ATOMIC BOMB DOCUMENTS Doc X – Atomic Bomb Essay Notes Worksheet

Doc A – Kevin Lee’s Guide to Historical Figures

Doc B - Bill Dietrich Pros & Cons of Using the Atomic Bomb

Doc C – Was the Atomic Bomb Necessary?

Doc D – Issue 13: Was It Necessary to Drop the Atomic Bomb to End WWII?

Doc E - The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb by Henry Stimson

Doc F - US Strategic Bombing Survey, Summary Report

Doc G – Yamaoka Michiko, Eight Hundred Meters from the Hypocenter

Essay Grading Rubric

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ATOMIC BOMB WORKSHEET

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Initial Opinion: Was the dropping of the atomic bomb justifiable? Why or why not?

HISTORICAL FIGURES

ATOMIC BOMB ESSAY NOTES

FOR AGAINST

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

FOR AGAINST

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

REASONING

Assign #7

Basic Reasoning of

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Counter Arguments

Your Main Points Assign #7Your Favorite Points Associated People Why is it a good point?

1) 1)

2) 2)

3) 3)

What Counter Point can be made against your points?

Associated People How would you argue against it?

1) 1)

2) 2)

3) 3)

Final Opinion: Was the US use of the atomic bomb justifiable?

Initial Opinion: Was the dropping of the atomic bomb justifiable? Why or why not?

HISTORICAL FIGURES

ATOMIC BOMB ESSAY NOTES

FOR AGAINST

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

FOR AGAINST

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H )I) J)

REASONING

Assign #7

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WWII Essay Topic

Was the dropping of the atomic bomb justifiable?

Why or why not?

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FOR BOMBA)Truman

President after FDR diesB) General Groves

Head of Manhattan ProjectC) Oppenheimer

Father of Atomic BombD) Stimson

Secretary of WarE) Marshall *

U.S Army Chief of StaffF) Churchill

UK Prime MinisterG) General MacArthur *

Commander of US Pacific ForcesH) Byrnes

Sec of State & Advisor to TrumanI) Luis Alvarez Nobel Prize for Plutonium bomb,

Worked on Manhattan Project

K) Admiral E. KingNaval Commander, (blockade)

AGAINST BOMB A) Einstein

Wrote Letter to President; geniusB) Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander in EuropeC) Adm. Leahy Chief of Staff to Truman and FDRD) Szilard Physicist aided discovery of a-bombE) Teller

Created H-BombF) General MacArthur* Commander of US Pacific ForcesG) Hersey

Author- wrote about survivorsH) Rotblat Worked on Manhattan ProjectI) Marshall* Head of US Military under FDRJ) General Arnold

Aviation Tech (blockade)

Each One’s Basic Reasoning BackBack

AGAINST vs FOR

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JAPANESE SURRENDER & BOMB SURVIVORS

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Reasoninga) End the war b) Save lives of American soldiersc) No more deficit spending on costly war d) Use it before Russia enters ware) Japanese civilians were being armed to fight

until bitter end.f) Samurai Tradition- Willing to fight until the

endg) Complete devotion to divine emperorh) Revenge for Pearl Harbor & Bataan Death

Marchi) One big bomb is “cleaner”, faster and more

efficient than firebombing.j) Few critiqued firebombing. What is

difference between the bomb and firebombing?

k) Demonstrates US powerl) ) Too risky for demo (only 2 bombs)m) Convinced the world not to use it again

a) Civilian deathsb) Aftereffects (radiation, Hibakusha)c) Unethical / Immoral d) Unimaginable destructione) Alternatives Available

- Demonstration - Blockadef) Japanese were going to surrenderg) Politicians want to use it to intimidate

USSR, military does NOT want to use it.

h) Revenge on civilians is wrong. Dropping bomb puts US on moral low ground (same as Nazi atrocities)

i) Japan was ready to call it quitsj) Japan was NO threat to US by the endk) Nagasaki was definitely wrongl) Bomb used to justify $2 billion budget m) Political decision, not militaryn) Better to firebomb then be the 1st nation to

use the bomb

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Basic Reasoning of Historical FiguresMore Reasons For More Reasons Against

FOR BOMB AGAINST BOMB

USE IT NOW1) The war was literally costing millions of

dollars per day. 2) The invasion force would include over 5

million coalition troops; casualty estimates were 30-40%+

3) Projected Civilian deaths in invasion numbered in the millions

4) The Soviet Union was supposedly building a bomb also.

5) Too much economic and social pressure to prolong the war

6) Estimated Invasion ‘time’ was 2-4 years of active combat.

STOP ENOLA GAY1) Countless civilian deaths would occur. 2) Japan was ‘ready to surrender’ 3) Blockade would choke off the

resistance 4) Were discussing terms to a surrender

with USSR. 5) Aftereffects of the bomb: radiation,

mutations, emotional distress. 6) Ethical, moral concerns 7) Japan had no more resources to fight

the Allies

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Primary Source DocumentsThis is a TOC of 18 primary source documents. Each document will be completely available in class.

