Minds On – Options? We all know how the US ended the war with Japan. If you were the US President and his staff, what other options might have been on the table?

Intro Task: You Decide As a class we will read the 4 options that the US had to end the war. On your own answer the questions on the back. Think/Share with your partner. Discuss as a class.

ACCEPT A CONDITIONAL SURRENDER FROM JAPAN You have been asking for an unconditional surrender, but it is obvious to you now that the Japanese will not surrender if you harm the emperor. If you tell them that they can keep the emperor they might give up. Up until now, your goal has always been the TOTAL defeat of Japan. Are you willing to change your plan?? Will you look weak? Do you consider option #1 an “un- American” option? Use a specific detail from the selection to support your answer.

FULL INVASION OF JAPAN’S MAIN ISLAND You’ve always known that this would be inevitable. Your experiences at Normandy and the invasions of islands in the Pacific, such as Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, have shown you that you can accomplish this successfully but at a very great cost. The thousands of thousands of men you have lost to other similar invasions have caused you to look for other options. If you were re- writing option #2, what is a good word to replace “inevitable?” Do you believe invading Japan is inevitable, and why or why not would you support that option?

WAIT FOR THE SOVIETS This would allow you to hit Japan from two directions. At Potsdam, Stalin guaranteed to you that the Russian Red Army would be ready to strike in September 1945. You still don’t completely trust Stalin. The history with the Russians is that they have made territorial demands in Europe and they will probably make them in the Pacific if they come to help out. Are you willing to accept a Communist presence in the Pacific as well as Europe? State the main idea of option #3 and provide a specific detail that supports it.

DROP THE ATOMIC BOMB While at Potsdam, you are told that scientists have successfully developed and tested a single bomb that can destroy an entire city. You are being encouraged to use this weapon to avoid all of the above options, mainly to avoid more loss of American lives. It has only been tested once, and the full effects of the bomb are relatively unknown. If you use this bomb, where would you use it If you were the US President, would you use the atomic bomb as discussed in option #4? Provide reasons to support your answer.

Dropping the bomb and vj day The BBC Video: Era of the SWW – Making The Peace, has a series of clips that will help to supports this presentation. You can also download my source booklet from www.schoolhistory.co.uk : The Use of the Atomic Bomb.

Dropping the Atomic Bombs On August 6th 1945 the Americans dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima August 9th they dropped another bomb on Nagasaki The Japanese are then compelled to surrender.

The pilot was Paul Tibbets The plane that dropped the bomb was the Enola Gay It was named after the pilot’s mother

The Bombs Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima

The Damage to Hiroshima The centre of the explosion was hotter than the surface of the sun!

Casualties It estimated that at Hiroshima 70,000+ died instantly – Over 250,000 died later from results of the explosion or radiation sickness At Nagasaki over 50,000 were killed instantly with many more after as well

Survivors from Hiroshima

Wrap Up – Poem Analysis The Responsibility Peter Appleton I am the man who gives the word, If it should come, to use the Bomb. I am the man who spreads the word From him to them if it should come. I am the man who gets the word From him who spreads the word from him. I am the man who drops the Bomb If ordered by the one who's heard From him who merely spreads the word The first one gives if it should come. I am the man who loads the Bomb That he must drop should orders come From him who gets the word passed on By one who waits to hear from him. I am the man who makes the Bomb That he must load for him to drop If told by one who gets the word From one who passes it from him. I am the man who fills the till, Who pays the tax, who foots the bill That guarantees the Bomb he makes For him to load for him to drop If orders come from one who gets The word passed on to him by one Who waits to hear it from the man Who gives the word to use the Bomb. I am the man behind it all; I am the one responsible.