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The Fifties
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The Atom Bomb Key Events Maps Transcript Webography
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In August, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

Few events in the annals of history are as controversial as the decision to drop atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in August 1945. Yet, at the time, there was great relief among Americans troops and civilians alike. These two bombs were the final, awesome events of World War II.

1. Is it fair to judge the decision makers and the bomb makers of 1945 by what we know about nuclear weapons today?

2. Were the deaths of those who died from the atomic bombs different from the millions of others who died in World War II?

3. What is different about warfare with atomic bombs (nuclear weapons) and conventional bombs that do not use a nuclear device?

4. What have we learned about nuclear war and nuclear weapons since 1945? Can you imagine one nation using nuclear weapons against another in some future war?


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