How students worldwide learn about the dropping of the atomic bombs.

-General Curtis E. LeMay

- Allies/Allied supporters

- Axis

- Co-Belligerent

- Entered as territory of an Ally

- Entered as territory of an Axis

- Neutral

- Invaded/occupied by Ally

- Invaded/occupied by Axis

This side of the page will feature a direct quote from a ______ Reddit thread asking users around the world how they were taught about the dropping of the atomic bomb. It will also feature the distance in miles that this country is from Japan.

The goal of this book is to examine differences in how the decision to drop the atomic bomb is

taught throughout the world. The pages include information about the country’s war

involvement to provide context for their teachings. This book begins with a more in depth look

at how the United States teaches about the decision to drop the atomic bomb, and closes with

a more in depth analysis of how Japan teaches on the atomic bomb. In between, countries are

organized based off of their distance from Japan.

This side of the book will

detail how the country

entered WWII. A circle or

set of circles above this

section will indicate the side

that this country joined on,

as well as whether or not

they were

invaded/occupied as part of

the war.

1. The emperor of Japan was seen as a sort of deity by his people.

2. All people of Japan were hell-bent on destroying the Americans, because it was the will of the

emperor, and the emperor would bow to no one.

3. The Japanese were bombing American ships in the Pacific theater, and an end was needed before

the loss of life became unbearable.

4. Americans weighed the potential for loss of life in continuing a land invasion into the Japanese

islands, versus the detonation of an Atomic Bomb, and viewed the latter as more preferable.

5. After the detonation of the first atomic bomb, the emperor remained resolute and would not

surrender, which led to the detonation of the second atomic bomb, leading to the surrender of the

Japanese Emperor and the end of that war.

-American reddit user

The 1990s curriculum focused on the following points:

Majority of texts agree that by 1945 Japan was a defeated nation

Little invitation to consider whether or not the continued bombing and

blockading of Japan would’ve forced surrender,

All claimed the bombing of Hiroshima necessary to avoid a land invasion and to

save the lives of US men (17/18 books had this as the main justification)

Estimates of death from land invasion ranged up to a million Allied/US soldiers

Little discussion of American voices raised in opposition to bomb within military

General MacArthur was never consulted, saw no justification

Discussion of surrender did not reference evidence that Japanese advisers were

working on surrender.

The Japanese military were fundamentally against unconditional surrender, but if

Truman had said that this would not mean removal of emperor they might have

agreed.

Study of 1990s curriculum showed:

■ “When I was in school, it was simply stated that we dropped two bombs, thus ending the war.

■ When in college the focus around the bomb was an emphasis on the pacific theatre. Very much an idea of, "they won't quit so we must use the bomb, it will save many American and Japanese lives to do so."

■ Last year when I taught U.S history to Juniors, we took the latter approach. We looked at casualties of each island, projected casualties, and discussed why the bomb was so effective. It is a more "matter of fact" that it was used and not a real dwelling point. However, the bomb is the heart and center of the Cold War section.”

Latter half of the 2000s

-American reddit users

There is evidence of a genuine belief that a land invasion would cause massive loss of American lives. In 1945, the United States printed nearly 500,000 purple hearts in anticipation of casualties resulting from the land invasion of Japan. The stockpile was so great that the US did not order more until the year 2000.

It was only pointed as theweapon that ended the war.Really brief.

11,073 miles from Japan

I remember this part of WorldHistory being very sad and polemic.Our teachers tried hard to show usthe consequences and power of thebomb.

10, 679 miles from Japan

Chile began the war as a neutral

power. They had a strong history of

grievances against the US, and hoped

to maintain German trade relations.

They declared war on Japan in 1943

out of fear that without Chilean

support, the US would back Bolivia and

Peru’s claims against Chile from the

War of the Pacific.

The dictator of Brazil began the war

maintaining neutrality, but declared

war on Germany and Italy in 1942

following fatal submarine attacks

against Brazilian ships. There was a

sizeable population of German, Italian,

and Japanese born immigrants in Brazil

at the time.

We learned why the bombs weredropped, and whether that wasreasonable as an action of warand as a prevention of even moredeaths. We read/listened tocountless primary sources, andended the quarter with a week-long debate on whether or not itwas justified.

8, 399 miles from Japan

South Africa declared war on

Germany shortly after the UK,

as a member of the British

Commonwealth.

They teach us that the U.Sdropped one bomb, Japansurrendered, the U.S droppedthe other bomb to test it.

7, 111 miles from Japan

I remember there was someemphasis on how the bombwas unnecessary (since thewar was already drawing to aclose) and how it was one ofthe many atrocities of thewar.

7, 040 miles from Japan

Iran initially tried to remain neutral,

but faced stiff Allied demands to

remove German nationals. This

pressure culminated in a UK/Soviet

invasion, replacing the Iranian

leader with his son, who was

supportive of the Allied powers.

