Why did Truman say Hiroshima was a military base?

Why did Truman say Hiroshima was a military base?

9, 1945, that “the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base … because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians.” Truman argued, in other words, that Hiroshima was a military target.

Why were Hiroshima and Nagasaki chosen as targets for the atomic bomb?

Hiroshima was chosen because it had not been targeted during the US Air Force’s conventional bombing raids on Japan, and was therefore regarded as being a suitable place to test the effects of an atomic bomb. Among those in the plane that dropped the bomb on Nagasaki was the British pilot Leonard Cheshire.

Were Nagasaki and Hiroshima military bases?

Hiroshima was home to the Japanese Second Army HQ, but it was primarily a big city with a huge civilian population. About 10,000 of the total 200,000 deaths in Hiroshima were military personnel. Nagasaki had no military units and, of the total 140,000 deaths there, only about 150 were military.

Why was Hiroshima an important military city?

Hiroshima was a city of considerable military importance. It contained the 2nd Army Headquarters, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan. The city was a communications center, a storage point, and an assembly area for troops. The city as a whole was highly susceptible to fire damage.

Was Hiroshima a valid military target?

Also, Hiroshima was a real military target. There were factories and other facilities there. The Army estimated the bomb killed 70,000 to 80,000 people. But Norris adds that thousands of bombs are still on alert, and the military still has war plans to use them.

Was Hiroshima and Nagasaki a military base?

While both cities had military facilities, they were mainly civilian and industrial centres. The point of bombing both cities wasn’t to defeat Japan militarily, as that had largely already been done, but to force the Japanese government to surrender.

Was Nagasaki a military base in ww2?

Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎, “Long Cape”) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Part of Nagasaki was home to a major Imperial Japanese Navy base during the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War.

Was Truman’s decision to bomb Hiroshima justified?

Although in later decades there was considerable debate about whether the bombings were ethically justified, virtually all of America’s political and military leadership, as well as most of those involved in the atomic bomb project, believed at the time that Truman’s decision was correct.

How did the Allies decide to use the atomic bomb on Japan?

The Allies in late July 1945 declared at Potsdam that the Japanese must unconditionally surrender. After Japanese leaders flatly rejected the Potsdam Declaration, President Truman authorized use of the atomic bomb anytime after August 3, 1945.

What were President Truman’s options for the invasion of Japan?

President Truman had four options: 1) continue conventional bombing of Japanese cities; 2) invade Japan; 3) demonstrate the bomb on an unpopulated island; or, 4) drop the bomb on an inhabited Japanese city.

What was the result of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

At 8:15 am Hiroshima time, “Little Boy” was dropped. The result was approximately 80,000 deaths in just the first few minutes. Thousands died later from radiation sickness.