Who blew up Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Life after a nuclear explosion

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, which killed about 200 thousand people, 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:

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;
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;
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:

The object had to be on a plain so that the blast wave was not interfered with by uneven terrain;
Urban development should be as wooden as possible so that fire damage is maximized;
The object must have a maximum building density;
The size of the object must exceed 3 kilometers in diameter;
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;
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 necessary 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:

The man who managed to survive in hell. Although everyone who was near 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;
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;
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;
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;
"Pumpkin" bombs. Before starting the atomic bombing, the United States dropped 50 Pumpkin bombs on Japan, so named for their resemblance to a pumpkin;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
"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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
radioactive mutants. The famous Japanese monster "Godzilla" was invented as a mutation for radioactive contamination after a nuclear bombing;
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;
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;
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;
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.

Stunning material about the reasons for the surrender of Japan in World War II, about the atrocities of the Americans in Japan and how the US and Japanese authorities used the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for their own purposes ...

Another US crime, or Why did Japan capitulate?

It is unlikely that we will be mistaken in assuming that most of us are still convinced that Japan capitulated because the Americans dropped two atomic bombs of enormous destructive power. On the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The act, in itself, is barbaric, inhuman. After all, it died cleanly civil population! And the radiation accompanying a nuclear strike many decades later crippled and cripples newly born children.

However, the military events in the Japanese-American war were, before the drop of the atomic bombs, no less inhumane and bloody. And, for many, such a statement will seem unexpected, those events were even more cruel! Remember what pictures you saw of the bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and try to imagine that before that, the Americans acted even more inhumanly!

However, we will not anticipate and give an excerpt from a voluminous article by Ward Wilson (Ward Wilson) „ It was not the bomb that won the victory over Japan, but Stalin". Presented statistics of the most severe bombing of Japanese cities BEFORE atomic strikes just amazing.

Scales

Historically, the use of the atomic bomb may seem like the most important single event in the war. However, from the point of view of modern Japan, the atomic bombing is not easy to distinguish from other events, just as it is difficult to distinguish a single drop of rain in the middle of a summer thunderstorm.

An American Marine looks through a hole in the wall at the aftermath of the bombing. Nahi, Okinawa, June 13, 1945. The city, where 433,000 people lived before the invasion, was reduced to ruins. (AP Photo/U.S. Marine Corps, Corp. Arthur F. Hager Jr.)

In the summer of 1945, the US Air Force carried out one of the most intense urban destruction campaigns in world history. In Japan, 68 cities were bombed, and all of them were partially or completely destroyed. Approximately 1.7 million people were left homeless, 300,000 people died and 750,000 were injured. 66 air raids were carried out using conventional weapons, and two used atomic bombs.

The damage inflicted by non-nuclear airstrikes was colossal. Throughout the summer, Japanese cities exploded and burned from night to night. In the midst of all this nightmare of destruction and death, it could hardly come as a surprise that this or that blow didn't make much of an impression– even if it was inflicted by an amazing new weapon.

A B-29 bomber flying from the Mariana Islands, depending on the location of the target and the height of the strike, could carry a bomb load weighing from 7 to 9 tons. Usually the raid was carried out by 500 bombers. This means that during a typical air raid using non-nuclear weapons, each city fell 4-5 kilotons. (A kiloton is a thousand tons, and is the standard measure of the yield of a nuclear weapon. The yield of the Hiroshima bomb was 16.5 kilotons, and a bomb with a power of 20 kilotons.)

With conventional bombing, the destruction was uniform (and therefore, more effective); and one, albeit more powerful, bomb loses a significant part of its destructive power at the epicenter of the explosion, only raising dust and creating a pile of debris. Therefore, it can be argued that some air raids using conventional bombs in terms of their destructive power approached two atomic bombings.

The first conventional bombardment was carried out against Tokyo at night from 9 to 10 March 1945. It became the most destructive bombing of a city in the history of wars. Then in Tokyo, about 41 square kilometers of urban territory burned down. Approximately 120,000 Japanese died. These are the biggest losses from the bombing of cities.

Because of the way the story is told to us, we often imagine that the bombing of Hiroshima was much worse. We think the death toll is out of all proportion. But if you compile a table on the number of people who died in all 68 cities as a result of the bombing in the summer of 1945, it turns out that Hiroshima, in terms of the number of civilian deaths is in second place.

