appetizing books to god awful. Probably the worst series of books I read was by Salvater, I found that each one got worse. His characters seemed to be unrealistic and dull and his plots were poorly planed, worst of all was his depiction of sex witch was so appalling he would unintentionally make your stomach turn. His writing got so annoying that reading him was no longer leisure and became a chore. Another book that caused severe insanity was Huxley’s Brave New World which I had to read as my senior thesis, I absolutely dispised this book much for the same reason I hated Salvator’s books also I found he truly lacked detail making the picture in my head foggy and unclear.

            One of my favorit books which I have read in recent years is Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quite on the Western Front, this book to me that in inhumane times it is the humanity or comradeship between men that pulls them thru it. Paul the main charictor forms a bond with the other men in his troop that cant be broken even in theyre deaths. In the first or second chapter the men lie looking at the sky betting on a dog fight between two enemy plains not cairing if theyre side won or not. To me the best and purest symbol of comradeship came in the form of the man named Kat, kat would always provide for his buddys. The friendship between Paul and Kat shows when they go to steal a goose Kat was looked upto as an older brother by most of the men. When Paul returns home for a breaf time he feels out of place all he desires is to be back with his friends, he realizes that the life he lead before the war was totally difrent to the person he had become.

            These books which I have read have permenitly affected my views and outlook on life and many reflect my own personality. The books mentioned in these pages aren’t the only ones I have read but they are ether favorites or highly memorable.

Defining Hiroshima

Defining Hiroshima:

Dropping of “the most destructive

explosive ever devised by man.”

           

            The quote above is from a leaflet that was dropped on several Japanese cities, warning the people within to evacuate.  No such warning fell on the people of Hiroshima: that was the site of the first of the two uses of the atomic bomb.  Historians have debated the necessity, as have students in a classroom studying world history.  Whether or not the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was necessary, on August 6, 1945, by the word of President Harry Truman, the city of Hiroshima felt the wrath of science.  

            Hiroshima is synonymous with the mentality of Harry Truman; he was a simple man who saw the world in black and white.  Truman was told by his advisors (Leslie Groves among them) that the dropping of the bomb would end World War II with as little American casualties as possible.  Little or no talk of ethics took place, as Truman believed that the simple answer to the conflict was in the grasp of the United States.  Hiroshima was the result of this “quick fix” for the war.

            For the eighty thousand plus who died instantly as the extreme blast from “Little Boy” spread quickly overhead and through the streets, it was over before they knew it.  This seems a merciful fate when coupled with the deaths and mutations that countless victims suffered from radiation poisoning years after the bomb fell.

            So what is Hiroshima?  A blunder of men, perhaps.  A killer blow to fell the enemy instead of peace talks.  The opening of a new era.  Whatever one considers it, in finality, one must also see the whole of the bombing, what it was and what it means today.