TODAY (August 6) marks the anniversary of the greatest single-act war crime in history, and the origin of our present nuclear nightmare. The universally accepted justification for the Hiroshima atrocity (that it shortened the war and saved Allied lives) has in truth, no historical basis. For a start the dates don’t mesh. The bomb was dripped on August 6, but Japan did not surrender till the 15th. Why the 10 days delay?
This only makes sense if placed in the wider context. The USSR and Japan had a non-aggression pact during the war against Hitler. As agreed at Yalta, three months after the surrender of Germany in May, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. Vast amounts of military equipment were trundled from Europe to Manchuria. There, Marshal Aleksandr Vasilievsky inflicted a crushing defeat on the Japanese army. South Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands were seized. The USSR now occupied Japanese territory, and was poised to invade mainland Japan itself by August 10.
This put the gun to Hirohito’s head. He had to do a deal with the Americans – and quickly –or face a Soviet occupation. This would have meant the his own execution. The Americans did not want to see Japan occupied by Russia, so they accepted the continuation of the Emperor (the one condition the Japanese had been asking for since May).
Prime Minister Suzuki explained, “The Soviet Union will take not only Manchuria, Korea, Karafuto, but also Hokkaido. This would destroy the foundation of Japan. We must end the war when we can deal with the United States.” It was fear of Stalin and his own imminent execution that motivated Emperor Hirohito, not Hiroshima.
In July 1945 the US Joint Chiefs of Staff noted “with atomic weapons a nation must be ready to strike the first blow” The resultant war plan – JIC 329/1 – singled out for obliteration 20 Soviet cities. However, the US only had the two bombs earmarked for Japan. After these experiments proved so successful, US production of nuclear weapons raced ahead. But Russia didn’t have a nuclear bomb till 1949.
I had the privilege of meeting Professor Joseph Rotblat, the last living survivor of the Manhattan Project and a pupil of Albert Einstein’s. He quoted General Leslie Groves, head of the Project, who said: “From two weeks after taking up the post, there was never any illusion on my part that the main purpose of the project was to subdue the Russians."
This throws a very different light on the whole demonology of deterrence. The inescapable historical truth is we were the instigators of the nuclear arms race, and its proponents.
Brian M Quail,
2 Hyndland Avenue, Glasgow.
TODAY (August 6) there will be a peace event in the Peace Garden at Barshaw Park in Paisley at 5pm.
The future existence of Planet Earth and all its inhabitants depends on never dropping nuclear bombs again. So it is an important event for peace activists and those among us who would like their children and grandchildren to have a future.
We will meet at the car park beside the Cafe at 5pm and walk to the Peace Garden. There will be talks from peace activists and hopefully there will be a Hiroshima survivor who will recount their experience. It is important that as many people as possible make it known that nuclear weapons must never be used again.
Margaret Forbes,
Corlic Way, Kilmacolm.
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