Causes and Effects of Bombing Hiroshima

Hiroshima
In response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated, “December 7, 1941-A date which will live in infamy”. On December 7,1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor at 7:55 in the morning(A Day of Infamy). The United States was, “suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” More than 2,400 people died by the “unprovoked” attack made by the Japanese and more than 150 aircrafts were destroyed(Clancey). This attack, which was so shocking to the United States and its people as this attack was the major cause of why the United States entered World War ll, and declared war on Japan. The entry of the United States in World War ll, led to the dropping of the atomic bomb on both Hiroshima, August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki, August 9, 1945. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was caused by the United States entry into World War ll, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor, and as a result of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima, Japan surrendered, 100,000 Japanese people died, and the physical devastation of the bomb would continue to haunt Japan for decades to come. The bombing of Hiroshima was caused by several causes that varied in importance, the two predominant causes were the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, and the need and desire to end the war quickly by the United States. Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base on Hawaii, was bombed by the Japanese on December 7th, 1941. This attack was made because the Japanese wanted to capture the Dutch East Indies so they could get oil needed for their war with Japan. Japan needed to first attack Pearl Harbor in an attempt to hinder the U.S. in preventing Japan’s capture of the Dutch East Indies. If Pearl Harbor was bombed, the U.S. naval force would be weak for several months, allowing Japan to capture the Dutch East Indies without United States intervention. This plan backfired as the United States declared war on Japan, instead of not being apart of any conflict with Japan. Now with the United States involved in World War II with Japan, the more direct cause for the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima was present. The United States wanted to end the war between Japan quickly, and save American and allied troops live’s. The atomic bomb served both of these needs, the bomb would force Japan to surrender as they would suffer extreme destruction and four million American/allied troop’s lives would be saved because no conflict would occur other than the dropping of the bomb.
The dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945 resulted short-term and everlasting effects. One of the several effects was the initial destruction of almost the entire city of Hiroshima. A miniscule amount of buildings withstood the blast of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Only the buildings on the outskirts of the city and the well built buildings withstood the blast, which resulted in the complete devastation of the city. People that survived the initial blast of the bomb may not have been able to receive any medical treatment because hospitals were destroyed. People were forced to live unprotected without shelter and without medical treatment. It would take several years for the Japanese people to rebuild the city of Hiroshima, and it would never be the same. Not only did people die within the first days after the dropping of the bomb, but people that were not even harmed by the initial blast in any way, not a scratch on their body, could have suffered from radiation sickness. Radiation sickness had severe symptoms, such as a low white blood cell count and nausea and vomiting. These are only two of the several symptoms radiation sickness had. Most of these symptoms would have been easy to treat with medicine and hospital care, but this was not possible in Hiroshima as the hospitals were either completely destroyed or so full of patients that extensive and needed medical treatment could not be given. Radiation sickness would continue to be present in Hiroshima for several months, if not years to come.
The bombing of Hiroshima was caused by the conflicts between the United States and Japan, as the result of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The effects of the bomb was destruction of the city Hiroshima, and the death of about 100,000 Japanese people. The idea of the bombing on Hiroshima is a controversial subject and is debated today. The event is in the past, but it is still talked about today on whether there was another way to end the war with Japan and not kill so many innocent civilians.

Works Cited
"A Day of Infamy." Nationalww2mueseum. Nationalww2mueseum, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. .
Clancey, Patrick. "The Effects of the Atomic Bombings." HyperWar: USSBS: The Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Chapter 2]. HyperWar Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.

Cited: "A Day of Infamy." Nationalww2mueseum. Nationalww2mueseum, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. . Clancey, Patrick. "The Effects of the Atomic Bombings." HyperWar: USSBS: The Effects of Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki [Chapter 2]. HyperWar Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.