The only military use of nuclear weapons in the world was the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the same time, it should be noted that the unfortunate cities ended up in the role of a victim in many respects due to the tragic circumstances.
Who are we going to bomb?
In May 1945, US President Harry Truman was provided with a list of several Japanese cities that were supposed to be bombed. Four cities were selected as the main targets. Kyoto as the main center of Japanese industry. Hiroshima, as the largest military port with ammunition depots. Yokagama was chosen because of the defense factories located on its territory. Niigata was targeted because of its naval port, and Kokura was put on the “firing squad” as the country's largest military arsenal. Note that Nagasaki was not originally on this list. In the opinion of the American military, the nuclear bombing was supposed to have not so much a military as a psychological effect. After her, the Japanese government had to abandon further military struggle.
Kyoto saved a miracle
From the beginning, Kyoto was supposed to be the main target. The choice fell on this city not only because of its huge industrial potential. It was here that the flower of the Japanese scientific, technical and cultural intelligentsia was concentrated. If a nuclear strike on this city really took place, Japan would be thrown back in civilization terms. However, this is exactly what the Americans needed. The unfortunate Hiroshima was chosen as the second city. The Americans cynically believed that the hills surrounding the city would increase the force of the explosion, significantly increasing the number of victims. Most surprisingly, Kyoto escaped a dire fate thanks to the sentimentality of US Secretary of War Henry Stimson. In his youth, a high-ranking military man spent his honeymoon in the city. He not only knew and appreciated the beauty and culture of Kyoto,but also did not want to spoil the bright memories of his youth. Stimson did not hesitate to cross Kyoto from the list of cities proposed for nuclear bombing. Subsequently, General Leslie Groves, who directed the US nuclear weapons program, recalled in his book "Now It Can Be Told" that he insisted on the bombing of Kyoto, but he was persuaded by emphasizing the historical and cultural significance of the city. Groves was very dissatisfied, but nevertheless agreed to replace Kyoto with Nagasaki.highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the city. Groves was very dissatisfied, but nevertheless agreed to replace Kyoto with Nagasaki.highlighting the historical and cultural significance of the city. Groves was very dissatisfied, but nevertheless agreed to replace Kyoto with Nagasaki.
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What are Christians guilty of?
At the same time, if we analyze the choice of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets for nuclear bombing, then many awkward questions arise. The Americans knew very well that the main religion of Japan is Shinto. The number of Christians in this country is extremely small. At the same time, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were considered Christian cities. It turns out that the American military deliberately chose exactly the cities inhabited by Christians for bombing? The first B-29 Great Artist had two targets: the city of Kokura as the main one, and Nagasaki as the spare. However, when the plane with great difficulty reached the territory of Japan, Kukura was hidden by thick clouds of smoke, burning the Yavata metallurgical plant. They decided to bomb Nagasaki. The bomb fell on the city on August 9, 1945 at 11 hours 02 minutes. In the blink of an eye, an explosion with a capacity of 21 kilotons destroyed several tens of thousands of people. He was not even saved by the fact that in the vicinity of Nagasaki there was a prisoner of war camp for the allied armies of the anti-Hitler coalition. Moreover, in the United States, they knew very well about its location. During the bombing of Hiroshima, a nuclear bomb was dropped over the Urakamitenshudo Church, the largest Christian temple in the country. The explosion killed 160,000 people.
Dmitry Sokolov