And if you calculate the area of destroyed urban areas, it turns out that Hiroshima fourth. If you check the percentage of destruction in cities, then Hiroshima will be in 17th place. It is quite obvious that in terms of the scale of damage, it fits perfectly into the parameters of air raids using non-nuclear funds.

From our point of view, Hiroshima is something that stands apart, something extraordinary. But if you put yourself in the place of the Japanese leaders in the period preceding the strike on Hiroshima, the picture will look quite different. If you were one of the key members of the Japanese government in late July - early August 1945, you would have something like the following feeling from air raids on cities. On the morning of July 17, you would have been informed that at night they were subjected to air strikes four cities: Oita, Hiratsuka, Numazu and Kuwana. Oita and Hiratsuka half destroyed. In Kuwan, destruction exceeds 75%, and Numazu suffered the most, because 90% of the city burned to the ground.

Three days later, you are awakened and told that you have been attacked three more cities. Fukui is over 80 percent destroyed. A week goes by and three more cities are bombarded at night. Two days later, in one night, the bombs fall for another six Japanese cities, including Ichinomiya, where 75% of buildings and structures were destroyed. On August 12, you go into your office, and they report to you that you were hit four more cities.

Toyama, Japan, August 1, 1945 at night after 173 bombers firebombed the city. As a result of this bombing, the city was destroyed by 95.6%. (USAF)

Among all these messages slips information that the city Toyama(in 1945 it was about the size of Chattanooga, Tennessee) 99,5%. That is, the Americans razed to the ground almost the entire city. On August 6, only one city was attacked - Hiroshima, but according to reports, the damage there is huge, and a new type of bomb was used in the airstrike. How does this new air strike stand out from other bombings that have gone on for weeks, destroying entire cities?

Three weeks before Hiroshima, the US Air Force raided for 26 cities. Of them eight(this is almost a third) were destroyed either completely or stronger than Hiroshima(assuming how many cities were destroyed). The fact that 68 cities were destroyed in Japan in the summer of 1945 creates a serious obstacle for those who want to show that the bombing of Hiroshima was the reason for Japan's surrender. The question arises: if they capitulated because of the destruction of one city, then why did they not capitulate when they were destroyed 66 other cities?

If the Japanese leadership decided to surrender because of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then this means that they were worried about the bombing of cities in general, that the attacks on these cities became a serious argument for them in favor of capitulation. But the situation looks very different.

Two days after the bombing Tokyo retired Foreign Minister Shidehara Kijuro(Shidehara Kijuro) expressed an opinion that was openly held by many senior leaders at the time. Shidehara stated, “People will gradually get used to being bombed every day. Over time, their unity and determination will only grow stronger.”

In a letter to a friend, he noted that it is important for citizens to endure suffering, because “even if hundreds of thousands of civilians die, are injured and suffer from hunger, even if millions of houses are destroyed and burned”, diplomacy will take some time. Here it is appropriate to recall that Shidehara was a moderate politician.

Apparently, at the very top of state power in the Supreme Council, the mood was the same. The Supreme Council discussed how important it is for the Soviet Union to remain neutral - and at the same time, its members did not say anything about the consequences of the bombing. From the surviving protocols and archives it is clear that at the meetings of the Supreme Council the bombing of cities was mentioned only twice: once casually in May 1945 and the second time on the evening of August 9, when there was an extensive discussion on this issue. On the basis of the facts available, it is difficult to say that the Japanese leaders attached any importance to air raids on cities - at least in comparison with other pressing wartime issues.

General Anami August 13 noticed that atomic bombings are terrible nothing more than conventional airstrikes, to which Japan was subjected for several months. If Hiroshima and Nagasaki were no more terrible than ordinary bombings, and if the Japanese leadership did not attach much importance to this, not considering it necessary to discuss this issue in detail, then how could atomic attacks on these cities force them to surrender?

Fires after bombardment with incendiary bombs of the city Tarumiza, Kyushu, Japan. (USAF)

strategic importance

If the Japanese didn't care about the bombing of cities in general and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in particular, then what did they care about? The answer to this question is simple : Soviet Union.

The Japanese found themselves in a rather difficult strategic situation. The end of the war was approaching, and they were losing this war. The situation was bad. But the army was still strong and well supplied. Under the gun was almost four million people, and 1.2 million of this number were guarding the Japanese islands.