# Name Background For or Against Reasoning

1 Leo Szilard S Against Wrote a petition signed by 69 Scientist of the Manhattan Project asking Truman not to use the bomb

2 Henry Stimson P For Japanese always fight to the end & have a 5 million man army in Japan

3 Edward Teller S Against Regrets not signing and passing on petition; proposed a demonstration in sky

4 Combined Intelligence

Committee

M Against British & American military experts claim Japan was about to surrender

5 Albert Einstein S Against Pacifist once weapon is used, it will be used again

6 Oppenheimer S For Bomb is good because it will prevent wars in the future.

7 Luis Alvarez S For Ended the war quickly and lessened the risk of WWIII

8 Gen. Eisenhower M Against Did NOT want US to be 1st to use this ‘barbaric’ weapon

9 Gen. Groves M For True bomb was NOT needed to win war, but needed to save American lives

Criminal to have bomb and NOT use it to end war quickly

10 Admiral Leahy (Same as 15) M Against Morally wrong to use; Blockade was working and Japan was about to quit

11 Harry Truman M For Drop bomb = no regret; Many American soldiers would die during invasion

12 Sec of State Byrnes P For Concern about Russia and bomb use would make Russia more manageable

13 Gen. Marshall M Both 1st Invasion (63,000 casualties) then changed to Bomb (1 million casualties)

14 Gen. MacArthur M Both Invasion; was NOT consulted about bomb

15 Admiral Leahy M Against Japanese were already defeated; Other alternatives – air and sea blockades

16 Admiral King M Against Naval blockade. Invasion or A-bomb is misleading. Neither was needed

17 Gen. Arnold M Against Air Force Commander; No bomb needed. Japan was going to surrender

18 John Hersey W Book Hiroshima interviewed 6 A-bomb survivors

S = Scientist M = MilitaryP = Politicians W = Writer Back

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Essay Grading Rubric

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e

FOR BOMBA)Truman

PresidentB) General Groves

Head of Manhattan ProjectC) Oppenheimer

Father of Atomic BombD) Stimson

Secretary of WarE) Marshall

U.S Army Chief of StaffF) Churchill

UK Prime MinisterG) General MacArthur

Commander of US Forces in the Pacific

H) ByrnesAdvisor to Truman

I) Luis Alvarez Nobel Prize for Plutonium bomb,

Worked on Manhattan ProjectK) Admiral E. King

Naval Commander, (blockade)

AGAINST BOMB A) Einstein

Wrote Letter to President; geniusB) Eisenhower Supreme Allied CommanderC) Adm. Leahy Chief of Staff to Truman and FDRD) Szilard Physicist aided discovery of a-bombE) Teller

Discovered H-BombF) General MacArthur* Commander of US Forces…G) Hersey

Author- wrote about survivorsH) Rotblat Worked on Manhattan ProjectI) Marshall* Chief of Staff under FDRJ) General Arnold

Aviation Tech (blockade)

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Atomic Bomb Fact GatheringName and background Main Point Based on what info? Agree or disagree?

1)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

2)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

3)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

4)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

5)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

Atomic Bomb Fact GatheringName and background Main Point Based on what info? Agree or disagree?

6)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

7)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

8)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

9)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

10)_______________ AGAINST or FAVOR

Primary Source DocumentsThis is a TOC of 18 primary source documents. Each document will be completely available in class.

# Name Background For or Against Reasoning

1 Leo Szilard S Against Wrote a petition signed by 69 Scientist of the Manhattan Project asking Truman not to use the bomb

2 Henry Stimson P For Japanese always fight to the end & have a 5 million man army in Japan

3 Edward Teller S Against Regrets not signing and passing on petition; proposed a demonstration in sky

4 Combined Intelligence

Committee

M Against British & American military experts claim Japan was about to surrender

5 Albert Einstein S Against Pacifist once weapon is used, it will be used again

6 Oppenheimer S For Bomb is good because it will prevent wars in the future.

7 Luis Alvarez S For Ended the war quickly and lessened the risk of WWIII

8 Gen. Eisenhower M Against Did NOT want US to be 1st to use this ‘barbaric’ weapon

9 Gen. Groves M For True bomb was NOT needed to win war, but needed to save American lives

Criminal to have bomb and NOT use it to end war quickly

10 Admiral Leahy (Same as 15) M Against Morally wrong to use; Blockade was working and Japan was about to quit

11 Harry Truman M For Drop bomb = no regret; Many American soldiers would die during invasion

12 Sec of State Byrnes P For Concern about Russia and bomb use would make Russia more manageable

13 Gen. Marshall M Both 1st Invasion (63,000 casualties) then changed to Bomb (1 million casualties)

14 Gen. MacArthur M Both Invasion; was NOT consulted about bomb

15 Admiral Leahy M Against Japanese were already defeated; Other alternatives – air and sea blockades

16 Admiral King M Against Naval blockade. Invasion or A-bomb is misleading. Neither was needed

17 Gen. Arnold M Against Air Force Commander; No bomb needed. Japan was going to surrender

18 John Hersey W Book Hiroshima interviewed 6 A-bomb survivors

S = Scientist M = MilitaryP = Politicians W = Writer

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