The imprint on public consciousness of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which occurred 73 years ago Monday, has faded greatly. The hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, which killed more than 130,000 and left tens of thousands of others with horrendous injuries, have been the most ardent proponents of nuclear abolition. Now they are few in number, and nuclear-armed states seem deaf to their pleas. This anniversary arrives at a time when the “nuclear enterprise” in the United States is gearing up to spend more than $1 trillion on new missiles, bombers, and submarines over the next three decades. Meanwhile, the competing “arms control enterprise” is unraveling: There are at present no negotiations underway to reduce US and Russian nuclear forces, while China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea are increasing theirs. Yet at the same time, the situation isn’t completely bleak. Here are five key points to keep in mind about nuclear weapons on this somber anniversary: 1) The taboo against using nuclear weapons in warfare has held since 1945 — contrary to expectations After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, few were so bold or foolish to predict this. Instead, there was widespread fear and dread after the bomb’s surprise unveiling that it would become an instrument for surprise military attacks, a decisive “war winning” weapon, and — the greatest fear — a civilization-ending weapon. It hasn’t turned out that way — so far. The bomb could have been used by the Truman administration to end the Korean War, or by the Eisenhower administration either in Korea or in Indochina (to bail out France from its losing military campaign there), but it wasn’t. Mushroom clouds could have appeared by accidents, breakdowns in command and control, or during the Cuban missile crisis. Despite close calls, we humans have been extremely fortunate. Sure, the concept of deterrence and the prospect of retaliation have induced caution, but deterrence is all about threats to use nuclear weapons — and threats generate more threats. Diplomacy was essential to curtail dangerous military practices and, eventually, to achieve deep nuclear arms reductions, such as the 2011 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which still permits each side to retain 700 deployed missiles and subs. Overall, US and Russian stockpiles are down around 85 percent from Cold War highs. Such nuclear excess makes it all the more remarkable that, for different reasons at different times, a seven-decade record of non-battlefield use has held. When it comes to the bomb, this taboo is the best thing we’ve got going for us. 2) Nuclear weapons are becoming too provocative to test Russia hasn’t tested since 1990, the United States since 1992, China and France since 1996, India and Pakistan since 1998. The biggest outlier, North Korea, recently declared a closure of its test site. During the Cold War, there was, on average, about one test per week somewhere in the world at test sites, in the atmosphere or at sea. Each test was a declaration of the bomb’s power and utility. Every test demonstrated faith and commitment to battlefield use in the event of a breakdown of deterrence. The absence of nuclear testing conveys a very different message: that nuclear weapons aren’t like other instruments of war. They are different, a class apart. All of this is reversible, to be sure, but the longer the moratorium on nuclear testing continues, the greater the uproar should a nation violate the norm, and the greater the pressure on national leaders to abide by it. 3) Unfortunately, the nuclear taboo might be weakening Few survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain, and memories of mushroom clouds and the close calls of the Cold War are becoming dim. Public opinion polling suggests that many Americans would not think twice if there were a great many casualties against evildoers. For example, a 2017 survey found that 60 percent of Americans would support a nuclear attack on Iran that would kill 20 million civilians, to prevent an invasion that might kill 20,000 American soldiers. A new generation of deterrence strategists believes in the utility of low-yield nuclear weapons for small forays across the nuclear threshold. The Trump administration is working on two new options to add to existing choices, which include B-61 “dial-a-yield” bombs that could be less than one kiloton. (The weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were 15 to 20 kilotons.) The idea of limited nuclear options and low-yield weapons isn’t new, but wiser people have always been skeptical, questioning whether escalation can be controlled once the nuclear threshold has been crossed — especially since Moscow has never shown much interest in escalation control. 4) Traditional instruments of nuclear arms control are either weakened or have been set aside Moscow is disregarding the 1972 Incidents at Sea Agreement and a 1989 agreement to prevent dangerous military practices on the ground or in the air. These executive agreements were designed to avoid provocative actions that could result in hull scrapes and aircraft collisions. The George W. Bush administration withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002, which had facilitated deep cuts in offensive arms. Moscow then withdrew from a treaty banning the placement of multiple warheads atop land-based missiles in 2002 and is proceeding to build new heavy missiles that can carry 10 or more warheads. Moscow has also violated a treaty prohibiting intermediate-range missiles, a move that ratchets up the perceived (and intended) threat to European members of NATO; the United States is taking steps to violate this treaty, as well, to counter Moscow’s leverage. New START, which caps the longest-range instruments of nuclear war fighting — intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers — is set to expire in 2021 and may not be extended. In short, an era of superpower arms control that helped keep the Cold War from becoming hot is coming to a close. 5) International division about nuclear weapons is growing A ban-the-bomb movement has picked up steam in states that have foresworn nuclear weapons, while strong pro-bomb constituencies exist in nuclear-armed nations.