On August 6, 1945, America dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. The devastation that followed was beyond what anyone imagined. The destruction to the area was immense, but the devastation of the people of Hiroshima was even worse. The bombing of Hiroshima helped end World War II, but the price it exacted on humanity was too high.

Discussion Questions

Was the bombing of Hiroshima necessary?

Was there some other alternative that could have been used in place of the bombing of Hiroshima?

What do you think it was like for the people who survived the bombing?

Do you think that the United States would ever bomb another country with a nuclear weapon?

What safeguards were put in place to prevent another Hiroshima?

What can you do as an individual to help make sure that something like this never happens again?


Learning Links
Explore the following links to learn more about the events that occurred up to and after the bombing of Hiroshima.

Hiroshima Peace Site
The Hiroshima Peace Site has a special section for kids on the atomic bomb. It also takes you through the realities of the A-bomb, the current status of nuclear weapons, and thoughts on what it will take to secure peace.
Source: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum


Hiroshima Photographic Gallery
This is an ongoing photographic project by Japanese photographer Hiromi Tsuchida. It includes photos of items that survived the bombings, portraits of the survivors, and items that have been placed at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Source: Lewis & Clark College - Hiroshima Archive




A Personal Record of Hiroshima A-bomb Survival
Read the Terao memoir and the responses to it.
Source: Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

CSI Hiroshima Live Project
See pictures, video, and audio on the 50th anniversary ceremony of the Hiroshima Memorial Ceremony.
Source: Chugoku-Shikoku Internet Council

Hiroshima A-Bomb Photo Museum
The inscription on the sarcophagus representing the victims of the Hiroshima bombing is “Let all the souls here rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil.” Take a look at these poignant photos of this horrible event.
Source: Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

Voice of Hibakusha
These are eyewitness accounts of the bombing of Hiroshima that were assembled from the video Hiroshima.
Source: Hiroshima Peace Culture Center

Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Underwater
This treaty was created between the United States and Russia in 1963.
Source: INESAP and the NAPF

The Atomic Century
Treaties
These treaties have grown out of the atomic age. Learn about these and other historical documents of the 1900s.
Source: Department of Defense