Nuclear weapons have been used for combat purposes only twice in the history of mankind. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 showed how dangerous it could be. It was the real experience of using nuclear weapons that could keep two mighty powers (USA and USSR) from unleashing a third world war.

Bomb drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Millions of innocent people suffered during World War II. The leaders of the world powers put the lives of soldiers and civilians on the cards without looking, in the hope of achieving superiority in the struggle for world domination. One of the worst disasters in world history was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as a result of which about 200 thousand people were destroyed, and the total number of people who died during and after the explosion (from radiation) reached 500 thousand.

Until now, there are only assumptions that forced the President of the United States of America to order the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Did he realize, did he know what destruction and consequences would be left after the explosion of a nuclear bomb? Or was this action intended to demonstrate military power in front of the USSR in order to completely kill any thoughts of attacks on the United States?

History has not preserved the motives that moved the 33rd US President Harry Truman when he ordered a nuclear attack on Japan, but only one thing can be said with certainty: it was the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that forced the Japanese emperor to sign the surrender.

In order to try to understand the motives of the United States, one must carefully consider the situation that arose in the political arena in those years.

Emperor of Japan Hirohito

The Japanese emperor Hirohito was distinguished by good inclinations of a leader. In order to expand his lands, in 1935 he decides to seize all of China, which at that time was a backward agrarian country. Following the example of Hitler (with whom Japan entered into a military alliance in 1941), Hirohito begins to take over China, using methods favored by the Nazis.

In order to cleanse China of indigenous people, Japanese troops used chemical weapons, which were banned. Inhuman experiments were carried out on the Chinese, which aimed to find out the limits of the viability of the human body in various situations. In total, about 25 million Chinese died during the Japanese expansion, most of whom were children and women.

It is possible that the nuclear bombing of Japanese cities could not have taken place if, after the conclusion of a military pact with Nazi Germany, the emperor of Japan would not have given the order to launch an attack on Pearl Harbor, thereby provoking the United States to enter World War II. After this event, the date of the nuclear attack begins to approach with inexorable speed.

When it became clear that the defeat of Germany was inevitable, the question of the surrender of Japan seemed to be a matter of time. However, the Japanese emperor, the embodiment of samurai arrogance and a true God for his subjects, ordered all the inhabitants of the country to fight to the last drop of blood. Everyone, without exception, had to resist the invader, from soldiers to women and children. Knowing the mentality of the Japanese, there was no doubt that the inhabitants would fulfill the will of their emperor.

In order to force Japan to capitulate, drastic measures had to be taken. The atomic explosion that thundered first in Hiroshima, and then in Nagasaki, turned out to be exactly the impetus that convinced the emperor of the futility of resistance.

Why was a nuclear attack chosen?

Although the number of versions why a nuclear attack was chosen to intimidate Japan is quite large, the following versions should be considered the main ones:

1. Most historians (especially American ones) insist that the damage caused by dropped bombs is several times less than a bloody invasion of American troops could bring. According to this version, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not sacrificed in vain, as it saved the lives of the remaining millions of Japanese;
2. According to the second version, the purpose of the nuclear attack was to show the USSR how perfect the US military weapons were in order to intimidate a possible adversary. In 1945, the US President was informed that the activity of Soviet troops was noticed in the border area with Turkey (which was an ally of England). Perhaps this is why Truman decided to intimidate the Soviet leader;
3. The third version says that the nuclear attack on Japan was the revenge of the Americans for Pearl Harbor.

At the Potsdam Conference, which took place from July 17 to August 2, the fate of Japan was decided. Three states - the USA, England and the USSR, led by their leaders, signed the declaration. It talked about the sphere of post-war influence, although the Second World War was not yet over. One of the points of this declaration spoke of the immediate surrender of Japan.

This document was sent to the Japanese government, which rejected the proposal. Following the example of their emperor, the members of the government decided to continue the war to the end. After that, the fate of Japan was decided. Since the US military command was looking for where to use the latest atomic weapons, the president approved the atomic bombing of Japanese cities.

The coalition against Nazi Germany was on the verge of breaking (due to the fact that one month remained before victory), the allied countries could not agree. The different policies of the USSR and the USA eventually led these states to the Cold War.

The fact that US President Harry Truman was informed about the start of nuclear bomb tests on the eve of the meeting in Potsdam played an important role in the decision of the head of state. Wanting to scare Stalin, Truman hinted to the Generalissimo that he had a new weapon ready, which could leave huge casualties after the explosion.

Stalin ignored this statement, although he soon called Kurchatov and ordered the completion of work on the development of Soviet nuclear weapons.

Having received no answer from Stalin, the American president decides to start the atomic bombing at his own peril and risk.

Why were Hiroshima and Nagasaki chosen for the nuclear attack?