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>WARNING: Graphic images ON AUGUST 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima to hasten the end of World War II. American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload, dubbed “Little Boy”, over the city at 8.15am local time. The explosion obliterated nearly everything within 10sq km in the downtown area. Around 140,000 people, or more than half of Hiroshima's population at the time, died. Some died immediately while others succumbed to injuries or radiation-related illnesses weeks, months and years later. Hiroshima — and the Nagasaki bombing that took place three days later — remain the only use of nuclear weapons in the history of warfare. Following the bombings, Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, to Allied forces, officially ending World War II and bringing down the curtain on the costliest conflict in history. MORE: The teen who warned Japan Hiroshima had been bombed MORE: Nuclear missile 200 times more powerful than Hiroshima MORE: Tourists can’t keep away from Hiroshima<doc-sep>TOKYO -- Hiroshima marked the anniversary of the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bombing of the city with a sombre ceremony Monday to remember those killed and injured and a call to eliminate nuclear weapons amid hopes of denuclearizing North Korea. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui opened his speech by describing the hellish scene of the blast that morning 73 years ago and the agony of the victims, telling the audience to listen "as if you and your loved ones were there." Then he raised concerns about the global rise of egocentrism and tensions, and urged Japan's government to take more leadership toward achieving a truly nuclear-free world. "Certain countries are blatantly proclaiming self-centred nationalism and modernizing their nuclear arsenals, rekindling tensions that had eased with the end of the Cold War," Matsui said, without identifying the nations. Nuclear deterrence and nuclear umbrellas are "inherently unstable and extremely dangerous" approaches that seek to maintain international order by only generating fear in rival countries, he said, urging world leaders to negotiate in good faith to eliminate nuclear arsenals instead. The U.S. attack on Hiroshima killed 140,000 people, and the bombing of Nagasaki killed more than 70,000 three days later, leading to Japan's surrender and ending World War II. Matsui said in his speech that Japan's government should do more to achieve a nuclear-free world by helping the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons take effect. Japan, which hosts U.S. troops and is covered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella protecting it from attack, has not signed the treaty. Japan should live up to the spirit of its pacifist constitution to lead the international community "toward dialogue and co-operation for a world without nuclear weapons," Matsui said. About 50,000 people, including Hiroshima residents and representatives from 58 countries, including U.S. Ambassador William Hagerty, attended this year's ceremony. Survivors, their relatives and other participants marked the 8:15 a.m. blast with a minute of silence. The anniversary comes amid hopes to denuclearize North Korea after President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made vague aspirational statements of denuclearizing the peninsula when they met in Singapore in June. "We in civil society fervently hope that the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula will proceed through peaceable dialogue," Matsui said. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also was at the ceremony, said differences between the nuclear and non-nuclear states are widening. But he pledged to do more to bridge their gap. In order to gain co-operation from both sides, it is important for everyone to understand "the reality of the tragedy of nuclear attacks," he said, reiterating Japan's pledge to maintain its pacifist and non-nuclear principles.<doc-sep>
In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs three days apart on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The bombings combined killed almost 200,000 people. It remains the only time that nuclear weapons were used in warfare. As World War II was entering its sixth year, Nazi Germany had surrendered in May but the Japanese refused to accept the terms of surrender. The United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945. Failure to comply would result in "prompt and utter destruction," according to history.com. A uranium atomic bomb called "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. The "Fat Man" plutonium bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9. Thousands were killed instantly. Thousands of others died within months from burns and radiation sickness. On Aug. 15, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies. The Evening News, Monday, Aug. 6, 1945: "Atomic Bomb Used First Time" "Truman Reveals Secret of Miracle Explosive Equal to 20,000 Tons of the Deadliest TNT" "The United States has unleashed against Japan the terror of an atomic bomb 2000 times more powerful than the biggest blockbusters ever used in warfare. President Truman revealed this great scientific achievement today and warned the Japanese that they now face 'a rain of ruin from the air the like of which has never been seen on this earth.' The new atomic bomb was used for the first time yesterday. An American plane dropped one on the Japanese army base at Hiroshima." Hiroshima Memorial Day will be observed Aug. 5-6 in Harrisburg by the Harrisburg Peace Promenade and Physicians for Social Responsibility. A service will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Market Square Presbyterian Church followed by the "Candles on the Water" in the Susquehanna River at Front and Mulberry streets. A wreath will be laid at the Hiroshima Monument at Front and Woodbine streets at 3 p.m. Aug. 6. Speakers will include artist, activist and pastor Virginia Cohn Parkum and poet laureate Rick Kearns.