Even the most uncompromising Japanese leaders understood that it was impossible to continue the war. The question was not whether to continue it or not, but how to complete it on better terms. The allies (the United States, Great Britain and others - remember that the Soviet Union at that time was still neutral) demanded "unconditional surrender". The Japanese leadership hoped that he would somehow be able to avoid military tribunals, preserve the existing form of state power and some of the territories captured by Tokyo: Korea, Vietnam, Burma, separate areas Malaysia and Indonesia, a significant part of the eastern China and numerous islands in the pacific.

They had two plans for obtaining optimal terms of surrender. In other words, they had two strategic options. The first option is diplomatic. In April 1941, Japan signed a neutrality pact with the Soviets, which ended in 1946. A group of civilian mostly leaders led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Togo Shigenori hoped that Stalin could be persuaded to act as an intermediary between the United States and the allies on the one hand, and Japan on the other, in order to resolve the situation.

Although this plan had little chance of success, it reflected quite sound strategic thinking. After all, it is in the Soviet Union's interest that the terms of the settlement be not very favorable for the United States - after all, the strengthening of American influence and power in Asia would invariably mean a weakening of Russian power and influence.

The second plan was military, and most of its supporters, led by the Minister of the Army Anami Koretica, were military people. They hoped that when the American troops launched an invasion, the ground forces of the imperial army would inflict huge losses on them. They believed that if they succeeded, they could wring more favorable terms out of the United States. Such a strategy also had little chance of success. The United States was determined to get the Japanese to surrender unconditionally. But since there was concern in US military circles that the losses in the invasion would be prohibitive, there was a certain logic to the strategy of the Japanese high command.

To understand what was the real reason that forced the Japanese to capitulate - the bombing of Hiroshima or the declaration of war by the Soviet Union, one must compare how these two events affected the strategic situation.

After the atomic attack on Hiroshima, as of August 8, both options were still in force. Stalin could also be asked to act as an intermediary (there is an entry in Takagi's diary dated August 8 that shows that some Japanese leaders were still thinking about bringing in Stalin). It was still possible to try to fight one last decisive battle and inflict great damage on the enemy. The destruction of Hiroshima had no effect on the readiness of troops for stubborn defense on the shores of their native islands.

View of the bombed areas of Tokyo, 1945. Next to the burned to the ground and destroyed quarters is a strip of surviving residential buildings. (USAF)

Yes, there was one less city behind them, but they were still ready to fight. They had enough cartridges and shells, and the combat power of the army, if diminished, was very insignificant. The bombing of Hiroshima did not prejudge either of Japan's two strategic options.

However, the effect of the declaration of war by the Soviet Union, its invasion of Manchuria and the island of Sakhalin was completely different. When the Soviet Union entered the war with Japan, Stalin could no longer act as an intermediary - now he was an adversary. Therefore, the USSR, by its actions, destroyed the diplomatic option for ending the war.

The impact on the military situation was no less dramatic. Most of the best Japanese troops were on the southern islands of the country. The Japanese military correctly assumed that the first target of the American invasion would be the southernmost island of Kyushu. Once powerful Kwantung Army in Manchuria was extremely weakened, since its best parts were transferred to Japan to organize the defense of the islands.

When the Russians entered Manchuria, they simply crushed the once elite army, and many of their units stopped only when they ran out of fuel. The 16th Army of the Soviets, numbering 100,000 people, landed troops in the southern part of the island Sakhalin. She received an order to break the resistance of the Japanese troops there, and then prepare for the invasion of the island within 10-14 days. Hokkaido, the northernmost of the Japanese islands. Hokkaido was defended by the 5th Territorial Army of Japan, which consisted of two divisions and two brigades. She concentrated on fortified positions in the eastern part of the island. And the Soviet offensive plan provided for a landing in the west of Hokkaido.

Destruction in residential areas of Tokyo caused by American bombing. The picture was taken on September 10, 1945. Only the strongest buildings survived. (AP Photo)

It does not take a military genius to understand: yes, it is possible to conduct a decisive battle against one great power that has landed in one direction; but it is impossible to repulse an attack by two great powers attacking from two different directions. The Soviet offensive nullified the military strategy of a decisive battle, just as it had previously invalidated the diplomatic strategy. The Soviet offensive became decisive in terms of strategy, because it deprived Japan of both options. BUT the bombing of Hiroshima was not decisive(because she didn't rule out any Japanese variants).