The Mexican government severed

economic ties with Axis powers

after Pearl Harbor, and was

eventually prompted to declare

war after two separate Mexican

submarines were attacked and

sunk by German U-boats in 1942.

I remember being taught thatthe second bomb wasunnecessary. My social studiesteachers tended to vilify theU.S. for Nagasaki.

Most Canadians are unware ofthe crucial role Canada playedin the development of theatomic bombs that destroyedHiroshima and Nagasaki

(a uranium refinery in Ontario supplied the Manhattan Project)

6, 087 miles from Japan

In 1939 Canada issued

their first declaration of

war as an independent

nation. Canada’s military

was involved in every facet

of the war, with most of

their fighting taking place

in Italy, Northwest Europe,

and the Atlantic. Canada

was subject to direct attack

by German U-boats during

the war.

Basically we see thebombings as part of theatrocious disasters ofworld war 2, through thetechnological advancedmassive killings weapons"progress".

6, 060 miles from Japan

France was one of the original

guarantors of Polish security, and so

were one of the first to declare war on

Germany. The French government

signed an armistice with Germany

after the Battle of France in 1940. This

lead to the foundation of Vichy France

(occupied by Germans) and the Free

French Forces, which continued to

fight in exile. Vichy France remained

neutral but was forced into

widespread collaboration with

Germany. Charles de Gaulle, the

leader of the Free French, took control

of France in 1942, and the country

ended the war as an Ally.

There was no doubt that in very little time theJapanese, already at the end of their tether, wouldhave had to surrender ... What seems certain isthat the show of force, made indiscriminately at theexpense of unarmed people, increased the UnitedStates' weight in post-war tensions and decisions,especially concerning the Soviet Union. It isprobably therefore that Truman's decision wasinspired more by post-war prospects than bycalculations on the most convenient method to putan end to the conflict with Japan.

In 4th grade (10 years old) we studied it the firsttime, dedicating a lot of time to the victims and thehorrors of the bomb…. Later on, in middle schooland high school the message was always the same:the Americans compellingly "thought" the bombwas the ONLY thing that could end the war.

5,935 miles from Japan

Italy joined the war in 1940

after the early success of

the Nazi Germany

campaigns. They fought

with the Axis powers

initially, aiming to claim

some allied territory. After

Allied invasion of Italy in

1943, the new royal

government signed an

armistice with the allies,

only to be invaded by the

Germans. The army was left

in chaos. The royal

government still controlled

the southern part of Italy,

and declared war on

Germany. The military

forces it still controlled

joined the allies in a

position off co-

belligerence.

I was taught it was to speed theend of the war. The morality of itwas questionable butunderstandable in the context ofthe time (i.e. no one at the timeknew about black rain and thehorrible drawn out deaths fromradiation). The reasons fordropping it were to saveAmerican lives in a landing onthe main islands after the highcausalities in Okinawa and otherisland hopping campaigns.

5, 855 miles from Japan

New Zealand declared war in 1939,

stating:

With gratitude for the past and

confidence in the future, we range

ourselves without fear beside

Britain. Where she goes, we go;

where she stands, we stand. We are

only a small and young nation, but

we march with a union of hearts and

souls to a common destiny.

New Zealand’s home islands were

never attacked, but the casualty rate

of their military was the worst per

capita of all Commonwealth nations

outside of Great Britain.

We were taught about themas more of a start to the ColdWar, rather than as an end tothe Second World War. Thiswas because it was viewed asan American show of nuclearstrength to the Soviets inorder to act as a deterrent,rather than just an act ofaggression against Japan.

5, 842 miles from Japan

Switzerland intended to remain

neutral, but prepared for war

under Axis threats and

advancements. Switzerland was

fully mobilized within three days

of the German invasion of

Poland. Switzerland was never

invaded, likely due to their

military strength and the

difficulty of their terrain

compared to other European

nations. Switzerland was hostile

to both Allied and Axis powers.

The government was anti-Nazi,

but never directly intervened in

the war.

I like to use it as anexample to develop thestudent's argumentformation. It's usuallytaught as a standalonelesson with the topic'Was the dropping of theatomic bombs justified?'Give the kids evidence,reports, accounts and letthem make up theirmind.

5, 706 miles from Japan

The UK was one of the

original Allies. They entered

the war in 1939, honoring

their guarantees to Poland.

They were one of the Big

Three in the war, the only

one of the Big Three in

Europe for a time after

France fell. They maintained

close ties with the nations of

the British Empire, and the

forces of those countries

were frequently

incorporated into British

military operations.

The main narrative in high schoolhistory was the cost of invasionand the political desire for a swiftend to the war.

5, 659 miles from Japan

In school, most of the history of war wasabout the German atrocities. … Otheratrocities (killing of native Americans,Hiroshima, CIA involvement in topplingdemocratic states leading to torture etc.)were not covered at all, or only verybriefly.

5,556 miles from Japan

The Netherlands joined the

allied forces after heavy

bombing from Axis forces.

