"Mr.Truman, what do you think is best for America?"
President Harry S. Truman had a big decision to make in the fall of 1945. The creation of the atomic bomb, a large nuclear weapon, in created the debate of whether or not the United States should drop the bomb on the major civilian cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One piece of advice given to President Truman was to not actually drop the bomb on a city, but do a demonstration of the bomb's destruction in an unpopulated area as a threat. President Truman felt that a simple demonstration of its destruction for Japanese leaders would not prompt Japan to surrender, but instead encourage them to fight harder. He felt that a surprise attack was appropriate in return for the surprise attack that the Japanese had carried out on Pearl Harbor. The goal of the United States was to achieve what was known as an unconditional surrender, where Japan would not get to choose terms following the war. President Truman's military experience in World War I and his goal to show military dominance to the world are believed to have contributed to the President's decision. The United States was looking at losing countless more soldiers if the war was to continue, and the release of an atomic bomb on two highly populated cities in Japan would cause a quick surrender by the Japanese. What was at stake for us? Not near as much as there was for Japan. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were heavily populated civilian cities.
The Devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
As a result of the dropped atomic bombs, millions of people perished. An estimated 226,000 people died in the bombing or the after-effects.
The Formation of the United Nations- October 24th, 1945
At a meeting known as the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944, the nations of China, the Soviet Union, and the United States met to discuss the creation of an organization that would help keep peace after World War II, similar to the League of Nations.
Once the United Nations was agreed upon, they needed a headquarters. The land was donated by the Rockefellar family, an American business family who created a fortune in the oil industry. The goal of the United Nations was to protect the interests of people in the wake of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, the United Nations is a peace-keeping group that attempts to enforce treaties and discourage unnecessary wars/attacks on other countries.
Once the United Nations was agreed upon, they needed a headquarters. The land was donated by the Rockefellar family, an American business family who created a fortune in the oil industry. The goal of the United Nations was to protect the interests of people in the wake of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, the United Nations is a peace-keeping group that attempts to enforce treaties and discourage unnecessary wars/attacks on other countries.