THE ATOMIC BOMB : WAS IT JUSTIFIED?: 3D Gallery

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Before You Begin...

Read the Introduction on the Desk!

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Click the footprints to move through the museum

- Click the small box on the bottom left of each artifact to read the description.

-Enjoy!

The Hiroshima Bomb

This original photograph taken during the war, shows the mushroom-shaped cloud that formed over the city of Hiroshima. The cloud rose over 60,000 ft. in 10 minutes. The blazing heat, destructive force, and blinding light of the blast devastated everything within a 1 mile radius. A firestorm quickly followed and burned down everything and everyone within miles of the center of the blast. This shows just how much damage the bomb caused.

Einstein's Reflection

In this diary entry written by Linus Pauling, a scientist and close friend of Albert Einstein , Pauling jots down what Einstein said to him earlier that morning of November 16, 1954. Einstein said, “Oxenstierna said to his son ‘You would be astonished to know with how little wisdom the world is governed...I made one great mistake in my life – when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made; but there was some justification – the danger that the Germans would make them.” Einstein signed a recommendation letter to use the atom bomb, which he later regrets after seeing the horrible ramifications. However, he felt that if the US hadn’t used the bomb, the Germans or another country might have used it on the US first. His decision is still often questioned as a controversial mistake until today.

Story of A Survivor

A look at a survivor of the Nagasaki bomb, and what he faced as a teenager as well as today with his numerous health problems. Sumiteru Taniguchi was only 16 years old when the bomb fell on Nagasaki. He suffered severe damage to his skin, and 70 years later, those marks still remain. Researchers proved that the radiation effects from the bomb are linked with illnesses of blood vessels. In addition, the traumatizing event also caused psychological difficulties for survivors such as the constant fear of being diagnosed with Leukemia or Cancer. Unfortunately, the bodies of many other people who were close to ground zero in the two cities were shattered by blast or burned beyond recognition in the firestorms.

Image of Melted Bottles

These bottles were melted and disconfigured as a result of the intense heat from the bomb, estimated at 5500 to 7000 degrees fahrenheit. It was capable of melting bottles like these that were up to 900 ft. away. The bomb was designed to explode in the air, 2000 feet above the ground, in order to maximize the destructive effect. To many, the deliberate killing of civilians on this scale violated the principles of a just war, as the bomb released an evil destruction in the war like no other.

The Secrecy Behind The Bomb

Oak Ridge,Tennessee : the birthplace of the atomic bomb. During the time of World War II in the U.S, this top-secret town recruited women and men from all across the country to work on an unknown mission. Very few of the Oak Ridgers actually knew what they were making, and that’s how the government wanted it. The Atomic Bomb was a secret because the United States didn’t want the news to spread to Germany and other nations, for them to build something similar. Immediate use of the bomb would convince the world of its horror and hopefully prevent future use. In addition, the unprovoked Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the murder of American prisoners also justified revenge for supporters of the bomb.

Truman's Letter

Truman expresses his reaction to the bomb, writing, “the main objective was to stop the war”, and that Japan failed to respond to the warning the United States gave them prior to dropping the bomb. He also said to continue the war for weeks or months with conventional bombing could have caused millions of more Japanese and U.S deaths. In addition, the bomb's use impressed the Soviet Union and halted the war quickly enough that the USSR did not demand joint occupation of Japan. A few days after the bombing, Truman said, “When you have to deal with a beast you have to treat him as a beast.” Some people believe Truman had racist tendencies through many of his actions and words.

Interactive Activity

What Would You Have Done?

A. Try to make Peace: Japan said it would accept surrender if the Emperor remained in power.

B. Continue the War: By August 1945, the U.S would have been firebombing Japan for over a year, with overwhelming air superiority, and would be ready to invade by land within a few months.

C. Drop the Bomb: The U.S dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and had plans to drop seven more in the next two months if Japan didn't surrender.

D. Have a Nuclear Demonstration: The U.S considered demonstrating a nuclear bomb by detonating it on uninhabited land, rather than dropping it on a populated city.

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THE ATOMIC BOMB : WAS IT JUSTIFIED?

CLICK HERE

The Hiroshima Bomb

Einstein's Reflection

Story of A Survivor

Image of Melted Bottles

The Secrecy Behind The Bomb

Truman's Letter

Interactive Activity

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