us public reaction to the atomic bomb

santa fe new mexico

the nearest paper to los alamos, also emphasized how the secrets of the nearby lab could now be revealed

the austin statesman

august 8 1945, noted that jo stiborik, the radar man of the enola gay was from the nearby town of tyler

august 8 statesman

the austin statesman also carried a story about truman taking personal charge of the atomic campaign and a rather alarming calculation that 5000 “strategically placed” atomic bombs could be used to kill every person in japan

august 9th 1945

just after returning from the potsdam conference, president truman delivered a radio address to the nation

• the 30 min focused on the conference and plans for postwar europe, but truman devoted the last few minutes to recounting the use of the first atomic bomb on hiroshima (which he said was a “military base'“) and the prospects for dropping more atomic bombs on japan if the country leaders did not surrender

richard tolman

was a prominent physicist who supported the use of atomic bombs during World War II and played a role in assessing their potential impact on Japan.

henry dewolf smyth

was an American physicist and author who wrote the "Smyth Report," detailing the Manhattan Project and explaining the development and use of atomic bombs in World War II.

the smyth report

is a document that outlines the history, scientific principles, and implications of the Manhattan Project, providing insights into the development and use of atomic bombs during World War II.

stamped smyth reports

the lithographed copies of the smyth report distributed by the us government printing office on august 11th, 1945 were supposed to have “atomic bombs” stamped in red on their title page just before their release.

• but in a rush, that step was skipped; the only copy bearing the intended title in red was the official one deposited at the library of congress.

initial news accounts of the bomb

focused on the power of atomic bombs and their effects on the war with japan

a roper poll from nov. 1945

indicated that a majority of Americans supported the use of atomic bombs on japan and believed it was necessary to end the war quickly.

• that support has since decreased

the newspaper “pm”

the left-leaning new york newspaper lost little time in bringing the atomic bomb home to its readers

wilfred burchett

an australian journalist who made his way to hiroshima and published a sotry in the london daily express which gave the first account of radiation sickness

• US authorities initially denied

paul boyer “by the bombs early light” (1985)

he noted in his book, most of the themes that would dominate nuclear debate in the following decades showed up in the first five years after 1945.

• most were raised within a few weeks after the bombing of hiroshima: fears of future nuclear war, of an arms race with the soviets, of nuclear proliferation, and of attacks with nuclear-tipped missiles

john hersey

An American author who wrote the influential nonfiction narrative "Hiroshima," detailing the experiences of survivors following the atomic bombing. His work greatly impacted public perception and understanding of the aftermath of nuclear warfare.