City in Flames: One Hiroshima Survivor’s Story
The Hiroshima bombing through the eyes of a child.
Hit the Medium paywall? Read on Substack.
August 6, 2023, is the 78th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, when the United States became the only country ever to use nuclear weapons in a war.
Over the years, many Hiroshima survivors have given first-hand accounts of what they experienced.
US Refusal to Negotiate with Japan
The American public of 1945 was told that the bombing was necessary to end World War II and prevent more American casualties, and many people believe that to this day.
However, we now know that may be untrue — Japan was trying to get the Soviet Union to broker a truce with the US weeks before the bombing, a fact that Truman was aware of.
It was the US insistence on unconditional surrender and refusal to negotiate or offer acceptable terms that prevented Japan from surrendering. Had the US taken a different approach, the war might have ended without the use of nuclear weapons.
Read more:
