Hiroshima

Under construction

The first operational atomic bomb was dropped at 08:15 on 6 August 1945.
70,000 people died instantly and another 20,000 - 70,000 died from the affects within the two to four months following the bombings.

A PBS special got me thinking about how little I knew about the effects of the atomic bomb.
Some terms and references that I want to include when I expand this page.

Another A-bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on Aug 9.
Japan announced its intention to surrender after a previously scheduled vSupreme Council Meeding on Aug 9th
Japan formally surrendered on August 15th.

Atomic Bomb Dome - Ruin of Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.
A Hiroshima Peace Memorial left standing.

A Photo-Essay on the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

My Small Steps from Hiroshima - PBS
Kaoru Ogura dedicated his life highlighting the city where the first atomic bomb was dropped.

Robert Jungk worked with Ogura to write
Children of the Ashes: The People of Hiroshima, the Story of a Rebirth – August 1, 1985

 "Death in Life: Survivors of Hiroshima" : Robert Jay Lifton
Lifton studies the psychological effects of the bomb on 90,000 survivors.

Hibakusha (被爆者) is the Japanese word for the surviving victims of the 1945 
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The word literally translates as
"explosion-affected people" and is used to refer to people who were exposed to 
radiation from the bombings.

"Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" 
Is a children's historical novel written by Canadian-American author Eleanor Coerr.
It is a retelling of the story of Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima 
1 mile from ground zero.
 Sadako was 2 years old when the atomic bomb  was dropped.
In 1954 she contracted Leukema.
Sadako's friend told her to fold origami paper cranes in hope of making a thousand of them. 
She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one
 who created a thousand origami cranes would be granted a wish.
There are conflicting stories about how many crains she created.
Some say 644 others 1,400 . She died in 1955.
How Paper Cranes Became a Symbol of Healing in Japan – National Geographic Society (blogs)
Origami Crane Instructions and Diagrams

At The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan … Stalin Did – Foreign Policy they say, "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb" by Gar Alperovitz
. Says we didn't need to drop the bomb to end the war.
Alperovitz argued that, although the bombs did force an immediate end to the war, Japan’s leaders had wanted to surrender anyway and likely would have done so before the American invasion planned for Nov. 1.
When the Russians invaded Manchuria, and the southern half of Sakhalin Island, it became obvious to the Japanese leadership that the war was lost.
Alperovitz argues the main reason to drop the bomb was to gain an advantage over the Soviet Uniion.

At Did America Have To Drop the Bomb?Not to End the War, But Truman Wanted To Intimidate Russia - The Washington Post they say,
Eisenhower would later state that "it wasn't necessary" to hit the Japanese "with that awful thing." On July 20, 1945, in front of Gen. Omar Bradley, he advised Truman of his objections. See The Bomb Didn’t Beat Japan … Stalin Did – Foreign Policy

last updated 8 Oct 2017