60 years ago today the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It was delivered by bomber, dropped by parachute, and its 130-pound core of uranium-235 detonated some 1,900 feet above the city. At the explosion’s hypocenter the temperature reached 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit, its force equaling that of 15-kilotons of TNT. The pressure created by the explosion generated an ultra high and ultra heated air pressure blast that decimated a 2.8-mile radius.
80,000 people were killed instantly.
Despite the fact that the United States claimed Hiroshima a military target, the vast majority of casualties were civilian. Of Hiroshima’s 55 hospitals, only 3 were functional after the attack, which also killed 90% of the city’s doctors and nurses. In total, taking into account the after effects of radiation, the bomb had claimed the lives of 200,000 people by 1950.
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are, without question, two of the most effective terrorist attacks ever perpetrated [1]. Their purpose (or one of them), to terrify a nation into surrender, ultimately succeeded in killing an estimated 400,000 people – a number that rivals, if not exceeds, the total lives lost by the United States during all of the Second World War.
The politics of the decision to use the bomb aside, what its use triggered has led to something that, for the majority of human history, couldn’t even be considered by even the most sadistic of men – the ability to completely destroy the world. For that is the true legacy of August 6, 1945. In the decades following that day the people of this planet have faced a reality that none in all of human history had ever faced, the actual ability of warring nations to end life on earth.
via Matt Good
10 comments on “Hiroshima”
Though I agree on a great deal of your points, I do feel somewhat compelled to make this note: The dropping of the atom bomb was meant to terrify an entire nation, yes, because the Japanese were an extremely proud people at the time, and a significant portion of the civilian population agreed with the belief of rather dying than surrendering. As well, though the bomb may have killed 400,000 people, it was estimated that an infantry attack on the Japanese mainland would have killed one million Japanese. On that note, it’s also relevant to mention that the Japanese military did have tentative plans to start arming women and children to fight the Americans if they attacked the mainland.
However, I do both philosophically and realistically agree with the fact that the bomb was a rash and extremely dangerous move on America’s part, and that better plans of attack could have been taken in order to finish the war.
I, and surely Matt Good, are aware of the situation with Japan at that time. I don’t belive that use of an atomic bomb was the best course of action, though it was better than a few others. Regardless, I think it is important to be aware that one (and many more) of the worst acts of terrorism ever committed was done by the American government and that the nuclear threat is still immense.
It’s not 80000people actually….
Really? What is the actual number? Perhaps Mr. Good made a mistake.
The text book in the North America is a bit different from ours actually…
That kind of things happen in every countries like Korea, China and Japan. Those 3 countries are always arguing about history text book.
140,000 people in Hiroshima, and 70,000people in Nagasaki were sacrificed by the bomb. Lots of people’s been suffering from the bomb.:(
I heard “Hiroshima” written by Joh Hersey is good to read.) told me that the otherday.
Neil(
I guess you’ll get along with him since he’s also smart like you.:)
That book does seem worth reading. I’ll try to find it sometime.
Whatever the real numbers, it was a terrible tragedy. I hope more of us will start working to ensure it will never be repeated.
Yeah I thing that too….:/