The Atomic Bombs

1. By Dante Ayala, Andrew Cadiz, Cindy Echeverria and Anthony Hernandez The Atomic Bombs

2. President Truman and the Atomic Bombs • President Truman gave the authorization for use of the atomic bombs • Truman decided to authorize use of the bombs due to the fact that the Japanese showed no signs of surrender • The immediate use of atomic weapons would save the lives of many U.S. and Japanese soldiers that would have otherwise been lost

3. Effects on Japan • The atomic bombs killed 70,000 people instantaneously and another 70,000 died of radiation in days after • The war ended almost immediately after with the unconditional surrender of Japan • The two important cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed

4. Effects on Japan (cont.) • Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s detonation sites became hazardous due to radiation

5. Opposition to the Atom Bombs • Many people opposed the use of atomic weapons, even the scientists involved in their creation and some argued for a test bombing before actual deployment of the bomb • Arguments for a Test Bombing: • America would be the military leader of the world but only for a few more years • To demonstrate the potential of the atom bomb before its use • Arguments Against a Test Bombing • War should be ended immediately before the USSR would have a chance to invade Japan • Japanese denied offers of peaceful surrender several times

6. Japan Then • Hiroshima and Nagasaki were thriving cities before the bombs. After the nuclear detonation, this is what they were reduced to

7. Japan Now • After almost 65 years, Nagasaki and Hiroshima have returned to a renewed glory but not without scars

8. Works Cited http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-is-briefed-on-the-manhattan-project http://www.library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01128/japreact.htm http://www.dannen.com/decision/hst-jl25.htmlhttp://dbp.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Bombing_Hiroshima_and_Nagasak http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/debate/index.asp?article=0514