2024-05-2300:24 Status:Organize
During the Potsdam Conference (Truman, Stalin, Churchill coming to decide the balance of power in the new world order), Truman heard of the success of the atomic bomb. These nations were more so allies because they had a common enemy than over common ideology, vision etc. In fact the central powers were paranoid, expansionist, and competitive. Truman wanted to end the war in Japan so that Stalin would not seize that territory and divide it like Germany. Thus, they called for the immediate, unconditional surrender of Japan. The Japanese were resistant to this as surrender (ultimatum) would entail the dismantling of the Japanese Empire, and it being unconditional would subject Japan to exploitation (to which they had a history of resisting). This refusal led to the creation of Japanese American (10 across the states) concentration camps. The racial animosity towards the Japanese removed question of if using a the atomic bomb (intended for Nazi Germany) was ethical to use against a civilian population. Specific cities were chosen for the purpose of demonstrating the might of this new weapon to the world (what would make a good before and after photo) = Kokura, Hiroshima , Yokohama, Niigata, Kyoto. Stimson, US Secretary of War 1940-45 Vetoed Kyoto as it was the intellectual center of Japan that if bombed would create a generational animosity towards the US (even after victory). He insisted upon Hiroshima as the target as a purely military target (despite 90% civilian population).
Hiroshima (August 6th, 1945) The US detonated a 15 kiloton bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, killing approximately 90,000 immediately, 140,000 total by the end of the year. 180 out of the cityâs 200 doctors were killed. Ground temperatures reached 3,800 degrees Celsius, with the bomb itself having a temperature of several million. 62% of the population of 350,000 was killed. Corpses stacked on top of each other filled rivers, burned skeletons turned to ash, people with severe burns jumped into the river only to pass on. People were relieved to treat their burns in the rain, but the rain turned black to the radioactive ash and contaminant. 3 days later (August 9th, 1945) Nagasaki was bombed. The original target was Kokura, but because of cloud cover Nagasaki, the secondary target was chosen instead. The US detonated a second 21 kiloton uranium bomb (Fat Man) over Uramaki (north district of Nagasaki = Catholic heart of Japan); this time on Nagasaki. There were approximately 40,000 immediate deaths, and 75,000 by the end of the year. After returning from the Potsdam conference, Truman was initially thrilled at the success of the bomb. But upon hearing that over 100,000 people were killed, and seeing the photos of the demolition of what is clearly a civilian city, he no longer sees the nuclear bomb as something that should be used in military operations. Groves wanted to bomb Japan again - this time ahead of schedule, but Truman responded by declaring that nuclear bombs cannot be used without the presidentâs express authorization. The bombs were used to resolve the conflict with the Japanese before the Russians could take control before them.
With the Russian invasion of Manchuria, the US was desperate to end the war before the Russians did. Some argue that Truman bombing the Japanese was necessary as they would not have surrendered otherwise, that they didnât know if it would work, nor if it would force the Japanese to surrender, how Stalin would progress; while others would argue that Japan was already defenseless, with no allies, weak navy and little internal control: Thus the brutality used to âend WWIIâ forced Japan to accept the Potsdam ultimatum, and was the first strike of the Cold War. With the widespread American public approval of the atomic bomb: of the 85% approved, 10% disapproved, 5% had no opinion of the 75% of Americans polled. In a separate poll, 23% wanted another bomb to be placed after the surrender. It wasnât until John Herseyâs report in the New Yorker detailing the horrors of the bombings that the American public started to turn against the Manhattan Projectâs narrative - several of which are senior military officials: Admiral Leahy, General Eisenhower etc.
All of this was happening as the USSR was planning to seize central Europe, but after Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, the US posed another element of uncertainty in the balance of power. This threat prompted the USSR to start developing the atomic bomb in retaliation. For the Cold War to be hot, it would be a suicide pact on both ends - they would cause their mutual destruction. Thus, the Cold war conducted through economic & psychological means, and proxy battles internationally.