Was the death toll in the atomic bombing of Japanese territory greater than was expected by the US?

History

What was the death toll of the atomic bombs?

The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.

How many died in the atomic bombs in Japan?

However, it’s estimated roughly 70,000 to 135,000 people died in Hiroshima and 60,000 to 80,000 people died in Nagasaki, both from acute exposure to the blasts and from long-term side effects of radiation.

Did the US warn the Japanese about the atomic bomb?

Leaflets dropped on cities in Japan warning civilians about the atomic bomb, dropped c. August 6, 1945. TO THE JAPANESE PEOPLE: America asks that you take immediate heed of what we say on this leaflet.

How big was the impact of the atomic bomb?

By the end of 1945, the bombing had killed an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima, and a further 74,000 in Nagasaki. In the years that followed, many of the survivors would face leukemia, cancer, or other terrible side effects from the radiation.

How many US soldiers would have died invading Japan?

By late July, the JCS was forecasting 500,000 casualties at the high end and 100,000 at the low end. In late July 1945, the War Department provided an estimate that the entire Downfall operations would cause between 1.7 to 4 million U.S. casualties, including 400-800,000 U.S. dead, and 5 to 10 million Japanese dead.

Is Nagasaki still radioactive?

Is there still radiation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The radiation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki today is on a par with the extremely low levels of background radiation (natural radioactivity) present anywhere on Earth. It has no effect on human bodies.

How many lives did the atomic bomb save?

Lewis estimates that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the extent that it induced Japanese surrender, saved the lives of roughly 30 million people.

Who regretted making the atomic bomb?

Fearful that the Germans would beat WWII Allies to a nuclear weapon, physicist Albert Einstein wrote to FDR, urgently pushing America’s A-bomb development. But after the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he and many scientists on the project publicly expressed deep regret.

Did Japan warn US about Pearl Harbor?

Japan’s military thwarted a declaration of war on the United States before Pearl Harbor said former Japanese Ambassador Takeo Iguchi at a talk sponsored by the Center for National Security Law Sept. 22.



How far does radiation spread from a nuclear bomb?

The initial radiation pulse from a 1 KT device could cause 50% mortality from radiation exposure, to individuals, without immediate medical intervention, within an approximate ½ mile (790 m) radius. This radius increases to approximately ¾ mile (1200m) for a 10 KT detonation.

What is the biggest nuclear bomb today?

With its retirement, the largest bomb currently in service in the U.S. nuclear arsenal is the B83, with a maximum yield of 1.2 megatons.
B53 nuclear bomb.

B53
Mass 8,850 lb (4,010 kg)
Length 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
Diameter 50 in (4.2 ft; 1.3 m)
Filling Fission: 100% oralloy Fusion: Lithium-6 deuteride

How big is the biggest nuke blast radius?

Most of these tests were conducted on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in Northwestern Russia. The bomb yielded 12,500 kilotons of explosive energy, enough to vaporize everything within a 2.1 mile (3.5km) radius.

How much longer would ww2 have lasted without the atomic bomb?

Without the bombs, the war would have likely dragged on for at least another year, perhaps longer. The Allies’ plan for Japan was called Operation Downfall and consisted of two parts, Operation Olympic and Operation Coronet.



Would Japan surrendered without the atomic bomb?

However, the overwhelming historical evidence from American and Japanese archives indicates that Japan would have surrendered that August, even if atomic bombs had not been used — and documents prove that President Truman and his closest advisors knew it.

Why did President Truman feel he had no choice but to drop the atomic bombs?

Truman stated that his decision to drop the bomb was purely military. A Normandy-type amphibious landing would have cost an estimated million casualties. Truman believed that the bombs saved Japanese lives as well. Prolonging the war was not an option for the President.

Was bombing Japan necessary?

Combined with the Soviet entry into the conflict, the atom bombs brought about Japan’s surrender within a few days. The bomb was necessary to accomplish Truman’s primary objectives of forcing a prompt Japanese surrender and saving American lives, perhaps thousands of them.

Why do many people still argue about the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan in 1945?

A lot of older Japanese citizens believe that we went through with the bombing as we had a new but untested weapon. We wanted definitive proof of how effective it would be. Another reason (that also feeds in to Japanese belief that we wanted to drop it and test it) is that we dropped two bombs, WHY?

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