They dedicated their

remaining forces to the

defense of East Asia

Nazi Germany, led by Adolf

Hitler, was the primary Axis

Power in the European

Theatre.

We were mostly just taught aboutthe war going on in Europe fromwhat I can remember. ... It almostfelt like we were running out oftime at the end of the semester;

4, 910 miles from Japan

US needed to finish the war with Japan

quickly but at the same time they

needed to show strength. So that they

will be taken seriously in the future.

4, 952 miles from Japan

Sweden remained neutral

throughout the war, but lengthy

fighting in Norway led to increasing

demands of support from Germany.

Eventually, the Cabinet was forced to

allow continuous unarmed German

troop transports through Swedish

railroads to Norway.

Lithuania was occupied and

forcibly annexed into the Soviet

Union as part of a pact between

Nazi Germany and the Soviet

Union. When Hitler invaded

Lithuania, some Lithuanians sided

with Germany in hopes of restoring

their independence.

Even though the Japanese never

surrender, when there was a

possibility of a nuclear threat, they

were ready to surrender. However,

the president at the time chose to

do it anyway to send a message to

the world (or mainly the USSR).

3, 372 miles from Japan

The main questions raisedwere not why the bombs weredropped, but why they weredropped so late, and only afterso many died and suffered.

2, 934 miles from Japan

The Indian Empire entered

into the war when Britain did,

as they were controlled by

Britain at this time. The

citizens of the Indian Empire

formed the largest army

raised by volunteer enlistment

in the war.

Singapore was part of a British

Crown colony. It was invaded

by Japan in February of 1942,

likely due to it’s strategic

location for shipping between

Europe and Asia. It remained

under Japanese occupation until

the end of the war.

The bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki was seen as astepping stone that eventuallyprovided the opportunity toproclaim our independence.

2, 709 miles from JapanAt this point in history, Indonesia

was part of the Dutch East Indies.

They were attacked by Japan in

December 1941, likely because of

their rich oil resources. The area

was occupied by the Japanese for

the remainder of the war.

Horrible atomic bombs broughtJapan to her knees

1,629 miles from Japan At this time the Philippines were the

Philippine Commonwealth, a semi-

independent territory of the US. They

were one of the first countries

invaded by Japan. Filipino and

American forces resisted, but

eventually the American troops were

ordered to retreat to Australia.

American forces in the Philippines

surrendered in 1942.

From what I remember being taught

about the bomb while in Korea was 2

parts — first, to end a long drawn out

invasion of Japan and any territories in

order to secure a surrender. There were

moral considerations but mostly the

discussion involved the mechanics of

using war technology developed

during a time of war to save American

lives. And secondly, to demonstrate to

the world that the US had the

technology and was willing to use it as

the US considered a post war political

climate.

285 miles from Japan

Korea was under Japanese

rule during the war.

100,000 Koreans were

mandatorily drafted into

the Imperial Japanese

Army. Following Japan’s

defeat, Korea was jointly

occupied by Soviet and US

forces. Related political

disagreements led to the

separation of Korea into two

independent nations.

Textbooks recognized nation was on verge of defeat

■ No Japanese texts evaluate the possible allied loses that might have occurred from a land invasion of Japan as a possible explanation for bombings.

■ US - Soviet relationship is fully explored as a crucial context for the bombing within Japanese texts.

■ No texts presented the possibility that the United States doubted Japan’s forthcoming surrender

“The Soviet Union, America and Britain presented Japan with the Potsdam

Declaration which recommended that Japan accept a policy of post-war

management and an unconditional surrender of Japanese troops. While the

Japanese government was struggling to respond, America dropped the

atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki”

(Ishii, Kasahara, Kodama, & Sasayama, 1995, p. 323).

Study of 1990s curriculum showed:

In the cities directly affected, there are special history classes all about the atomic bomb. The courses cover:

Technical workings of the bomb

Effects of radiation

Development of the bomb

The decision making process

Physical and Psychological effects of those directly affected

The rebuilding of the city

Hiroshima students learn deeply about the bombings

The fire bombings of General Curtis E Lemay, whose quoteopens this book, killed more people than the atomic bombs

Rather than continue precisely targeted daytime air raids, LeMayhollowed out planes, filled them with firebombs, and took tobombing cities at night. Many of these towns and cities were builtwith wood, making firebombs incredibly effective.

Lemay was tasked with destroying 60 major Japanese citiesprior to the planned land invasion of Japan.

By the time the atomic bomb was dropped, 58 of those citieshas been decimated by fire bombings. The cities remaining?Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/06/how-the-hiroshima-bombing-is-taught-around-the-world/

https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/3fvjs1/how_is_the_hiroshima_atomic_bomb_taught_in_your/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_by_country

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ776358.pdf

http://www.americanheritage.com/content/half-million-purple-hearts

http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/1801

http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2012/06/lithuania-under-nazis

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