Bombing Of Hiroshima Movie Analysis

Bombing of Hiroshima

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Introduction

A short summary of the movie

The movie on bombing of Hiroshima features the events that took place way back on 6th August, 1945; in which the Japanese cities; Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bomb attacked by the United States. The attack was a plan engineered by the then president of the United States Harry Truman who had succeeded President Frankline Roosevelt as a result of his untimely demise. This was towards the end of the World War II that involved the German troops against the Soviet powers. Since the U.S. was a great ally of the Russian territory and the great enemy of Germany, it decided to move in swiftly to aid its historical ally; Russia. Since

the only vibrant war at that time was the bloody battle for Pkinawa in the Pacific, orchestrated by the Japanese army, the United States decided to begin by attacking the strongholds of German; Japan. The American casualties were quickly increasing even if the Japanese casualties and fatalities were also equally high. This was against the expectation of the then U.S. secretary of state James Byrnes, who pronounced that the use of the bomb would end the war in one blow. The idea was quickly bought by the president though against the petition of about 73 scientists including Leo Scilard the nuclear physicist. Since the Japanese under Gen. Anami Korechika refuted claims of contemplating surrender, the situation prompted the U.S. to adopt the mechanism of dropping the bomb at Hiroshima killing close to 100, 000 people and injuring 100, 000 others out of the population of 250, 000 of the town’s inhabitants. This nonetheless marked the end of the World War II.
My opinion of the movie
My opinion is that the decision to drop the bomb by the United States was not a wise one considering the far reaching effects that bombing had on the inhabitants of Hiroshima and their subsequent generations.

First the bomb caused innumerable fatalities of innocent people which could have been avoided. Just before the ill-fated bombing scene, the Japanese were seen training and even the children participated in combat using the bamboo sticks. In my opinion, the United States could have contemplated changing the plan because the step taken by the Japanese portrayed desperation and patriotism to their beloved country that is why they opted to incorporate the children in the battle. The worst thing is how the innocent people lost their lives yet the war was not at all about them but rather about the Germans and the soviet powers.

Was the United States justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

The United States of America was not in any way justified in dropping the bomb. In the first place, the decision of using the bomb was a demonstration of the incumbent president to proof to the citizens his toughness having garnered massive vote in the general elections. This could not be a sufficient reason why the atomic bomb could necessarily be used in this war. Secondly, the war was only between Germany and Russia. Perhaps the United States could have only intervened friendly by brokering arbitrary mission to bring peace between the warring parties but not to take such a step.

Was Hiroshima truly a military target or did the United States drop the bomb on the city for other

reasons?
The initial plan was to drop the bomb on Kyoto but the U.S, changed mind in the last minute to drop the bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was after a series of intervention attempts to coerce the president to contemplate the extent of destruction that would ensue after bombing. Ostensibly, this was like a trial to gauge what the nuclear bombing could do when unleashed. Similarly, the reason for bombing Hiroshima could be attributed to the proximity of the town to the Pkinawa region where the battle was basically escalated.
Since the war, there has been talk that the decision to drop the bomb was a “crime against humanity.” What is your opinion of this? Should the United States government have been charged with war crimes? Should the crew of the “Enola Gay” have been charged with war crimes? Explain.
I feel that the United States government should be sued for the crime against humanities in the International Criminal Court following the atrocities that were caused to the innocent lives. The worst thing is seeing the subsequent generations succumbing to the incessant effects of the bombing. It is hitherto witnessed that many people have sustained abnormalities whose causes are attributed to the bombing that took place 70 years ago. Therefore, I highly recommend that the crew that operated Enola Gay should have been charged with crimes against humanity because the atrocities that they caused to the people of Hiroshima are even worse than some of the atrocities that convicts of the present day crimes against humanity have been charged with.