Learn Our History Today: On August 6, 1945, during World War II, a B-29 bomber named the Enola Gay dropped the first Atomic Bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. By the summer of 1945, it became clear to the Allies that they would win World War II in the Pacific. But it also became clear that the Japanese would not go down without a fight. In order to win a final victory, the Allies would have to invade the Japanese home islands, where 2.5 million regular Japanese troops would be waiting. Forecasts were showing that at least 300,000 Americans soldiers would die in the invasion. These factors led President Harry Truman to use the newly developed Atomic bomb, as opposed to an invasion. On August 6, the B-29 known as the Enola Gay dropped an Atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 140,000 Japanese people were killed instantly as an intense fireball enveloped and destroyed five square miles. Even in lieu of the horrendous death toll, the Japanese still refused to surrender. It would take another atomic bomb three days later to convince the Japanese to consider surrender.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 16:01:07 +0000
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