Study Questions
1. Describe the role of the following in the preparation for the bombing of Hiroshima: nuclear scientists, the Manhattan Project, Alamogordo, and Wendover.
2. What influence did the American experience at places like Iwo Jima have in the decision to use the atomic bomb?
3. Why did the United States decide to use the atomic bomb against Japan? What other options were there? What was “the logic of violence”?
4. What did the atomic bomb do to Hiroshima? How were people killed and injured? What did they think had happened?
5. How would you characterize the men who bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Were they ordinary Americans? Did they care about the people they killed? How did they react to taking part in the bombing?
6. Why did people believe that some of the atomic crewmen went mad?
7. The author argues that in a state of total war acts of terrible violence become “reasonable.” How does this happen?
1. Describe the role of the following in the preparation for the bombing of Hiroshima: nuclear scientists, the Manhattan Project, Alamogordo, and Wendover.
2. What influence did the American experience at places like Iwo Jima have in the decision to use the atomic bomb?
3. Why did the United States decide to use the atomic bomb against Japan? What other options were there? What was “the logic of violence”?
4. What did the atomic bomb do to Hiroshima? How were people killed and injured? What did they think had happened?
5. How would you characterize the men who bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Were they ordinary Americans? Did they care about the people they killed? How did they react to taking part in the bombing?
6. Why did people believe that some of the atomic crewmen went mad?
7. The author argues that in a state of total war acts of terrible violence become “reasonable.” How does this happen?