In the spring of 1945, the US military had to select suitable sites for full-scale nuclear bomb tests. Even then, it was possible to notice the prerequisites for the fact that the last test of the American nuclear bomb was planned to be carried out at a civilian facility. The list of requirements for the last test of a nuclear bomb, created by scientists, looked like this:

1. The object had to be on a plain so that the blast wave was not interfered with by uneven terrain;
2. Urban development should be as wooden as possible so that fire damage is maximized;
3. The object must have a maximum building density;
4. The size of the object must exceed 3 kilometers in diameter;
5. The selected city should be located as far as possible from the military bases of the enemy in order to exclude the intervention of the enemy military forces;
6. For a blow to bring maximum benefit, it must be delivered to a large industrial center.

These requirements indicate that the nuclear strike was most likely a long-planned affair, and Germany could well have been in the place of Japan.

The intended targets were 4 Japanese cities. These are Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kyoto and Kokura. Of these, it was only required to choose two real targets, since there were only two bombs. An American expert on Japan, Professor Reisshauer, begged to be struck off the list of the city of Kyoto, as it was of great historical value. It is unlikely that this request could affect the decision, but then the Minister of Defense intervened, who was on a honeymoon in Kyoto with his wife. The minister went to a meeting and Kyoto was saved from a nuclear attack.

The place of Kyoto in the list was taken by the city of Kokura, which was chosen as a target along with Hiroshima (although later the weather conditions made their own adjustments, and Nagasaki had to be bombed instead of Kokura). The cities had to be big, and the destruction large-scale, so that the Japanese people were horrified and stopped resisting. Of course, the main thing was to influence the position of the emperor.

Studies conducted by historians from various countries of the world show that the American side was not at all concerned about the moral side of the issue. Dozens and hundreds of potential civilian casualties were of no concern to either the government or the military.

After reviewing entire volumes of classified materials, historians have come to the conclusion that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were doomed in advance. There were only two bombs, and these cities had a convenient geographical location. In addition, Hiroshima was a very densely built-up city, and an attack on it could unleash the full potential of a nuclear bomb. The city of Nagasaki was the largest industrial center working for the defense industry. A large number of guns and military equipment were produced there.

Details of the bombing of Hiroshima

The combat strike on the Japanese city of Hiroshima was pre-planned and carried out in accordance with a clear plan. Each item of this plan was clearly executed, which indicates the careful preparation of this operation.

On July 26, 1945, a nuclear bomb bearing the name "Baby" was delivered to the island of Tinian. By the end of the month, all preparations were completed, and the bomb was ready for combat. After consulting the meteorological indications, the date of the bombardment was set - August 6th. On this day the weather was excellent and the bomber, with a nuclear bomb on board, soared into the air. Its name (Enola Gay) was remembered for a long time not only by the victims of a nuclear attack, but throughout Japan.

In flight, the death-carrying plane was escorted by three planes whose task was to determine the direction of the wind so that the atomic bomb hit the target as accurately as possible. Behind the bomber, an aircraft was flying, which was supposed to record all the data of the explosion using sensitive equipment. A bomber was flying at a safe distance with a photographer on board. Several planes flying towards the city did not cause any concern to either the Japanese air defense forces or the civilian population.

Although Japanese radars detected the approaching enemy, they did not raise the alarm because of a small group of military aircraft. Residents were warned of a possible bombardment, but they continued to work quietly. Since the nuclear strike was not like a conventional air raid, not a single Japanese fighter took to the air to intercept. Even the artillery paid no attention to the approaching planes.

At 8:15 a.m., the Enola Gay bomber dropped a nuclear bomb. This drop was made using a parachute to allow a group of attacking aircraft to retire to a safe distance. After dropping a bomb at an altitude of 9,000 meters, the battle group turned around and withdrew.

Having flown about 8,500 meters, the bomb exploded at an altitude of 576 meters from the ground. A deafening explosion covered the city with an avalanche of fire that destroyed everything in its path. Directly at the epicenter, people simply disappeared, leaving behind only the so-called "shadows of Hiroshima." All that was left of the man was a dark silhouette imprinted on the floor or walls. At a distance from the epicenter, people burned alive, turning into black firebrands. Those who were on the outskirts of the city were a little more fortunate, many of them survived, having received only terrible burns.

This day has become a day of mourning not only in Japan, but throughout the world. About 100,000 people died that day, and the following years claimed the lives of several hundred thousand more. All of them died from radiation burns and radiation sickness. According to the official statistics of the Japanese authorities as of January 2017, the number of deaths and injuries from the American uranium bomb is 308,724 people.

Hiroshima is today the largest city in the Chugoku region. The city has a commemorative memorial dedicated to the victims of the American atomic bombing.

What happened in Hiroshima on the day of the tragedy

The first Japanese official sources said that the city of Hiroshima was attacked by new bombs that were dropped from several American aircraft. People did not yet know that the new bombs destroyed tens of thousands of lives in an instant, and the consequences of a nuclear explosion would last for decades.

It is possible that even the American scientists who created the atomic weapon did not anticipate the consequences of radiation for people. For 16 hours after the explosion, no signal was received from Hiroshima. Noticing this, the operator of the Broadcasting Station began to make attempts to contact the city, but the city remained silent.

