What are your feelings about Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
345767
There's the left and right answer:\n\nThe lefties say:  A) Japan was ready to surrender, B) the bombs were used as a demonstration of U.S. power for the Soviet Union.  \n\nThey also say:  1) The oft repeated in U.S. history books and history programming that there would be the loss of 100s of thousands of U.S. soldiers if Japan was invaded is incorrect.  2) Japan had approached the King of Sweden for to notify the U.S. that they were ready to negotiate.  3) U.S. wanted an unconditional surrender which would allow U.S. corporations to open up Japanese markets.  4) Russia was about to enter the war against Japan now that German was defeated, and the U.S. didn’t want Russia to be part of the partitionoing of the orient, ie, no Eastern Bloc as was done in Europe. \n \nMy feelings are that the US was justified knowing that the Japanese totally rejected the Potsdam demands, had waged total war including the sneak attack on American soil, and had demonstrated suicidal defenses of Okinawa and Iwo Jima, among others, and with the Soviets ready to jump in, i'd say Truman made the right choice.  The Cold War was already looming and better to get US hegemy in the Orient sooner than face the prospect of another Soviet bloc theatre. do i feel sorry for the men, women and children who were vaporized? sure i do, the same sorrow for those who suffered the firestorms of Dresden and Tokyo, but a full scale war was going on and me in my easy living life of 2006 can't possible denounce what was happening 50 years ago.\n\nCheck out the following site for a good overview of the decisions leading up to the detonationsl, including copies of the English translation of leaflets dropped before the bombing.
802474
Sitting in Queensland, Australia, Sunday arvo  watching the demolition and yeah........LOVING EVERY MINUTE!\n\n\n\n\nUpdate - Won down and four to go!
400148
What was it like living in that attic for so long? How did you feel about the Nazis?
322467
No. The surrender was signed only after two atomic bombs had been dropped, Hiroshima and Nagasaki ?
563994
The most positive development to come out of the bombings of Hirsoshima and Nagasaki was that the world was taught in no uncertain terms the horror of nuclear war.  It has been suggested that because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union never escalated to a full blown shooting war.  The horrors of a nuclear conflict were just to terrible to permit the use of nuclear bombs in war.
1112133
I wasn't going to reply until I read Lisa M.s reply.\nI am not sure how anyone who lived thru 911 could feel that way.\nI just remember thinking what went thru the minds of the people who jumped out of the top floors of the World Trade Center to avoid being burnt alive.\nOr I wonder ow the spouses of the victims who got to talk to their loved ones on the phone as their plane plowed into buildings at 500 miles per hour.\nIt is that they are on the terrorists side, or that their attention span is so short they cant remember the 354 firemen who died trying to save Americans lives they had never met.\nI thing Lisa M is selfish and a coward.
19848
the United States military dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August 6 and August 9, 1945, respectively. At least 120,000 people, about 95% of which were civilian, were killed outright, and around twice as many over time.
1083384
1945 Harry Truman had the Atomic Bomb dropped on Japan.You don`t need any frequency with that action,that was up there with the holocaust,but the world seems to separate the two acts of carnage.
587732
I miss Okinawa!  I saw your photo album. It helped me to remember a bit of Okinawa.  That was the nicest thing I've seen in months.  I never got to go to mainland or the PI.  Check my profile.  You would make an interesting friend!\n\n\nAaarrdaaaGaatO\nAragato?\nThank you.
109025
Kokura\nhttp://www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org/CG/CG_09C.htm\n\n"8/3/45 - General Groves sent 'Special Bombing Mission #13' designating Hiroshima as the target.  The secondary target is Kokura."\n\nhttp://www.vce.com/hironaga.html\n\n"Three days after Hiroshima, the B-29 bomber, 'Bockscar' piloted by Sweeney, reached the sky over Kokura on the morning of August 9 but abandoned the primary target because of smoke cover and changed course for Nagasaki."\n\nKokura is in southwest Japan, as shown on this map.\nhttp://www.kyutech.ac.jp/english/tobata/access.html
1156042
Pearl Harbor led to the aerial bombardment of civilians....at hiroshima and nagasaki. Toward the end of the war, the Japanese turned down the Potsdam demands for unconditional surrender, even tho they were making overtures for peace through their emmissaries in Sweden.\n\nThe kamikazi and suicidal attackes at Iwo and Okinawa led the US to believe that hundreds of thousands of lives were at stake if they assualted Japan itself, therefore, to end the war quickly it was decided to use the a-bomb to save further American lives.\n\nAnd finally, the US wanted to end the war quickly before the Soviets had a chance to attack Japan and gain hegemy in the Orient, similar to the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe.\n\nOppeneimer and other American nuclear scientists advocated for using the bomb to end the War more quickly. Other scientists wanted a demonstration in the Pacific Ocean to show the Japanese leaders the devastation of the new weapon. Since there were not alot of A-bombs in existence, the US leaders didn't want to take a chance on the 'demonstration' failing, therefore it was decided to use it against a Japanese city.\n\nPrior to the bombing, leaflets were dropped on the cities informing the populace to flee. Anyway, ever since, the world has been staring into the dark abyss of nuclear holocaust.
