State Historical Society of Iowa

Nagasaki, Japan, After the Atomic Bomb, 1945

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Aerial view of Nagasaki, Japan after atomic bombing taken by the US Army.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, "Nagasaki, Japan after atomic bombing / U.S. Army A.A.F. photo," 1945

Description

This photograph shows an aerial view of Nagasaki, Japan, after American forces dropped an atomic bomb on the city. The city was bombed on August 9, 1945, and the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945. 

Source-Dependent Questions

  • How would you caption the photograph to illustrate the impact of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki?
  • Consider the destruction captured in the image. How does this compare to the tactics used by the United States in the European theater?
  • The Geneva Convention of 1929 prohibited intentionally targeting civilian populations. How does using an atomic weapon make complying with the Geneva Convention challenging?

Citation Information 

"Nagasaki, Japan after atomic bombing / U.S. Army A.A.F. photo," 1945. Courtesy of Library of Congress