After a short period of time, strange and confusing information came from the railway station, which was located near the city, from which the Japanese authorities understood only one thing, an enemy raid was made on the city. It was decided to send the aircraft for reconnaissance, since the authorities knew for sure that no serious enemy combat air groups broke through the front line.

Having approached the city at a distance of about 160 kilometers, the pilot and the officer accompanying him saw a huge dusty cloud. Flying closer, they saw a terrible picture of destruction: the whole city was ablaze with fires, and smoke and dust made it difficult to see the details of the tragedy.

Landing in a safe place, the Japanese officer reported to the command that the city of Hiroshima had been destroyed by US aircraft. After that, the military began selflessly to help the wounded and shell-shocked from the bomb explosion compatriots.

This catastrophe rallied all the surviving people into one big family. Wounded, barely standing people dismantled the rubble and put out fires, trying to save as many of their compatriots as possible.

Washington made an official statement about the successful operation only 16 hours after the bombing.

Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki

The city of Nagasaki, which was an industrial center, has never been subjected to massive air strikes. They tried to save it to demonstrate the enormous power of the atomic bomb. Just a few high-explosive bombs damaged weapons factories, shipyards and medical hospitals in the week before the terrible tragedy.

Now it seems incredible, but Nagasaki became the second Japanese city to be nuked by chance. The original target was the city of Kokura.

The second bomb was delivered and loaded onto the plane, according to the same plan as in the case of Hiroshima. The plane with a nuclear bomb took off and flew towards the city of Kokura. On approaching the island, three American planes were supposed to meet to record the explosion of an atomic bomb.

Two planes met, but they did not wait for the third. Contrary to the forecast of meteorologists, the sky over Kokura was covered with clouds, and the visual release of the bomb became impossible. After circling for 45 minutes over the island and not waiting for the third aircraft, the commander of the aircraft that carried the nuclear bomb on board noticed a malfunction in the fuel supply system. Since the weather finally deteriorated, it was decided to fly to the reserve target area - the city of Nagasaki. A group consisting of two aircraft flew to the alternate target.

On August 9, 1945, at 7:50 am, the inhabitants of Nagasaki woke up from an air raid signal and descended into shelters and bomb shelters. After 40 minutes, considering the alarm not worthy of attention, and classifying two aircraft as reconnaissance, the military canceled it. People went about their usual business, not suspecting that an atomic explosion would now thunder.

The Nagasaki attack went exactly the same way as the Hiroshima attack, only high cloud cover almost spoiled the Americans' bomb release. Literally in the last minutes, when the fuel supply was at the limit, the pilot noticed a “window” in the clouds and dropped a nuclear bomb at an altitude of 8,800 meters.

The carelessness of the Japanese air defense forces, which, despite the news of a similar attack on Hiroshima, is striking, did not take any measures to neutralize American military aircraft.

The atomic bomb, called "Fat Man", exploded at 11 hours 2 minutes, within a few seconds turned a beautiful city into a kind of hell on earth. 40,000 people died in an instant, and another 70,000 received terrible burns and injuries.

Consequences of nuclear bombings of Japanese cities

The consequences of a nuclear attack on Japanese cities were unpredictable. In addition to those who died at the time of the explosion and during the first year after it, radiation continued to kill people for many years to come. As a result, the number of victims has doubled.

Thus, the nuclear attack brought the United States a long-awaited victory, and Japan had to make concessions. The consequences of the nuclear bombing shocked Emperor Hirohito so much that he unconditionally accepted the terms of the Potsdam Conference. According to the official version, the nuclear attack carried out by the US military brought exactly what the American government wanted.

In addition, the troops of the USSR, which had accumulated on the border with Turkey, were urgently transferred to Japan, on which the USSR declared war. According to members of the Soviet Politburo, after learning about the consequences caused by nuclear explosions, Stalin said that the Turks were lucky, as the Japanese sacrificed themselves for them.

Only two weeks had passed since the entry of Soviet troops into Japan, and Emperor Hirohito had already signed an act of unconditional surrender. This day (September 2, 1945) went down in history as the day the Second World War ended.

Was there an urgent need to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Even in modern Japan, there is an ongoing debate about whether it was necessary to carry out a nuclear bombing or not. Scientists from all over the world are painstakingly studying secret documents and archives from the Second World War. Most researchers agree that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sacrificed for the sake of ending the world war.

The well-known Japanese historian Tsuyoshi Hasegawa believes that the atomic bombing was started in order to prevent the expansion of the Soviet Union into Asian countries. It also allowed the United States to assert itself as a leader militarily, which they succeeded brilliantly. After the nuclear explosion, arguing with the United States was very dangerous.

If you stick to this theory, then Hiroshima and Nagasaki were simply sacrificed to the political ambitions of the superpowers. Tens of thousands of victims were completely ignored.

One can guess what could have happened if the USSR had time to complete the development of its nuclear bomb before the United States. It is possible that the atomic bombing would not have happened then.

Modern nuclear weapons are thousands of times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japanese cities. It is difficult even to imagine what could happen if the two largest powers in the world started a nuclear war.