The entry of the Soviet Union into the war also changed all calculations regarding the time left for a maneuver. Japanese intelligence predicted that American troops would begin landing only a few months later. Soviet troops could actually be on Japanese territory in a matter of days (within 10 days, to be more precise). The offensive of the Soviets mixed up all plans concerning the timing of the decision to end the war.

But the Japanese leaders came to this conclusion a few months before. At a meeting of the Supreme Council in June 1945, they stated that if the Soviets go to war, "this will determine the fate of the empire". Deputy Chief of Staff of the Japanese Army Kawabe at that meeting he said: "The maintenance of peace in our relations with the Soviet Union is an indispensable condition for the continuation of the war."

The Japanese leaders were stubbornly unwilling to show interest in the bombing that was destroying their cities. It must have been wrong when the air raids began in March 1945. But by the time the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, they were right in considering the city bombings to be a minor interlude with no major strategic implications. When Truman uttered his famous phrase that if Japan did not capitulate, her cities would be subjected to a “destructive steel shower”, few in the United States understood that there was almost nothing to destroy there.

The charred corpses of civilians in Tokyo, March 10, 1945 after the bombing of the city by the Americans. 300 B-29s dropped 1700 tons incendiary bombs on the largest city in Japan, resulting in the death of 100,000 people. This air raid was the most brutal in the entire Second World War.(Koyo Ishikawa)

By August 7, when Truman made his threat, there were only 10 cities in Japan with more than 100,000 inhabitants that had not yet been bombed. On August 9, a blow was struck on Nagasaki, and there are nine such cities left. Four of them were located on the northern island of Hokkaido, which was difficult to bomb because of the long distance to the island of Tinian, where American bomber aircraft were stationed.

War Minister Henry Stimson(Henry Stimson) crossed the ancient capital of Japan off the list of bomber targets because it had significant religious and symbolic significance. So, despite Truman's formidable rhetoric, after Nagasaki in Japan there was only four large cities that could be subjected to atomic strikes.

The thoroughness and scope of the American Air Force bombings can be judged by the following circumstance. They bombed so many Japanese cities that they eventually had to strike at towns with a population of 30,000 or less. In the modern world, it is difficult to call such a settlement a city.

Of course, cities that had already been firebombed could be re-strike. But these cities were already destroyed by an average of 50%. In addition, the United States could drop atomic bombs on small towns. However, such untouched cities (with a population of 30,000 to 100,000 people) in Japan remained only six. But since 68 cities in Japan had already been seriously affected by the bombing, and the leadership of the country did not attach any importance to this, it was hardly surprising that the threat of further air strikes could not make a big impression on them.

The only thing that has retained at least some form on this hill after the nuclear explosion was the ruins of the Catholic Cathedral, Nagasaki, Japan, 1945. (NARA)

Convenient story

Despite these three powerful objections, the traditional interpretation of events still greatly influences people's thinking, especially in the United States. There is a clear reluctance to face the facts. But this can hardly be called a surprise. We should remember how convenient the traditional explanation for the bombing of Hiroshima is in emotional plan - both for Japan and for the United States.

Ideas hold their power because they are true; but unfortunately, they can also remain strong from what meets the needs from an emotional point of view. They fill an important psychological niche. For example, the traditional interpretation of the events in Hiroshima helped the Japanese leaders achieve a number of important political goals, both domestically and internationally.

Put yourself in the place of the emperor. You have just subjected your country to a devastating war. The economy is in ruins. 80% of your cities are destroyed and burned. The army is defeated, having suffered a series of defeats. The fleet has suffered heavy losses and does not leave the bases. The people begin to starve. In short, the war has become a disaster, and most importantly, you lie to your people without telling him how bad the situation really is.

The people will be shocked to hear of the surrender. So what do you do? Admit that you have failed completely? To issue a statement that you have seriously miscalculated, made mistakes and caused great damage to your nation? Or explain the defeat by amazing scientific advances that no one could have predicted? If you put the blame for the defeat on the atomic bomb, then all the mistakes and military miscalculations can be swept under the carpet. The bomb is the perfect excuse for losing the war. There is no need to look for the guilty, no need to conduct investigations and courts. Japanese leaders will be able to say that they did their best.

