Hiroshima, Hibakusha, the Cold War, Imminent Nuclear Annhiliation, and Cactus Jack

Every year, I like to take a little time to commemorate the nuclear assaults on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  While popularly seen as necessary to end a brutal war in the Pacific, the consensus of informed opinion is that the approaching conflict with the Soviet Union played the key role in the decision to bomb Japan.

Here's episode 24 of ITV's classic "World at War" documentary series on WWII, aptly entitled "The Bomb", which provides the best political context I've seen about the lead up to the use of the bomb.



This documentary tells the story of two hibakusha (survivors) taking their story to the UN in New York in 1982.



Some quotes on the bombings

Joseph Rotblat: the only scientist to drop out of the Manhattan Project on the grounds of conscience. Note: "(he) was shocked in March 1944, at a private dinner at the Chadwick's, to hear Leslie Groves say "Of course, the real purpose in making the bomb was to subdue the Soviets".

An article on how Hollywood portrayed the bombings. (this one's worth it for the trailer alone).

Thoughts on the 65th Anniversary of Hiroshima from the Huffington Post.

The Dead

The Dying

The Aftermath

... and, after all of that, let's see what Cactus Jack had to say about it all... just because I'm weird.