The most little-known facts about the tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Although the tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is known to the whole world, there are facts that only a few know:

1. The man who managed to survive in hell. Although everyone who was close to the epicenter of the explosion died during the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, one person who was in the basement 200 meters from the epicenter managed to survive;
   
2. War is war, and the tournament must go on. At a distance of less than 5 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion in Hiroshima, a tournament was held in the ancient Chinese game "Go". Although the explosion destroyed the building and many of the competitors were injured, the tournament continued on the same day;
3. Able to withstand even a nuclear explosion. Although the explosion in Hiroshima destroyed most of the buildings, the safe in one of the banks was not damaged. After the end of the war, the American company that produced these safes received a letter of thanks from a bank manager in Hiroshima;
4. Extraordinary luck. Tsutomu Yamaguchi was the only person on earth who officially survived two atomic explosions. After the explosion in Hiroshima, he went to work in Nagasaki, where he again managed to survive;
5. "Pumpkin" bombs. Before starting the atomic bombing, the United States dropped 50 Pumpkin bombs on Japan, so named for their resemblance to a pumpkin;
6. An attempt to overthrow the emperor. The Emperor of Japan mobilized all the citizens of the country for "total war". This meant that every Japanese, including women and children, must defend their country to the last drop of blood. After the emperor, frightened by atomic explosions, accepted all the conditions of the Potsdam Conference and later capitulated, the Japanese generals tried to carry out a coup d'état, which failed;
7. Met a nuclear explosion and survived. Japanese Gingko biloba trees are remarkably resilient. After the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, 6 of these trees survived and continue to grow to this day;
   
8. People who dreamed of salvation. After the explosion in Hiroshima, hundreds of survivors fled to Nagasaki. Of these, 164 people managed to survive, although only Tsutomu Yamaguchi is considered the official survivor;
9. Not a single policeman died in the atomic explosion in Nagasaki. The surviving law enforcement officers from Hiroshima were sent to Nagasaki in order to teach colleagues the basics of behavior after a nuclear explosion. As a result of these actions, not a single policeman was killed in the Nagasaki bombing;
10. 25 percent of those who died in Japan were Koreans. Although it is believed that all of those who died in the atomic explosions were Japanese, in fact a quarter of them were Koreans, who were mobilized by the Japanese government to participate in the war;
11. Radiation is a fairy tale for children. After the atomic explosion, the American government for a long time concealed the fact of the presence of radioactive contamination;
12. "Meetinghouse". Few people know that the US authorities did not limit themselves to nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities. Before that, using the tactics of carpet bombing, they destroyed several Japanese cities. During Operation Meetinghouse, the city of Tokyo was virtually destroyed, and 300,000 of its inhabitants died;
13. They didn't know what they were doing. The crew of the plane that dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima was 12 people. Of these, only three knew what a nuclear bomb was;
14. On one of the anniversaries of the tragedy (in 1964), an eternal flame was lit in Hiroshima, which should burn as long as at least one nuclear warhead remains in the world;
    
15. Lost connection. After the destruction of Hiroshima, communication with the city was completely lost. Only three hours later did the capital learn that Hiroshima had been destroyed;
16. Deadly poison. The crew of the Enola Gay were given ampoules of potassium cyanide, which they had to take in case they failed to complete the task;
17. radioactive mutants. The famous Japanese monster "Godzilla" was invented as a mutation for radioactive contamination after a nuclear bombing;
18. Shadows of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The explosions of nuclear bombs had such tremendous power that people literally evaporated, leaving only dark prints on the walls and floor as a memory of themselves;
19. Hiroshima symbol. The first plant to bloom after the Hiroshima nuclear attack was the oleander. It is he who is now the official symbol of the city of Hiroshima;
20. Warning before a nuclear attack. Before the nuclear attack began, US aircraft dropped millions of leaflets on 33 Japanese cities warning of an impending bombardment;
21. Radio signals. An American radio station in Saipan broadcast warnings of a nuclear attack throughout Japan until the very last moment. The signals were repeated every 15 minutes.

The tragedy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened 72 years ago, but it still serves as a reminder that humanity should not thoughtlessly destroy its own kind.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are some of the most famous Japanese cities in the world. Of course, the reason for their fame is very sad - these are the only two cities on Earth where atomic bombs were detonated to purposefully destroy the enemy. Two cities were completely destroyed, thousands of people died, and the world changed completely. Here are 25 little-known facts about Hiroshima and Nagasaki that you should know so that the tragedy never happens again anywhere.

1. Survive in the epicenter

The man who survived closest to the epicenter of the explosion in Hiroshima was less than 200 meters from the epicenter of the explosion in the basement.

2. An explosion is not a hindrance to a tournament

Less than 5 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion, a go tournament was taking place. Although the building was destroyed and many people were injured, the tournament ended later that day.

3. Made to last

A safe in a bank in Hiroshima survived the explosion. After the war, a bank manager wrote to Mosler Safe in Ohio expressing "his admiration for a product that survived the atomic bomb."