Thus, by and large the atomic bomb helped remove the blame from Japanese leaders.

But by explaining the Japanese defeat by atomic bombings, three more very specific political goals were achieved. First of all, this helped maintain the emperor's legitimacy. Since the war was lost not because of mistakes, but because of an unexpected miracle weapon that appeared in the enemy, it means that the emperor will continue to enjoy support in Japan.

Secondly, it attracted international sympathy. Japan waged war aggressively, and showed particular cruelty to the conquered peoples. Other countries certainly should have condemned her actions. And if turn Japan into a victim country, which was inhumanly and dishonestly bombed with the use of a terrible and cruel tool of war, then it will be possible to somehow atone for and neutralize the most vile deeds of the Japanese military. Bringing attention to the atomic bombings helped create more sympathy for Japan and quell the desire for the harshest punishment.

And finally, claims that the Bomb won the war are flattering to the American victors of Japan. The American occupation of Japan officially ended only in 1952, and all this time The US could change and remake Japanese society as it saw fit. In the early days of the occupation, many Japanese leaders feared that the Americans would want to abolish the institution of the emperor.

They also had another concern. Many of Japan's top leaders knew they could be tried for war crimes (when Japan capitulated, Germany was already on trial for its Nazi leaders). Japanese historian Asada Sadao(Asada Sadao) wrote that in many post-war interviews, "Japanese officials ... clearly tried to please their American interviewers." If the Americans want to believe that it was their bomb that won the war, why disappoint them?

Soviet soldiers on the banks of the Songhua River in the city of Harbin. Soviet troops liberated the city from the Japanese on August 20, 1945. At the time of Japan's surrender, there were about 700,000 Soviet soldiers in Manchuria. (Yevgeny Khaldei/waralbum.ru)

By explaining the end of the war with the use of the atomic bomb, the Japanese were largely serving their own interests. But they also served American interests. Since the war was won by a bomb, the idea of American military power is being reinforced. US diplomatic influence in Asia and around the world is growing, and American security is being strengthened.

The $2 billion spent on building the bomb was not wasted. On the other hand, if one admits that the entry of the Soviet Union into the war was the reason for Japan's surrender, then the Soviets may well claim that they did in four days what the United States could not do in four years. And then the idea of the military power and diplomatic influence of the Soviet Union will increase. And since the Cold War was already in full swing at that time, recognizing the decisive contribution of the Soviets to victory was tantamount to helping and supporting the enemy.

Looking at the questions raised here, it is disturbing to realize that the evidence about Hiroshima and Nagasaki underlies everything we think about nuclear weapons. This event is irrefutable proof of the importance of nuclear weapons. It is important for gaining a unique status, because the usual rules do not apply to nuclear powers. This is an important measure of nuclear danger: Truman's threat to expose Japan to a "destructive shower of steel" was the first open atomic threat. This event is very important for creating a powerful aura around nuclear weapons, which makes them so significant in international relations.

But if the traditional history of Hiroshima is questioned, what do we do with all these conclusions? Hiroshima is the central point, the epicenter, from which all other statements, statements and claims spread. However, the story we tell ourselves is far from reality. What are we to think of nuclear weapons now if their colossal first achievement - the miraculous and sudden surrender of Japan - turned out to be a myth?

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

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

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.

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:

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;
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;
The third version says that the nuclear attack on Japan was the revenge of the Americans for Pearl Harbor.

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.

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?

The object had to be on a plain so that the blast wave was not interfered with by uneven terrain;
Urban development should be as wooden as possible so that fire damage is maximized;
The object must have a maximum building density;
The size of the object must exceed 3 kilometers in diameter;
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;
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.

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.

Details of the bombing of Hiroshima

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.

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

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.

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

Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki

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 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.

Consequences of nuclear bombings of Japanese cities

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.

Was there an urgent need to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki

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.

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:

The man who managed to survive in hell. Although everyone who was near 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;
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;
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;
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;
"Pumpkin" bombs. Before starting the atomic bombing, the United States dropped 50 Pumpkin bombs on Japan, so named for their resemblance to a pumpkin;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
"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;
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;
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;
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;
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;
radioactive mutants. The famous Japanese monster "Godzilla" was invented as a mutation for radioactive contamination after a nuclear bombing;
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;
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;
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;
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.

