On August 6, 1945 the United States of America dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, another nuclear bomb exploded on Nagasaki. This first bomb known as “Little Boy” killed 140,000 inhabitants and injured another 100,000. The bomb was dropped at 8:15 AM and destroyed everything up to 4.4 miles from the blast zone (footnote 3). Two thirds of the buildings in Hiroshima were destroyed and the city was plagued with nuclear radiation for years to come (footnote 3). Later that week on August 9, 1945 the Americans dropped the second nuclear bomb known as “Fat Man”. This explosion killed 80,000 people and destroyed forty percent of the city of Nagasaki (footnote 3). Prior to August 6th President Harry S Truman used his executive authority in making the decision to release the atomic bombs on Japanese soil (footnote 4). The Japanese response to this devastation was to surrender. The surrender took place on September 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo bay Japan ending the war in the …show more content…
In Japan from 60,000 to 90,000 buildings were destroyed. It took Japan six and one half years to build new structures with the help of America and its people. Another thing that happened in Japan was a change in government. Originally in Japan, the country was ruled by an emperor who controlled the government, the military, and the common population. After the war the power of the government rested with the people and not with the Emperor. The Emperor of Japan is now just a ritual head of the country and doesn't make any executive decisions and has limited symbolic roles as stipulated in the constitution. Japan's government now consists of a constitutional government with 3 branches. The last effect on the environment was the radiation on the land. Right after the bombing most of the crops in Japan were wiped out (footnote 3). The soil was poisoned with radiation for some time and limited the crop season in Japan. Japan’s water supply was poisoned by the radiation. The loss of food and water cause many people in Japan to starve. People were also affected by the radiation in the air. Radiation in the air caused many disease in Japan which led to death. Now in Japan there is no radiation in the air because the bomb exploded in the sky and the radioactivity particles blew