A Brief History
On August 6, 1945, US Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress bomber, Enola Gay, dropped the first atomic bomb ever to be used against a real target.
Digging Deeper
The major Japanese city of Hiroshima had been left largely undamaged by bombing for the specific reason of preserving the city for just such an attack, to better demonstrate the terrible power of the atomic bomb (or nuclear bomb as it is called today), and also to better analyze what damage such a bomb does to a real life city.
Only 3 days later the Japanese city of Nagasaki became the second hapless target of an atomic bomb, killing another 39,000 to 80,000 Japanese people. Since Nagasaki, no other city or other combat target has been subjected to nuclear attack, in spite of a world where something in excess of 20,000 nuclear warheads have existed for decades.
Shortly after the United States developed nuclear weapons, the UK, the USSR, China, and France also became nuclear powers, and in more recent years India and Pakistan, deadly rivals as hostile neighbors, have also armed themselves with nukes. Israel is long believed to be a nuclear power, though they refuse to confirm or deny the information, and North Korea is now believed to have at least rudimentary nuclear weapons. Iran, a rogue state theocracy with the stated intention of wiping Israel off the map is suspected of working on the development of nuclear weapons, and as a sponsor of terrorist groups, the idea of a nuclear armed Iran terrifies much of the world.
The Cold War may be over, but nuclear tension is not. With so many warheads in so many countries, and questionable accountability of the old Soviet stockpile the possibility of someone willing to use a nuclear weapon getting their hands on one is rising, despite our best efforts at nuclear non-proliferation. The science of creating a nuclear weapon is no longer a secret held by a few, and with nuclear power plants all over the globe the base materials and technicians are ever so more available.
So, the question is, who will be the next to use a nuclear weapon in anger and against whom? Will it be India or Pakistan against the other? An Islamic terrorist group against Israel or a Western country seen as an Israeli ally? China vs. Taiwan? North Korea vs. Anybody? Israel with a pre-emptive strike against an Muslim country or group they fear will attack them or develop their own nuclear weapon? Will China and Russia ever face off in a nuclear exchange? Will the US ever feel threatened enough to nuke another country?
Question for students (and subscribers): The next question would be, when? Is this possibility something that could take place in the next few months or years, or are we a long way from such a scenario? Will diplomats have the morals and skill to avoid a nuclear attack? Feel free to give us your thoughts on this subject, and if you are so inclined, on whether or not the US should or should not have nuked the Japanese cities in 1945 in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Morgan-Witts, Max and Gordon Thomas. Enola Gay: Mission to Hiroshima. Open Road Media, 2014.
Morgan Witts, Max and Gordon Thomas. Enola Gay: The Bombing of Hiroshima. Konecky & Konecky, 2006.
Rich, David Lowell, dir. Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb. Interglobal Home Video. VHS Tape.
The featured image in this article, a photograph of Hiroshima in the aftermath of the bombing, is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="13116 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=13116">26 Comments
Honestly, it is scary to think that such a destructive power exists in the world and is available to so many. Despite the attempts at nuclear non-proliferation, I think that the threat of nuclear war is still very real to us today.
It is more than scary, it is terrifying. And to see what this weapon was able to do in 1945, think about all the advances in technology since then. Nuclear war in 2016 would be the end of our planet.
This is one of the bombings that you hear most about because it was so brutal. The after effects of it were just as brutal as well.
I think there will always be nuclear tension in the world. The fact that the first bomb killed so many and that we still then dropped another one seems like overkill. 146,000 civilians died. People who might not have had anything to do with the war.
I think that the threat will always hang over us, but I do not think that anyone will ever use their nukes. North Korea can be wiped off the map the second that Kim tries anything, so I doubt he will ever use weapons even if he makes them. He will just keep up the talk. Iran on its own would suffer the same fate. An issue would arise if these nuclear rogue states join forces…
Nuclear warfare is extremely terrifying. The advanced technology of bombings in today’s society could probably destruct an entire country or even the planet.
The fears of a nuclear attack have existed ever since they became a reality during WWII. It is a tough question thinking who will actually utilize the next one. Hopefully no one. But there are a lot of dangerous countries who are likely to use them once obtained, like Iran (who I think is the most likely country), or countries that are already unstable who possess them. It is a scary thought and I hope we never come to it.
The start to a cold war. A new arms race. But the start of a many years to never see an atom bomb used for such destruction.
its terrifying that so many nuclear weapons are located around the world. I can’t imagine any country ever risking setting one off on another since immediate retaliation would occur. If another nuclear bomb was set off, I believe there would be a chain reaction that would end in total world devastation. I cant see any other outcome to a nuclear war.
The amount of countries that now have nuclear weapons is terrifying. After seeing the effects in Japan, I do not think any country is in a hurry to use a nuclear bomb. I am not sure who will use the next one, but I pray they do not use it on the United States. I think there will always be nuclear tension in the world.
The Cold War must have been a stressful time for both the United States and the Soviet Union. With so many nuclear weapons available, it is surprising that only two nuclear weapons have been used in the history of the world.
I hate the thought of nuclear powers. It is scary to think how many countries have the power to destroy the whole world. I wish the USA would have never used nuclear weapons against Japan.
The use of atomic bombs were almost a necessity to end WW2. Dropping 2 bombs on Japan forced them to surrender while killing thousands in the process. I hope another bomb does not need to be dropped again. If so happens their is another bomb it would have to be in a WWlll. Hope the world never gets to that point again.
The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was devastating. Although it was in a time of war, the Japanese were absolutely helpless in the attack, and it is hopefully something the world never sees again.
Never know we could end up seeing a nuclear war someday, which is scary to think about. During this time though it was almost like the attack on the Japanese was ruthless and the US using these nuclear weapons was a little far.
I still cannot believe the atrocities that we committed with such a weapon. I still wonder what is worth that many innocent civilian lives? Numbers like that completely change the course of history.
It is frightening that so many countries have the ability to make nuclear weapons. I do not think that these weapons should have ever been used. Maybe instead of putting so much effort towards making nuclear weapons, countries should but that same effort in learning how to talk to one another to solve our issues. It might be just human nature but I am not sure why it seems as though humans always revert to mass destruction and killing each other.
Although it seems US went to far on Japan, I think it paved the path for our domination today.
The magnitude of detonation that these atomic bombs carry blows my mind. I am nervous about the tension in the middle east and hoping that none of the leaders succumb to atomic bombs. This world has seen enough mindless bloodshed.
I think USA went too far.
Its so scary to think how much nuclear power is in the world today, especially in the hands of the US. We definitely showed our domination by the use of the atomic bombs.
Like it said in the article before, the blast of this bomb could be felt nearly 100 miles away, just imagine the forced and power behind that bomb. “Killing as many as 70,000 people instantly” goes to show you how strong the blast really was. It not only effected those during that time period, but also caused another 30,000 to die from the effects.
If an unstable country develops a nuclear warhead (such as North Korea or Iran) then I’ll be scared. Otherwise, I’m confident there won’t be any nuclear wars.
I am a believer in the end of the world occurring because of nuclear warfare. I obviously hope that never happens, but with so many countries having nuclear abilities you have to be nervous for it.
70,000 people dying instantly while another 30,000 deaths slowly after. It is a shame so many people lost their lives due to bombings.
It is incredible to see how many countries now obtain nuclear weapons. I am unsure if there will ever be a nuclear war in the near future, but it is definitely very possible. The attack on Japan by the US may have been taken a little too far.