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On August 6 at 8:15 am 69 years ago, the US military, on the personal orders of US President Harry Truman, dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima with the equivalent of 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT. Babr prepared the story of this terrible event through the eyes of one of the participants in the bombing

On July 28, 2014, a week before the 69th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the last member of the crew of the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima died. Theodore Van Kirk, nicknamed "Dutch" (Dutch), died in a nursing home in Georgia at the age of 93.

Van Kirk served in the US military during World War II. On account of his dozens of missions in Europe and North Africa. Nevertheless, he will be remembered as a participant in one of the most horrific acts of human history.

In December 2013, Theodore Van Kirk was interviewed by British filmmaker Leslie Woodhead for his documentary on the 70th anniversary of the 2015 atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Here is what Kirk recalled about that day:

“I remember well what it was like on August 6, 1945. Enola Gay taking off from the South Pacific from Tinian Island at 2:45 am. After a sleepless night. I have never seen such a beautiful sunrise in my life. The weather was beautiful. While flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet, I saw the wide expanses of the Pacific Ocean. It was a peaceful scene, but we had a tense atmosphere on the plane because the crew didn't know if the bomb would go off. After six hours of flight Enola Gay approached Hiroshima.

“When the bomb fell, the first thought was: “God, how glad I am that it worked ...”

Nuclear mushroom over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right)

“We made a 180-degree turn and flew away from the shock waves. Then they turned around to see the damage. We saw nothing but a bright flash. Then they saw a white mushroom cloud that hung over the city. Under the cloud, the city was completely engulfed in smoke and resembled a cauldron of black boiling tar. And fire was visible on the outskirts of the cities. When the bomb fell, the first thought was: "God, how glad I am that it worked ... the second thought:" It's good that this war will end.

"I am a supporter of peace..."

Model of the "Kid" bomb dropped on Hiroshima

Van Kirk gave many interviews in his life. In conversations with young people, he often urged them not to get involved in another war and even called himself a "supporter of peace." Once, the "Dutchman" told reporters that the sight of what one atomic bomb had done made him unwilling to see it again. But at the same time, the navigator did not feel much remorse and advocated the use of the atomic bomb against the Japanese, calling it a lesser evil compared to the continued air bombardment of Japan and a possible American invasion.

"I have never apologized for what we did in Hiroshima and I never will..."

Japanese boy, injured from explosion

To the frequent question "Does he feel any remorse for taking part in the bombing that claimed the lives of about 150,000 Japanese?", he replied:

“I never apologized for what we did in Hiroshima and never will,” he said in an interview. - Our mission was to put an end to the Second World War, that's all. If we had not dropped this bomb, it would not have been possible to force the Japanese to capitulate ... "

"This bomb saved lives despite the huge number of victims in Hiroshima..."

Hiroshima after the atomic explosion

“This bomb did save lives, despite the huge number of casualties in Hiroshima, because otherwise the scale of casualties in Japan and the United States would have been horrendous,” Van Kirk once said.

According to him, it was not about dropping a bomb on the city and killing people: “The military installations in the city of Hiroshima were destroyed,” the American justified, “the most important of which was the army headquarters responsible for the defense of Japan in case of invasion. She had to be destroyed."

Three days after the bombing of Hiroshima - on August 9, 1945 - the Americans dropped another atomic bomb "Fat Man", with a capacity of up to 21 kilotons of TNT, on another Japanese city - Nagasaki. Between 60,000 and 80,000 people died there.

The officially declared purpose of the bombing was to hasten the surrender of Japan in the Pacific theater of World War II. But the role of the atomic bombings in the surrender of Japan and the ethical justification of the bombings themselves are still hotly debated.

"The use of atomic weapons was necessary"

The crew of the Enola Gay

Late in his life, Theodore Van Kirk once visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where Enola Gay is on display. a museum worker asked Van Kirk if he would like to sit on the plane, to which the latter refused. "I have too many memories of the guys I flew with" he explained his refusal.

Most of the pilots who bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not show public activity, but at the same time they did not express regrets about their deeds. In 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, the three remaining members of the Enola Gay crew - Tibbets, Van Kirk and Jeppson - said they did not regret what had happened. "The use of atomic weapons was necessary", they said.

