1. In the Shadow of the Bomb Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D. GSTR 221-O: Western Traditions II Berea College Spring 2004

2. TOTAL WAR “War is simply… political intercourse, with the addition of other means” – Karl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) “To gain command of the air… [renders an enemy] harmless,” destroying “the will of the people” – Giulio Douhet (1869-1930) “Do you want total war… a war more total and radical than anything that we can even imagine today?” – Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945) “This is total war” – Richard Perle (1941-)

3. PRECURSORS TO HIROSHIMA 1911: Aerial bombardment pioneered by Italians against Ottoman Empire in Libya 1940-41: German aircraft bomb British cities nightly, killing 40,000 civilians 1941: Japanese aircraft destroy much of U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor 1942: U.S. retaliates by bombing city of Tokyo, killing 83,000 1945: Britain and U.S. bomb German city of Dresden, killing 135,000

4. BACKGROUND TO HIROSHIMA Late 1942: Japanese forces begin to lose key battles, resources June 6, 1944: Allies invade France April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide May 7, 1945: Germany surrenders one week later July 26, 1945: Potsdam Ultimatum calls on Japan to surrender unconditionally in the face of certain defeat

5. THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, U.S. B-29 aircraft Enola Gay drops “Little Boy” on Hiroshima Explosion equivalent to 12,000 tons of TNT 70,000 of 76,000 buildings in city totally destroyed 80,000 killed immediately By end of 1945, 60,000 more dead of radiation sickness By 1951, another 50,000 killed by effects of radiation

7. HIROSHIMA: PRO AND CON Thousands of Japanese soldiers were based near Hiroshima Japan surrendered only after second atomic bombing (Nagasaki, August 9 – 100,000 cumulative deaths) Because of this, some argue that atomic bombings were necessary to end the war in Asia: 1. Estimated 50,000 U.S. soldiers’ lives saved 2. Estimated 200,000 Japanese soldiers’ and civilians’ lives saved By August 1945, ¼ of housing and almost all factories in Japan destroyed by constant U.S. bombing If deterrence was the goal, why not demonstrate power of weapons in uninhabited area? Minutes of U.S. Target Committee record that “psychological factors in the target selection were of great importance” By 1943, British and U.S. already eager to intimidate Soviets as plans for post-war world proceed

8. LEGACIES OF HIROSHIMA Military strikes on civilian populations now standard practice in warfare (e.g., Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel/Palestine) Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD): would-be aggressor nations deterred by certainty of their own destruction in retaliation for “first strike” Fallacies of MAD: 1. Assumes infallible ability to detect nuclear launches 2. Assumes perfect rationality on part of human agents Nations possessing nuclear weapons and their estimated numbers: U.S. (10,640) Russia (8,600) China (400) France (350) United Kingdom (200) India (60-90) Pakistan (24-48) Israel (??) North Korea (??) Iran (??) Estimated number of nuclear weapons still active: 40,000