Dropping of the Atomic DBQ



Dropping of the Atomic DBQ - Answer the Questions on your handout in Sentence Form (a few are just list an answer) Answer Documents 1-2-7 / 3-4-9 / 5-6-8 or divide in half

After you and your partners have answered the questions and each of you has completed the handout you are in charge of creating a Persuasive:

• news report video (2 minutes), presentation of 5 slides, or a 1 page article that summarizes why the Atomic Bombs should/should not have been used

• write a 1 page letter to President Truman urging him to use/not use the Atomic Bomb

• collage of the victims and cities with 5+ images and 10 facts explaining why the bombs should not have been used or

• collage of 5+ images and 10+ facts that illustrate and explain why US military and Asian peoples benefited from the use of the Atomic Bomb

DOCUMENT #1: Rape of Nanking In 1936 and 1937 the Japanese army entered the city of Nanking, what happened there over six weeks is known as The Rape of Nanking.

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1. How might the photograph influence the American president into believing that the atomic attacks on Japanese civilians were justified?

DOCUMENT #2: League of Nations International Law

Protection of Civilian Populations Against Bombing From the Air in Case of War, League of Nations, September 30, 1938

PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN POPULATIONS AGAINST BOMBING FROM THE AIR IN CASE OF WAR

Unanimous resolution of the League of Nations Assembly,

September 30, 1938.

The Assembly,

Considering that on numerous occasions public opinion has expressed through the most authoritative channels its horror of the bombing of civilian populations;

Considering that this practice, for which there is no military necessity and which, as experience shows, only causes needless suffering, is condemned under the recognised principles of international law;…

I. Recognizes the following principles as a necessary basis for any subsequent regulations:

1) The intentional bombing of civilian populations is illegal;

2) Objectives aimed at from the air must be legitimate military objectives and must be identifiable;

3) Any attack on legitimate military objectives must be carried out in such a way that civilian populations in the neighborhood are not bombed through negligence;

2. What is the date of this document?

3. What international organization passed this law?

4. Identify one way the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were illegal according to this law.

DOCUMENT #3: Japanese Kamikaze Pilots

As the war progressed and it became obvious that American technology was superior to Japan’s, the Japanese began utilizing kamikaze pilots to attack Allied ships in the Pacific to balance the power. The Japanese pilots became “guided” missiles taking out American ships.

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5. How might the Japanese use of Kamikaze pilots influence Harry Truman to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

DOCUMENT #4: Letter of Scientists opposed to nuclear weapon in war

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EXCERPTS OF THE LETTER:

To the President of the United States:

We, the undersigned scientific personnel…believe that the worldwide political and social consequences of the power of the weapon being developed…(require the United States to have that power to be) made known by a demonstration to the peoples of the world…Therefore we recommend that before this weapon be used without restriction…its powers should be…demonstrated, and the Japanese nation should be given the opportunity to consider the consequences of further refusal to surrender.

6. According to this letter, why are these scientists opposed to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japanese cities?

DOCUMENT #5: Projected Casualties for the Invasion of Japan

The following are the estimates of casualties, made by US military personnel, in the invasion of Japan. Approximately 500,000 Purple Heart medals (awarded to those wounded or killed while serving with the US military) were manufactured in anticipation of the invasion. However, nobody knows for sure how many Allied or Japanese casualties an invasion would have resulted in. There have been many estimates over the years (some of the estimates below do not include losses at sea).

|Estimate |US/Allied Casualties |Japanese Casualties |

|Joint Chiefs of Staff |Olympic Wounded: 347,000 |N/A |

|(April 1945) |Olympic Dead/Missing: 109,000 | |

| |Coronet Wounded: 744,000 | |

| |Coronet Dead/Missing: 158,000 | |

| |TOTAL: 1,200,000 | |

|Admiral Nimitz's Staff |First 30 Days: 49,000 |N/A |

|(May 1945) | | |

|General MacArthur's Staff |First 120 Days: 125,000 |N/A |

|(June 1945) | | |

|General MacArthur's Staff |First 120 Days: 105,000 |N/A |

|(Revised Estimate) | | |

|General Marshall |70,000 |? |

|Admiral Leahy |268,000 |? |

|Admiral King |31,000 to 41,000 |? |

|William Shockley |Wounded: 1,300,000 to 3,200,000 |Dead: 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 |

| |Dead: 400,000 to 800,000 | |

| |Total: 1,700,000 to 4,000,000 | |

|Kyle Palmer |Dead: 500,000 to 1,000,000 |? |

|Harry S. Truman |Dead: 500,000 to 1,000,000 |? |

7. How many casualties did Harry S Truman believe would occur in an invasion of Japan?

8. How would this influence his decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japanese cities?

DOCUMENT #6: Effects of Atomic Attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The following are visuals and a graph of the after-effects of the attacks.

