Sixty years ago today, the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima.
■ Mystery 1: Why did Truman drop an atomic bomb in Japan?
This problem is the most difficult and complicated problem left by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There are many explanations for this problem in historical research, but they can be divided into traditional views and modern views on the whole.
Traditionally, Truman finally decided to drop an atomic bomb on Japan in order to end the Second World War as soon as possible and avoid casualties of American troops. This view is more traditional and has advantages in history education.
According to the modern point of view, Truman made such a decision for two purposes: first, in the early stage of atomic bomb research, the United States had decided to use atomic bombs against Japan and regarded it as a "huge experiment"; Second, the United States finally decided to use atomic bombs under the strong pressure of Congress, because the United States spent $2 billion to develop these two atomic bombs, and always wanted to make them useful.
■ Mystery 2: Is Japan's surrender really due to the atomic bomb explosion?
Whether Japan surrendered because of the bombing of the atomic bomb and whether the Second World War ended because of the explosion of the atomic bomb is another controversial issue left over from this incident. There has always been no doubt that the atomic bomb ended the war, but some recent statements have made this view somewhat untenable.
According to the investigation of some scholars, when Truman was still in office in 1950, his closest colleague Admiral Li Hao criticized: "I don't think the use of such cruel bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki made a special contribution to the war against Japan. The Japanese have been defeated before, and the effective blockade of the sea and the bombing of the Japanese with conventional weapons have made them ready to surrender. " British Prime Minister Winston Churchill agreed with this statement.
It is said that Truman and Li Hai did learn from the deciphered Japanese telegrams that since June 1945, some people in the Tokyo government were ready to surrender. As long as the United States retains the status of emperor, military invasion is not inevitable.
■ Mystery 3: Why Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
There are four reasons for the US government to choose the atomic bomb drop site. According to the requirements of the atomic bomb on the drop location, meteorological conditions and impact effect, the selected bombing target and location must meet three conditions: first, there are military facilities or important places in the arms industry; Second, it is easy to put in, and the flat land is the best; Third, it is easy to achieve deterrent effect after bombing. Another basis is that to achieve the goal of "big experiment", it is necessary to choose a city with a concentrated population and no ordinary bombing, so that scientists can observe the role of the atomic bomb and test its power. After repeated research by a special committee, the US government finally decided that Hiroshima, Kokura and Nagasaki were the targets for dropping atomic bombs.
The initial goal of the US Air Force was Kokura, an industrial city with a population of 400,000. However, it is reported that there is a concentration camp for American prisoners of war near the city, which makes the Air Force hesitate. Finally, they decided to change the first target to Hiroshima. Because there are no American prisoners of war in Hiroshima, it is also an important military base and the arms industry is developed. More importantly, it has not rained for more than 20 consecutive days, and the bombing effect is the best. Nagasaki was listed as a bombing target mainly because Nagasaki is also an important port and arms base. However, because it is located in a low-lying valley and its geographical position is not as good as the first two cities, Nagasaki is listed as a preparatory target when the first two targets cannot be bombed, that is, when one of the first two targets cannot be achieved, Nagasaki will be bombed. So because of the weather, the bombers abandoned the small warehouse and bombed Nagasaki.
■ Mystery 4: Is there a third atomic bomb?
In 2002, Paul Tibbets, the pilot who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, revealed a secret to a British newspaper. The US military originally planned to drop a third atomic bomb on Japan! He described: "In the two or three days after the first one was dropped, the United States did not hear anything from Japan. In the days after the second one was dropped, they remained silent. Then I got a call from General curtis lemay, then Chief of Staff of the Pacific Strategic Command of the Air Force. "Do you still have those things?" I agreed. He said,' bring it here, tell your people to get ready and throw it out in a few days!' Then, just as we were about to transport the atomic bomb to Tianning Island, the war was over. "
At the beginning of August 2005, Hiroshima was immersed in a faint sadness of missing. Inside and outside the gate of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, various temporary buildings have been built one after another, and the park site has also been cleaned, because the "Hiroshima Nuclear Explosion Memorial Day" will be ushered in on August 6. This year marks the 60th anniversary, and it is estimated that more than 50,000 people will flood into Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to attend the mourning ceremony. The United States does not participate in the sixtieth anniversary activities.