Essay Sample about The Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Many people are unaware of the true power a single atomic bomb can hold. In 1945, near the end of World War ll, 2 atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Roughly 200,000 people were killed. The bombings on the two cities was a vital part of World War ll due to the causes of the bombings, what took place during the bombings, and the aftermath of these events.

Near the end of World War ll, the Axis powers had been defeated by the Allied powers. But, there was one country that still refused to surrender: Japan. Although it had been made clear from the very beginning of the war that Japan had little chance of coming out on top, they were still reluctant to give in, declaring that they would fight until the bitter end. This was the problem that greeted President Harry S. Truman when he took office. Japan had been causing countless problems for the United States, many American soldiers were being killed in unnecessary fights caused by the Japanese. These casualties combined with Japan’s refusal to surrender helped President Truman decide what to do. In 1945, president Truman decided what the best form of action would be- to authorize the use of atomic bombs.

On the morning of August 6, 1945, the bomber plane Enola Gay made its way to Japan, specifically to the city of Hiroshima.  It was carrying the atomic bomb nicknamed “Little Boy”. Despite its puny nickname, it weighed about 10,000 pounds. Eventually, the plane reached Japan. At 9:14 in the morning, the plane was hovering over the city, when about a minute later, the bomb was released and dropped. As soon as it touched the ground, it combusted with the force of over 15,000 tons of TNT. About 80,000 people were killed in an instant. But that’s not the end. Even with the sudden loss, Japan still refused to surrender. So, another atomic bomb was scheduled to drop, this time on the city of Nagasaki. On August 9, 1945, just 3 days after “Little Boy” was dropped, the bomber plane Bockscar made its way to Nagasaki. It was carrying the bomb “Fat Man”. At 11:02 that morning, Bockscar was passing over the city when it dropped the bomb. It was more powerful than “Little Boy”, producing a 22-kiloton blast. “Fat Man” killed about 40,000 people instantly. This was the final blow for Japan. At noon on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito declared Japan’s surrender on a radio broadcast. Japan had finally surrendered.

Even after the bombings, there was still more death and lives to be lost. Many days after the bombings, radioactive substances would still be everywhere. In the air, in the ground, you name it. Japanese citizens continued to lose their lives to the insane amount of radiation. Families who survived searched desperately through the ruins of their homes to locate their missing loved ones. Survivors suffered major and life-threatening burns. The cities were destroyed, along with the people that resided within them. Roughly 200,000 people lost their lives in total. It was truly a tragic loss for the Japanese.

To sum up all that has been said, there is no doubt that the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a significant part of World War ll. Although about 200,000 lives were lost, the bombings were still vital and are what ended a war. The bombings of 1945 were a vital part of the second world war, and will forever go down in history.