1115875
I feel sad that the "mission" over there has been lost.  I feel angry that so many of our military have died, and so many civillians there have died.  I feel frustrated that Saddam is on trial still, while the people of his country still live dirty and poor in war torn villages and towns.  I feel angry that Bush has lied to the people of our country and sickened that there was a majority that swallowed his load of crap.  I feel like there is not going to be a good end to this whole ordeal.  I feel like those who did the shooting will be held accountable because someone found out about it.  \nThe military also tortured those people in Abu Grahb prison, and it took years for Bush's approval rating to drop.  That makes me feel sick.
880890
England is entitled to its Nuclear program in my opinion because it was a part of the Great three in WWII.  I dislike Iran getting ahold of the nuke because of the numerous middle east wars and a country like that would not hesitate a first launch.
307203
Christians did not drop atom bombs on the Japanese. Americans dropped atom bombs on the Japanese. It is an important distinction, and should be clear.\n   As the "poor" Japanese attacked our country without provocation at Pearl Harbor, I feel rather less sympathy than I might, although no nation should be subject to the terrors of nuclear war.
823419
During WW2, there was a top secret project using the best minds of the world except for Einstein and a few others as they opposed the project called Manhattan Project.  Its goal was to harness the power of the atom and turn it into a weapon.  They did and the first bomb was fired in the Nevada dessert and was called the Trinity test.\n\nThe bomb was then tasked to be weaponsized and a B29 was specially fitted and modified to carey the giant beast of a bomb.  While the bomb was being constructed and designed and such, the military command along with the president were debating the outcomes of a land invasion of Japan.  After much delberation of whther the bomb should be used or hundereds of thousnads of troops be used in a invasion, it was decided to drop the Uranium based bomb on a designated city that had not suffered the same bombing campaign as the other cities had.  The first choice (the name of the city escapes me) was covered with clouds so the secondary target of Hiroshima was chosen and bombed.  The Japanese were stunned at the new weapon.  Emperor Hirohito wanted to surrender to the Americans but the Military did not want to lose face by surrendering.  in the turmoil of the that followed with the debates of surrender or not, Nagasaki was wiped away by a Plutonium based weapon.\n\nAt that time the Emperor won the fight and surrendered to the Americans.  They also did this to avoid retribution by the Russians whom they have faught for many years with prior.\n\nAfter the war was over, a tour was done by the American command and found out that they would have had overwhelming casualties had they attempted to land on Japan as they had 3 lines fo trenches, bunkers, and other assorted fortifications armed with soldiers and civillians.\n\nI hope this answered your question!
807898
We went to war the day after Britain declared war in 1939. We were supporting our mates even though we were not personally threatened by Hitler.\n\nWhen the War came to the Pacific, then we knew what it was to fight for self preservation a bit more. Aussies that were already in Europe stayed there, but new recruits were sent to the tropics.\n\nApart from about 30 bombing raids onto the *northern towns and a couple of 2 man subs in Sydney harbour, Australia has never had battles on our own soil. \nThere was also a mass prison break by Japanese POWs in a country town (Cowra). The casualties were heavy for the Japanese that prefered death to surrender - the Bushido code. \n\nAustralian cities were used for R&R by US military, so we had our share of young boys getting lunch and the soldiers asking about the women in their house. \n"Hey, Mister. My dad got angry at my sister after you left last night. I heard them yelling. Could you give her back her virginity, please?"\n\nAustralians suffered in Japanese POW camps, and left a deep resentment there. My dad was in Singapore when it fell and worked on the Burma railway. When he came back to Australia, he was kept in hospital to beef him up a bit ... he was given 13 meals a day - the smallest being a teaspoon of something, the largest being 2 glasses of beer.\n\nBritain wanted greater commitment to Europe and made some painful decissions in Asia for us. That saw the aussie government draw further from UK.\n\nAfter WW II, many Europeans migrated to Australia. While many European cities were in rubble, Australia was mostly unscathed.\n\n*Northern towns include Darwin (26 times), and west to Broome - sorry i didn't make that clearer, Dave
431901
go here: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/hiroshima/\n\nit should help you find the answers you're looking for!