The Battle of Okinawa and the The Battle of Okinawa and the dropping of the atomic bombsdropping of the atomic bombs

Objectives:Objectives:

To examine President Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan

To examine the impact that the atomic bomb had on Hiroshima and the Japanese people.

For the Bomb Against the bomb

Alternatives

The Battle of OkinawaThe Battle of Okinawa

Tetsu no bōfūTetsu no bōfū

The battle has been referred to as the “violent wind of steel” in Japanese.

The nickname refers to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of gunfire involved, and sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island.

Island HoppingIsland Hopping

The U.S. and Allies were hopping from Island to Island making their way towards the Japanese Homeland

Okinawa was supposed to be a springboard to an invasion of Japan

The 82 day battle lasted from late March through June 1945.

U.S.S Bunker Hill hit by 2 U.S.S Bunker Hill hit by 2 Kamikaze pilotsKamikaze pilots

Yamato Battleship destroyed by Yamato Battleship destroyed by U.S. AircraftU.S. Aircraft

U.S. Soldiers walking through U.S. Soldiers walking through Japanese bunkerJapanese bunker

Battlefields torched and bulldozed Battlefields torched and bulldozed

CasualtiesCasualties

United States Japan

12,513 killed in action38,916 wounded33,096 non-combat

losses

94,136 to 131,303 killed

7,400 to 10,755 captured

Estimated 42,000–150,000 civilians killed

President Truman’s decisionPresident Truman’s decision

To end the war in the Pacific should President Truman Drop the Atomic bomb or invade Japan?

Little Boy and the Enola GayLittle Boy and the Enola Gay

The atomic The atomic bomb “Little bomb “Little Boy” was Boy” was dropped on dropped on Hiroshima on Hiroshima on Monday Monday August 6August 6thth 1945.1945.

The remains of HiroshimaThe remains of Hiroshima

The extreme heat from the bombThe extreme heat from the bomb

CasualtiesCasualties

70,000 killed immediately after the blast

140,000 in the next few weeks due to burns, infections, and radiation

The DebateThe Debate

For the bomb Against the bomb

An invasion would be to costly

More people would be killed in an invasion than the dropping of the atomic bombs

Japan would fight to the end

An atomic bomb is to horrific of a weapon

Could of given a warning (demonstration)

Japan might of surrendered anyway

AssignmentAssignment

Write a one paragraph argumentative essay on the question below. Be sure to include a topic sentence, thesis, support and concluding statement.

If you were the President of the United States at the end of WWII would you have used the atomic bomb on Japan to end the war?Give at least 2 reasons from your notes to support your answer.