It was 64 years ago this week the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing the surrender of the Japanese and ending World War 2. There has long been a debate on the use of the weapons and whether or not their use was justified. There are many theories on why the bombs were dropped, one of the most popular explanations is that projected US casualties for Operation Downfall (the proposed invasion of the main Japanese islands) were determined to be too high and it was believed that dropping the bombs would expedite Japan’s surrender.
Whatever the reasoning, there is no doubt that the dropping of the bomb changed the course of history forever, and that decision affects us, even today.
For a good examination of the topic, see the section on the bombings in our Issues and Controversies in American History Database.
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Barbaric Tactic or Quick Way to End the War?
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Watch the documentary Bombing of Hiroshima, in one of our new databases, American History in Video.
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