Nagasaki Day 2024: Why bombing on this city known as “Fat Man”?

On August 9, 1945, the world changed and never quite got back to being the same. The United States detonated the plutonium bomb known as “Fat Man,” resulting in Nagasaki, Japan becoming the second and final victim of atomic warfare. This horrific event had a lasting impact on human history, claiming tens of thousands of lives at the time and countless more in the years that followed. As we commemorate Nagasaki Day in 2024, it is critical to understand the complexities surrounding this tragic event.[1945年8月9日,世界发生了变化,并且再也没有恢复原样。美国引爆了被称为“胖子”的钚弹,导致日本长崎成为原子战的第二个也是最后一个受害者。这一可怕的事件对人类历史产生了持久的影响,当时夺走了数万人的生命,随后的几年里又夺走了无数人的生命。在我们纪念2024年长崎日之际,了解围绕这一悲惨事件的复杂性至关重要。

[AftertheatomicbombexplodedonAugust91945[1945年8月9日原子弹爆炸后#Nagasakithe torii of Sanno Shrine, the Shiroyama National School building, the bell tower of Urakami Catholic Church, etc. all stand tall. Each one emphasizes the message of the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony 🕊️ held every year on this day. https://t.co/4JPyepFoHL pic.twitter.com/yL2D1MT7Gm

— Japan (@japan) August 9, 2024

Why was Nagasaki bombed?

[OnAugust91945theUnitedStatesbombedNagasakiduringWorldWarIIaspartofitsstrategytoforceJapantosurrenderFollowingthebombingofHiroshimaonAugust6thedecisiontobombNagasakiwasinfluencedbyseveralfactors:[1945年8月9日,美国在第二次世界大战期间轰炸了长崎,这是其迫使日本投降的战略的一部分。继8月6日轰炸广岛之后,决定轰炸长崎受到以下几个因素的影响:

  • Military Strategy: The United States aimed to force Japan’s unconditional surrender through a show of overwhelming military power. Using the atomic bomb was seen as a way to avoid a long and costly invasion of Japan.
  • Secondary Target: Nagasaki was not the primary target for the second atomic bomb. Kokura was the intended target, but was obscured by cloud cover, so the bombers were diverted to the secondary target, Nagasaki.

The National WWII Museum website states: “Over Kokura, clouds and smoke from nearby bombings obscured vision. The Americans could see parts of the city, but could not directly aim at the city arsenal they were targeting. Sweeney flew overhead until Japanese anti-aircraft fire and fighters made the situation “a little dangerous” and it became apparent that aiming was impossible. He then headed for his second target: Nagasaki. Meanwhile, in Kokura, civilians who had been hiding after the air raid was signaled to come out and breathe a sigh of relief when they heard the all-clear. Of course, none of them knew at the time how close they were to death.”

  • Industrial significance: Nagasaki was an important industrial city with military facilities such as shipyards, ordnance and ammunition factories. The bombing was intended to disrupt Japan’s war production capacity.
  • Psychological impact: The United States sought to shock Japan into surrender by demonstrating the destructive power of the atomic bomb. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were designed to maximize the psychological and material impact on the Japanese leadership.

The National WWII Museum states: “The decision to use Fat Man a few days after the explosion of Little Boy at Hiroshima was based on two considerations: Japan’s weather was unpredictable, and the presence of typhoons or other major weather events could force a delay of several weeks in the deployment; and the belief that two consecutive explosions would convince the Japanese that the United States had a large number of atomic bombs and was prepared to use them until Japan finally surrendered.”

Aftermath of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki

The tragedy in Nagasaki (Photo credit: National WWII Museum)

The explosion of “Fat Man” brought unimaginable devastation to Nagasaki. The direct death toll was staggering, and the long-term radiation effects were severe. The city was reduced to ruins, and the future of its residents was filled with pain and loss.

Fourteen thousand homes were engulfed in flames. Residents near the blast were instantly vaporized, while those outside the blast range suffered severe burns. Farther away, the suffering caused by radiation exposure would eventually prove fatal.

While estimates vary, approximately 40,000 people died immediately as a result of the explosion. By early 1946, another 30,000 people had been killed, and within five years, more than 100,000 deaths were directly linked to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

The atomic bombing of Nagasaki had a profound impact on the world. It ushered in the atomic age and raised profound ethical questions about the use of such weapons. It also hastened the end of World War II, leading to Japan’s unconditional surrender.

Nagasaki Day Today

Every year on August 9, Nagasaki Day solemnly commemorates the tragedy. It is a day of reflection, remembrance and a renewed commitment to peace and disarmament. A-bomb survivors have become powerful voices for peace, sharing their experiences to prevent such horrors from happening again.

The atomic bombing of Nagasaki remains one of the darkest chapters in human history. The decision to use nuclear weapons is a complex issue with no easy answers. As we honor the victims of this tragedy, we must learn from the past and work toward a world without nuclear weapons.

Read | Hiroshima Nagasaki Day 2024: History, photos and bombing facts