4. Doubtful luck

Tsutomu Yamaguchi is one of the luckiest people in the world. He survived the Hiroshima bombing in a bomb shelter and took the first train to Nagasaki for work the next morning. During the bombing of Nagasaki three days later, Yamaguchi managed to survive again.

5. 50 Pumpkin Bombs

The United States dropped about 50 Pumpkin bombs on Japan before "Fat Man" and "Baby" (they were named so for their resemblance to a pumpkin). "Pumpkins" were not atomic.

6. Coup attempt

The Japanese army was mobilized for "total war". This meant that every man, woman and child must resist the invasion until their death. When the emperor ordered surrender after the atomic bombing, the army attempted a coup d'état.

7. Six survivors

Gingko biloba trees are known for their amazing resilience. After the bombing of Hiroshima, 6 such trees survived and are still growing today.

8. From the fire to the frying pan

After the bombing of Hiroshima, hundreds of survivors fled to Nagasaki, where an atomic bomb was also dropped. In addition to Tsutomu Yamaguchi, 164 other people survived both bombings.

9. Not a single police officer died in Nagasaki

After the bombing of Hiroshima, the surviving police officers were sent to Nagasaki to teach the local police how to behave after the atomic flash. As a result, not a single policeman died in Nagasaki.

10. A quarter of the dead are Koreans

Almost a quarter of all those who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were actually Koreans who were mobilized to fight in the war.

11. Radioactive contamination is cancelled. USA.

Initially, the United States denied that nuclear explosions would leave radioactive contamination behind.

12. Operation Meetinghouse

During World War II, it was not Hiroshima and Nagasaki that suffered the most from the bombing. During Operation Meetinghouse, the allied forces almost destroyed Tokyo.

13. Only three out of twelve

Only three of the twelve men on the Enola Gay bomber knew the real purpose of their mission.

14. "Fire of the world"

In 1964, the "Fire of the World" was lit in Hiroshima, which will burn until nuclear weapons are destroyed throughout the world.

15. Kyoto narrowly escaped the bombing

Kyoto narrowly escaped the bombing. It was crossed off the list because former US Secretary of War Henry Stimson admired the city during his honeymoon in 1929. Instead of Kyoto, Nagasaki was chosen.

16. Only after 3 hours

In Tokyo, only 3 hours later they learned that Hiroshima had been destroyed. It was not until 16 hours later, when Washington announced the bombing, that exactly how it happened was known.

17. Air defense carelessness

Prior to the bombing, Japanese radar operators spotted three American bombers flying at high altitude. They decided not to intercept them, as they considered that such a small number of aircraft did not pose a threat.

18 Enola Gay

The crew of the Enola Gay bomber had 12 potassium cyanide tablets, which the pilots were to take in the event of a mission failure.

19. Peace Memorial City

After World War II, Hiroshima changed its status to a "Peace Memorial City" as a reminder to the world of the destructive power of nuclear weapons. When Japan conducted nuclear tests, the mayor of Hiroshima bombarded the government with letters of protest.

20. Mutant Monster

Godzilla was invented in Japan as a reaction to the atomic bombing. It was assumed that the monster mutated due to radioactive contamination.

21. Apology to Japan

Although during the war Dr. Seuss advocated the necessity of occupying Japan, his post-war book Horton is an allegory for the events in Hiroshima and an apology to Japan for what happened. He dedicated the book to his Japanese friend.

22. Shadows on the remains of the walls

The explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were so strong that they literally evaporated people, leaving their shadows forever on the remains of the walls, on the ground.

23. The official symbol of Hiroshima

Since the oleander was the first plant to bloom in Hiroshima after the nuclear explosion, it is the city's official flower.

24. Bombardment Warning

Before launching nuclear strikes, the US Air Force dropped millions of leaflets over Hiroshima, Nagasaki and 33 other potential targets warning of the upcoming bombing.

25. Radio alert

The American radio station in Saipan also broadcast a message about the impending bombardment throughout Japan every 15 minutes until the bombs were dropped.

A modern person should know and. This knowledge will help protect yourself and your loved ones.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Photochronology after the explosion: the horror that the United States tried to hide.

August 6 is not an empty phrase for Japan, it is the moment of one of the greatest horrors ever committed in the war.

On this day, the bombing of Hiroshima took place. In 3 days, the same barbaric act will be repeated, knowing the consequences for Nagasaki.

This nuclear barbarism, worthy of the worst nightmare, partially eclipsed the Jewish Holocaust carried out by the Nazis, but this act placed then-President Harry Truman on the same list of genocide.

Because he ordered 2 atomic bombs to be fired on the civilian population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in the direct death of 300,000 people, thousands more died a few weeks later, and thousands of survivors were physically and psychologically marked by the side effects of the bomb.

As soon as President Truman became aware of the damage, he said, "This is the greatest event in history."

In 1946, the US government banned any evidence of this massacre from being circulated, and millions of photographs were destroyed, and pressure in the US forced the defeated Japanese government to create an edict in which talking about "this fact" was an attempt to disturb the public peace, and therefore was forbidden.

Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Of course, on the part of the American government, the use of nuclear weapons was an act to hasten the surrender of Japan, how justified such an act was, posterity will discuss for many centuries.

On August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay bomber took off from a base in the Marianas. The crew consisted of twelve people. The training of the crew was lengthy, it consisted of eight training flights and two sorties. In addition, a rehearsal of a bomb drop on an urban settlement was organized. The rehearsal took place on July 31, 1945, a training ground was used as a settlement, a bomber dropped a model of a supposed bomb.

On August 6, 1945, a sortie was made, a bomb was on board the bomber. The power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was 14 kilotons of TNT. Having completed the task, the crew of the aircraft left the affected area and arrived at the base. The results of the medical examination of all crew members are still kept secret.

After completing this task, a second flight of another bomber was made. The Bockscar bomber crew consisted of thirteen people. Their task was to drop a bomb on the city of Kokura. Departure from the base took place at 02:47 and at 09:20 the crew reached their destination. Arriving at the place, the crew of the aircraft found heavy cloud cover and after several visits, the command instructed to change the destination to the city of Nagasaki. The crew reached their destination at 10:56, but there was also cloud cover that prevented the operation. Unfortunately, the goal had to be met, and this time the cloudiness did not save the city. The power of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki was 21 kilotons of TNT.

In what year Hiroshima and Nagasaki were subjected to a nuclear attack, it is precisely indicated in all sources that August 6, 1945 - Hiroshima and August 9, 1945 - Nagasaki.

The explosion of Hiroshima claimed the lives of 166 thousand people, the explosion of Nagasaki claimed the lives of 80 thousand people.

Nagasaki after the nuclear explosion

Over time, some document and photo came to light, but what happened, compared to the images of German concentration camps that were strategically distributed by the American government, was nothing more than the fact of what happened in the war and was partially justified.

Thousands of victims had photos without a face. Here are some of those photos:

All clocks stopped at 8:15, the time of the attack.

The heat and explosion cast the so-called "nuclear shadow", here you can see the pillars of the bridge.

Here you can see the silhouette of two people who were sprayed instantly.

200 meters from the explosion, on the stairs of the bench, there is a shadow of a man who opened the doors. 2,000 degrees burned him on the step.

human suffering

The bomb exploded almost 600 meters above the center of Hiroshima, 70,000 people died instantly from 6,000 degrees Celsius, the rest were killed by a shock wave that left the building standing and destroyed trees within a radius of 120 km.

A few minutes and the atomic mushroom reaches a height of 13 kilometers, causing acid rain that kills thousands of people who escaped the initial explosion. 80% of the city has disappeared.

There were thousands of cases of sudden burning and very severe burns more than 10 km from the explosion area.

The results were devastating, but after a few days, doctors continued to treat the survivors as if the wounds were simple burns, and many of them indicated that people continued to die mysteriously. They had never seen anything like it.

Doctors even injected vitamins, but the flesh rotted on contact with the needle. The white blood cells were destroyed.

Most of the survivors within a 2 km radius were blind, and thousands of people suffered from cataracts due to the radiation.

burden of survivors

"Hibakusha" (Hibakusha), as the Japanese called the survivors. There were about 360,000 of them, but most of them are disfigured, with cancer and genetic deterioration.

These people were also victims of their own compatriots, who believed that radiation was contagious and avoided them at all costs.

Many secretly hid these consequences even years later. Whereas if the company where they worked found out they were "Hibakushi", they were fired.

There were clothing marks on the skin, even the colors and fabrics that people were wearing at the time of the explosion.

The story of a photographer

On August 10, a Japanese army photographer named Yosuke Yamahata (Yosuke Yamahata) arrived in Nagasaki with the task of documenting the consequences of the "new weapons" and spent hours walking through the wreckage, photographing all this horror. These are his photographs and he wrote in his diary:

“A hot wind began to blow,” he explained many years later. “There were small fires everywhere, Nagasaki was completely destroyed… we encountered human bodies and animals that lay in our path…”

“It was truly hell on earth. Those who could barely stand the intense radiation, their eyes burned, their skin “burned” and ulcerated, they wandered around, leaning on sticks, waiting for help. Not a single cloud eclipsed the sun on this August day, shining mercilessly.

Coincidence, but exactly 20 years later, also on August 6, Yamahata suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with duodenal cancer from the effects of this walk where he took photographs. The photographer is buried in Tokyo.

As a curiosity: a letter that Albert Einstein sent to former President Roosevelt, where he counted on the possibility of using uranium as a weapon of significant power and explained the steps to achieve it.

The bombs that were used to attack

Baby Bomb is the code name for the uranium bomb. It was developed as part of the Manhattan Project. Among all the developments, the Baby Bomb was the first successfully implemented weapon, the result of which had enormous consequences.