Van Kirk's funeral was held in his hometown of Northumberland, Pennsylvania on August 5 - the day before the 69th anniversary of the American nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, where he was buried next to his wife, who died in 1975.

Several historical photographs about the tragic events of August 6 and 9, 1945:

This wristwatch, found among the ruins, stopped at 8:15 am on August 6, 1945 -
during the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima.

The shadow of a man who was sitting on the steps of the stairs in front of the bank entrance at the time of the explosion, 250 meters from the epicenter

A victim of an atomic explosion

The Japanese found among the ruins the wreckage of a children's tricycle
bicycle in Nagasaki, September 17, 1945.

Very few buildings remain in the devastated Hiroshima, a Japanese city that was razed to the ground
as a result of the explosion of the atomic bomb, as seen in this photograph taken on September 8, 1945.

Victims of the atomic explosion, who are in the tent care center of the 2nd military hospital of Hiroshima,
located on the banks of the Ota River, 1150 meters from the epicenter of the explosion, on August 7, 1945.

A tram (top center) and its dead passengers after the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9.
The photo was taken on September 1, 1945.

Akira Yamaguchi shows off his burn scars
receivedduring a nuclear explosionbombs in Hiroshima.

20,000 feet of smoke rises over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 after
how an atomic bomb was dropped on it during the hostilities.

Survivors of the atomic bomb, first used in combat on August 6, 1945, await medical attention in Hiroshima, Japan. As a result of the explosion, 60,000 people died at the same moment, tens of thousands died later due to exposure.

Their only enemy in World War II was Japan, which also had to surrender soon. It was at this point that the United States decided to show its military might. On August 6 and 9, they dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, after which Japan finally capitulated. AiF.ru recalls the stories of people who managed to survive this nightmare.

According to various sources, from the explosion itself and in the first weeks after it, from 90 to 166 thousand people died in Hiroshima, and from 60 to 80 thousand in Nagasaki. However, there were those who managed to stay alive.

In Japan, such people are called hibakusha or hibakusha. This category includes not only the survivors themselves, but also the second generation - children born to women who suffered from the explosions.

In March 2012, there were 210 thousand people officially recognized by the government as hibakusha, and more than 400 thousand did not live to this moment.

Most of the remaining hibakusha live in Japan. They receive some state support, but in Japanese society there is a prejudiced attitude towards them, bordering on discrimination. For example, they and their children may not be hired, so sometimes they deliberately hide their status.

miraculous rescue

An extraordinary story happened to the Japanese Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who survived both bombings. Summer 1945 young engineer Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who worked for Mitsubishi, went on a business trip to Hiroshima. When the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on the city, it was only 3 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi's eardrums were blown out by the blast, and an incredibly bright white light blinded him for a while. He received severe burns, but still survived. Yamaguchi reached the station, found his wounded colleagues, and with them went home to Nagasaki, where he became the victim of a second bombardment.

By an evil twist of fate, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was again 3 kilometers from the epicenter. When he was telling his boss at the company office about what happened to him in Hiroshima, the same white light suddenly flooded the room. Tsutomu Yamaguchi survived this explosion as well.

Two days later, he received another large dose of radiation when he almost came close to the epicenter of the explosion, unaware of the danger.

Long years of rehabilitation, suffering and health problems followed. Tsutomu Yamaguchi's wife also suffered from the bombing - she fell under the black radioactive rain. Not escaped the consequences of radiation sickness and their children, some of them died of cancer. Despite all this, Tsutomu Yamaguchi after the war got a job again, lived like everyone else and supported his family. Until he was old, he tried not to attract much attention to himself.

In 2010, Tsutomu Yamaguchi passed away from cancer at the age of 93. He became the only person who was officially recognized by the Japanese government as a victim of the bombings in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Life is like a struggle

When the bomb fell on Nagasaki, the 16-year-old Sumiteru Taniguchi delivering mail on a bike. In his own words, he saw what looked like a rainbow, then the blast wave threw him off his bike to the ground and destroyed nearby houses.

After the explosion, the teenager survived, but was seriously injured. The tattered skin hung in tatters from his arms, and there was none on his back at all. At the same time, according to Sumiteru Taniguchi, he did not feel pain, but his strength left him.

