L21 - Dropping the Atomic Bombs

Question 1

What was agreed upon in the first Yalta conference?

Answer 1

Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin discussed post - war europe and decided on; germany would be divided into four zones (british, french, russian, us) berlin would be split into four despite being in russian territory, all allies would join UN, nazi criminals would be tried

Question 2

What happened when the allies met again after germany had been defeated?

Answer 2

• Roosevelt had died > Truman had become president. Clement Alee replaced Churchill and neither could effectively negotiate with Stalin.
  -Truman was a strong anti-communist and it was clear Stalin wanted to establish communism

Question 3

Consequences of the War time conference

Answer 3

-Cooperation and lack of distrust between two superpowers ultimately led to the cold war
-The US wanted to minimise opportunity for USSR to gain any territory > quick defeat of Japan and they issued the Potsdam declaration calling for unconditional surrender

Question 4

What happened when Japan refused the declaration and wanted a peace treaty instead?

Answer 4

Bombing

Question 5

Why was it clear Japan weren’t going to surrender?

Answer 5

-300,000 Japanese civilians had already died of starvation and bombing
-560,000 Japanese awaiting invasion
-Island Hopping campaign showed that their determination

Question 6

How did the allies know they had to get unconditional surrender?

Answer 6

Was by conquering the homelands.

Question 7

What was Truman told to expect if he invaded Japan’s homelands?

Answer 7

Up to 1 million casualties

Question 8

Where was the first bomb dropped and why?

Answer 8

Hiroshima. To show the power of the US and forced Japan to surrender.

Question 9

What was the impact of the Hiroshima bombing?

Answer 9

• Destroyed 5 miles of the city
• 80,000 dead instantly
• 60,000 later from radiation and burns
  -67% of the city destroyed

Question 10

What was the date of the Hiroshima bombing?

Answer 10

6th August

Question 11

What was the date of the Nagasaki bombing?

Answer 11

9th August

Question 12

What were the impacts of the Nagasaki bombing?

Answer 12

40,000 dead immediately

Question 13

What also happened on the 9th of August?

Answer 13

The USSR invaded Manchukuo

Question 14

What happened on the 15th of August?

Answer 14

The emperor of Japan announced an unconditional surrender

Question 15

Short term consequences of the bombings

Answer 15

• Hiroshima - 42/45 hospitals destroyed and 90% nurses and doctors = casualties
• In total, 120,000 died
  -Burns and radiations showed
  -Unconditional surrender
  -Increase in tensions between US and USSR

Question 16

Long term consequences of bombings

Answer 16

Increase in number of cancer, miscarriages, deaths in infants and disability