The Manhattan Project is an American nuclear weapons program. The project activity began in 1943, based on research in 1939. Several countries took part in the project: the United States of America, Great Britain, Germany and Canada. Countries took part not officially, but through scientists who participated in the development. As a result of development, three bombs were created:

• Plutonium, codenamed "Thing". This bomb was blown up in nuclear tests, the explosion was carried out at a special test site.
• Uranium bomb, codename "Kid". The bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
• Plutonium bomb, codename "Fat Man". The bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

The project operated under the leadership of two people, nuclear physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer spoke from the scientific council, and General Leslie Richard Groves from the military leadership.

How it all began

The history of the project began with a letter, as is commonly believed, the author of the letter was Albert Einstein. In fact, four people participated in writing this appeal. Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, Edward Teller and Albert Einstein.

In 1939, Leo Szilard learned that scientists in Nazi Germany had achieved stunning results on a chain reaction in uranium. Szilard realized what power their army would gain if these studies were put into practice. Szilard was also aware of the minimality of his authority in political circles, so he decided to involve Albert Einstein in the problem. Einstein shared Szilard's concerns and drafted an appeal to the American president. The address was written in German, Szilard, along with the rest of the physicists, translated the letter and added his comments. Now they are faced with the issue of sending this letter to the President of America. At first they wanted to convey the letter through the aviator Charles Lindenberg, but he officially issued a statement of sympathy for the German government. Szilard faced the problem of finding like-minded people who had contacts with the President of America, so Alexander Sachs was found. It was this man who handed over the letter, albeit with a delay of two months. However, the reaction of the president was lightning fast, a council was convened as soon as possible and the Uranium Committee was organized. It was this body that began the first studies of the problem.

Here is an excerpt from that letter:

The recent work of Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard, whose handwritten version caught my attention, leads me to believe that elemental uranium may become a new and important source of energy in the near future […] opened the possibility of realizing a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, due to which a lot of energy […] thanks to which you can create bombs ..

Hiroshima now

The restoration of the city began in 1949, most of the funds from the state budget were allocated for the development of the city. The recovery period lasted until 1960. Little Hiroshima has become a huge city, today Hiroshima consists of eight districts, with a population of over a million people.

Hiroshima before and after

The epicenter of the explosion was one hundred and sixty meters from the exhibition center, after its restoration of the city, it is included in the UNESCO list. Today, the exhibition center is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

Hiroshima Exhibition Center

The building partially collapsed, but survived. Everyone in the building was killed. For the preservation of the memorial, work was carried out to strengthen the dome. This is the most famous monument to the consequences of a nuclear explosion. The inclusion of this building in the list of values ​​of the world community caused heated debate, two countries opposed it - America and China. Opposite the Peace Memorial is the Memorial Park. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park has an area of ​​more than twelve hectares and is considered the epicenter of the nuclear bomb explosion. The park has a monument to Sadako Sasaki and a monument to the Flame of Peace. The flame of peace has been burning since 1964 and, according to the Japanese government, will continue to burn until all nuclear weapons in the world are destroyed.

The tragedy of Hiroshima has not only consequences, but also legends.

The Legend of the Cranes

Every tragedy needs a face, even two. One face will be a symbol of the survivors, the other a symbol of hatred. As for the first person, it was the little girl Sadako Sasaki. When America dropped the nuclear bomb, she was two years old. Sadako survived the bombing, but ten years later she was diagnosed with leukemia. The reason was radiation exposure. While in the hospital room, Sadako heard a legend that cranes give life and healing. In order to get the life she so needed, Sadako had to make a thousand paper cranes. Every minute the girl made paper cranes, every piece of paper that fell into her hands took on a beautiful shape. The girl died before reaching the required thousand. According to various sources, she made six hundred cranes, and the rest were made by other patients. In memory of the girl, on the anniversary of the tragedy, Japanese children make paper cranes and release them into the sky. In addition to Hiroshima, a monument to Sadako Sasaki was erected in the American city of Seattle.

Nagasaki now

The bomb dropped on Nagasaki claimed many lives and almost wiped the city off the face of the earth. However, in view of the fact that the explosion occurred in the industrial zone, this is the western part of the city, the buildings of another area were less affected. Money from the state budget was directed to the restoration. The recovery period lasted until 1960. The current population is about half a million people.

Nagasaki Photos

The bombardment of the city began on August 1, 1945. For this reason, part of the population of Nagasaki was evacuated and not subjected to nuclear impact. On the day of the nuclear bombing, an air raid alert was issued at 07:50 and stopped at 08:30. After the end of the air raid, part of the population remained in shelters. An American B-29 bomber that entered Nagasaki airspace was mistaken for a reconnaissance aircraft and the air raid alert was not issued. No one guessed the purpose of the American bomber. The explosion in Nagasaki occurred at 11:02 in the air, the bomb did not reach the ground. Despite this, the result of the explosion claimed thousands of lives. The city of Nagasaki has several places of memory for the victims of the nuclear explosion:

Sanno Jinja Shrine Gate. They represent a column and part of the upper ceiling, all that survived the bombardment.

nagasaki peace park

Nagasaki Peace Park. Memorial complex built in memory of the victims of the disaster. On the territory of the complex there is a Statue of Peace and a fountain symbolizing contaminated water. Until the time of the bombing, no one in the world had studied the consequences of a nuclear wave of this magnitude, nor did anyone know how long harmful substances remained in the water. Only years later, people who drank water discovered that they had radiation sickness.