With difficulty, he found other victims, but most of them died the night after the explosion. Three days later, Sumiteru Taniguchi was rescued and sent to the hospital.

In 1946, an American photographer took the famous photograph of Sumiteru Taniguchi with horrific burns on his back. The young man's body was mutilated for life

For several years after the war, Sumiteru Taniguchi could only lie on his stomach. He was released from the hospital in 1949, but his wounds were not properly treated until 1960. In total, Sumiteru Taniguchi underwent 10 operations.

Recovery was aggravated by the fact that then people first encountered radiation sickness and did not yet know how to treat it.

The tragedy experienced had a huge impact on Sumiteru Taniguchi. He devoted his whole life to the fight against the spread of nuclear weapons, became a well-known activist and chairman of the Council of victims during the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki.

Today, 84-year-old Sumiteru Taniguchi lectures around the world about the terrible consequences of the use of nuclear weapons and why they should be abandoned.

Round orphan

For 16 year old Mikoso Iwasa August 6 was a typical hot summer day. He was in the yard of his house when the neighboring children suddenly saw a plane in the sky. Then an explosion followed. Despite the fact that the teenager was less than one and a half kilometers from the epicenter, the wall of the house protected him from the heat and the blast wave.

However, Mikoso Iwasa's family was not so lucky. The boy's mother was at that time in the house, she was filled with rubble, and she could not get out. He lost his father before the explosion, and his sister was never found. So Mikoso Iwasa became an orphan.

And although Mikoso Iwasa miraculously escaped severe burns, he still received a huge dose of radiation. Due to radiation sickness, he lost his hair, his body became covered with a rash, his nose and gums began to bleed. He has been diagnosed with cancer three times.

His life, like the lives of many other hibakusha, turned into misery. He was forced to live with this pain, with this invisible disease for which there is no cure and which is slowly killing a person.

Among hibakusha, it is customary to remain silent about this, but Mikoso Iwasa did not remain silent. Instead, he became involved in the fight against the spread of nuclear weapons and helping other hibakusha.

To date, Mikiso Iwasa is one of the three chairmen of the Japan Confederation of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Victims Organizations.

Was it necessary to bomb Japan at all?

Disputes about the advisability and ethical side of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have not subsided to this day.

Initially, the American authorities insisted that they were necessary to force Japan to capitulate as soon as possible and thereby prevent the losses among its own soldiers that would be possible in the event of a US invasion of the Japanese islands.

However, according to many historians, the surrender of Japan even before the bombing was a matter of course. It was only a matter of time.

The decision to drop bombs on Japanese cities turned out to be rather political - the United States wanted to scare the Japanese and demonstrate their military power to the whole world.

It is also important to mention that not all American officials and high-ranking military officials supported this decision. Among those who considered the bombings unnecessary was Army General Dwight Eisenhower who later became President of the United States.

Hibakusha's attitude towards explosions is unequivocal. They believe that the tragedy that they experienced should never be repeated in the history of mankind. And that is why some of them dedicated their lives to the fight for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Portal for the student. Self-training

Bomb drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Emperor of Japan Hirohito

Why was a nuclear attack chosen?

Why were Hiroshima and Nagasaki chosen for the nuclear attack?

Details of the bombing of Hiroshima

What happened in Hiroshima on the day of the tragedy

Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki

Consequences of nuclear bombings of Japanese cities

Was there an urgent need to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki

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

Another US crime, or Why did Japan capitulate?

Scales

strategic importance

Convenient story

Bomb drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Emperor of Japan Hirohito

Why was a nuclear attack chosen?

Why were Hiroshima and Nagasaki chosen for the nuclear attack?

Details of the bombing of Hiroshima

What happened in Hiroshima on the day of the tragedy

Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki

Consequences of nuclear bombings of Japanese cities

Was there an urgent need to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki

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

“When the bomb fell, the first thought was: “God, how glad I am that it worked ...”

"I am a supporter of peace..."

"I have never apologized for what we did in Hiroshima and I never will..."

"This bomb saved lives despite the huge number of victims in Hiroshima..."

"The use of atomic weapons was necessary"

Several historical photographs about the tragic events of August 6 and 9, 1945:

miraculous rescue

Life is like a struggle

Round orphan

Was it necessary to bomb Japan at all?

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