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|TABLE A: Estimates of Casualties |

| |Hiroshima |Nagasaki |

|Pre-raid population |255,000 |195,000 |

|Dead |66,000 |39,000 |

|Injured |69,000 |25,000 |

|Total Casualties |135,000 |64,000 |

9. What was the Pre-raid Population of Hiroshima?

10. What was the Total Casualties number of Hiroshima?

Document #7 Interview of Historian Richard Franks on Asian Civilian Casualties in 1945

“The now well known horrors of Nazi Germany have obscured for many Americans born since 1945 just how terrible the war Japan launched had been and the cost of every additional day. That war killed at least 17 million people. The vast majority of them were Asian noncombatant victims of Japan. The number of dead Chinese is not known precisely. At least ten million seems to be the floor with estimates ranging up as high as 22 million. Every day the war continued, thousands of Asian noncombatants were dying. Estimates run that these deaths alone total between 250,000 to 400,000 per month. I submit that any time someone suggests that there was no need to rush the bombs, or that additional days of effort on futile diplomacy would have been created a better record for history, you need to think of all the additional deaths such delay produces.”



11. Why does Richard Franks believe that the horrific deaths of Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki could be justified?

Document #8: Timeline for the Decision to Use the Atomic Bombs on Japan

July 26, 1945 The Potsdam Declaration includes the following terms for Japan to end the war:

• that "the Japanese military forces, after being completely disarmed, shall be permitted to return to their homes with the opportunity to lead peaceful and productive lives."

• that "we do not intend that the Japanese shall be enslaved as a race or destroyed as a nation, but stern justice shall be meted out to all war criminals, including those who have visited cruelties upon our prisoners."

• "The occupying forces of the Allies shall be withdrawn from Japan as soon as these objectives have been accomplished and there has been established, in accordance with the freely expressed will of the Japanese people, a peacefully inclined and responsible government."

• "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction."

12. Why would the Japanese believe that they could keep their Emperor after the US Army occupied Japan based on the Potsdam Declaration?

13. Why would the Japanese believe that they could not keep their Emperor based on the Potsdam Declaration?

Document #9 Japanese Discussions of Surrender in the War Council and with the USSR

June 22, 1945 The Emperor states that he would like a mediation (negotiations) for an end of the war

July 22, 1945 The Japanese War Council rejects the idea of unconditional surrender but keeping the Emperor

July 25, 1945 The US approves the use of atomic bombs

July 26, 1945 The Potsdam Declaration warns the Japanese they face “prompt and utter destruction”

August 6, 1945 The US drops the 1st Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and President Truman states the Japanese will

face “a rain of ruin such as the world has never seen” if the war continues

August 8, 1945 The USSR declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria (Japan had wanted the USSR to help

negotiate a peace with the US)

August 9, 1945 The War Council insists that there be no US occupation of Japan, no war trials, and the

Japanese will disarm themselves

August 9, 1945 The second Atomic Bomb is dropped on Nagasaki

August 15, 1945 The Emperor broadcasts the surrender of Japan

September 2, 1945 The Japanese formally surrender and the US begins the peaceful military occupation of

Japan

14. List one piece of evidence that supports the need for using the Atomic Bombs to force Japan to surrender.

15. List one piece of evidence that supports the idea that the US should have not used the Atomic Bombs or

given Japan more time after the 1st one.

#61 The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb Against Japan DBQ

Name_______________________________________________________

Answer in Sentence Form unless it’s a fill in the blank

You and your partner(s) should answer the questions (do 3 each if a group of three).

Share your answers and discuss whether or not you believe that the use of the Atomic Bombs was justified.

Once you have shared your info and completed the handout you will create one of the following persuasive options

:

• news report video (2 minutes), presentation of 5 slides, or a 1 page article that summarizes why the Atomic Bombs should/should not have been used

• write a 1 page letter to President Truman urging him to use/not use the Atomic Bomb

• collage of the victims and cities with 5+ images and 10 facts explaining why the bombs should not have been used or

• collage of 5+ images and 10+ facts that illustrate and explain why US military and Asian peoples benefited from the use of the Atomic Bomb

DUE FRIDAY 5/26 with class time on 5/23-24

1. How might the photograph influence the American President that the Atomic Bomb attacks on Japanese civilians were justified? USE A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER IF MORE SPACE IS NEEDED

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the date of this document?

3. What international organization passed this law? __________

4. Identify one way the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were illegal according to this law.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

5. How might the Japanese use of Kamikaze pilots influence Harry Truman to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

6. According to this letter, why are these scientists opposed to dropping the atomic bomb on Japanese cities?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

7. How many casualties did Harry S Truman believe would occur in an invasion of Japan? _____________

8. How would this influence his decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japanese cities?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

9. What was the Pre-raid Population of Hiroshima?

10. What was the Total Casualties number of Hiroshima?

11. Why does Richard Franks believe that the horrific deaths of Japanese civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki could be justified?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

12. Why would the Japanese believe that they could keep their Emperor after the US Army occupied Japan based on the Potsdam Declaration?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

13. Why would the Japanese believe that they could not keep their Emperor based on the Potsdam Declaration?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

14. List one piece of evidence that supports the need for using the Atomic Bombs to force Japan to surrender.

____________________________________________________________________________________

15. List one piece of evidence that supports the idea that the US should have not used the Atomic Bombs or given Japan more time after the 1st one. ____________________________________________________

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