Atomic Bomb Museum

Museum of the atomic bomb. The museum was opened in 1996. On the territory of the museum there are things and photographs of the victims of the nuclear bombing.

Urakami column. This place is the epicenter of the explosion; there is a park area around the preserved column.

The victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are commemorated every year with a moment of silence. Those who dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki never apologized. On the contrary, the pilots adhere to the state position, explaining their actions by military necessity. Remarkably, the United States of America has not issued a formal apology to date. Also, a tribunal to investigate the mass destruction of civilians was not created. Since the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, only one president has paid an official visit to Japan.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, carried out on August 6 and 9, 1945, are the only two examples of the combat use of nuclear weapons.

The US military dropped on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 2 atomic bombs, killing over 200,000 people.

In this article, we will look at the causes and consequences of this terrible tragedy of the 20th century.

Japan at the end of World War II

In their opinion, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the only way to quickly end the military conflict.

However, this is hardly true, since, shortly before the Potsdam Conference, he claimed that, according to the data, the Japanese want to establish a peaceful dialogue with the countries of the anti-fascist coalition.

Therefore, why attack a country that intends to negotiate?

However, apparently, the Americans really wanted to demonstrate their military potential and show the whole world the weapons of mass destruction that they have.

Symptoms of an unknown disease resembled diarrhea. The people who survived all their lives suffered from various diseases, and were also incapable of reproducing full-fledged children.

Photo of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Here are some photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bombing, as well as people affected by this attack:

View of the cloud of the atomic explosion in Nagasaki from a distance of 15 km from Koyaji-Jima, August 9, 1945
Akira Yamaguchi showing off his scars
Bombing survivor Ikimi Kikkawa shows off his keloid scars

According to experts, 5 years after the tragedy, the total number of deaths from the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki amounted to about 200 thousand people.

In 2013, after the revision of the data, this figure more than doubled, and was already 450,000 people.

The results of the atomic attack on Japan

Immediately after the bombing of Nagasaki, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced an immediate surrender. In his letter, Hirohito mentioned that the enemy had a "terrible weapon" that could completely destroy the Japanese people.

More than half a century has passed since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but the consequences of that terrible tragedy are still being felt today. The radioactive background, which people did not yet know about, claimed many lives and caused various pathologies in newborns.

The role of atomic bombings in the surrender of Japan and the ethical justification of the bombings themselves still cause heated debate among specialists.

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The atomic bombings by the Americans of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, from which a total of 214 thousand people died, were the only cases in history of the use of nuclear weapons.

Let's see what those places look like then and now.

In August 1945, American pilots dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From the atomic explosion and its consequences in Hiroshima, out of a population of 350,000, 140,000 people died, in Nagasaki - 74,000. The vast majority of the victims of the atomic bombing were civilians.

International analysts believe that the United States is unlikely to apologize to Japan for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

2. Mushroom from the explosion of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. (Photo by Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum):

3. Hiroshima in October 1945 and the same place on July 28, 2015. (Photo by Shigeo Hayash | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

4. Hiroshima on August 20, 1945 and the same place on July 28, 2015. (Photo by Masami Oki | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

5. Hiroshima in October-November 1945 and the same place on July 29, 2015. By the way, this place is located 860 meters from the center of the nuclear bomb explosion. (Photo by US Army | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

6. Hiroshima in October 1945 and the same place on July 28, 2015. (Photo by Shigeo Hayash | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

7. Hiroshima in 1945 and the same place on July 29, 2015. (Photo by US Army | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

8. Nagasaki August 9, 1945 and July 31, 2015. (Photo by Torahiko Ogawa | Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

9. Nagasaki in 1945 and the same place on July 31, 2015. (Photo by Shigeo Hayashi | Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Issei Kato | Retuers):

10. Nagasaki in 1945 and the same place on July 31, 2015. (Photo by Shigeo Hayashi | Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Issei Kato | Retuers):

11. Nagasaki Cathedral in 1945 and July 31, 2015. (Photo by Hisashi Ishida | Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Issei Kato | Reuters):

12. Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, August 6, 2015. (Photo by Toru Hanai | Reuters):

13. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This is a park located on the territory of the former Nakajima district, completely destroyed as a result of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. On the territory of 12.2 hectares there is the Peace Memorial Museum, many monuments, a ritual bell and a cenotaph. (Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi):

14. Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, August 6, 2015. (Photo by Kimimiasa Mayama):

16. Peace Memorial Park in Nagasaki, built in memory of the atomic bombing of the city on August 9, 1945. (Photo by Toru Hanai | Reuters):

“The United States used atomic weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not to force Japan to surrender, but to prevent the geopolitical advantage of the Soviet Union after the end of the war in Asia.