Countdown
1945 by Chris Wallace, the anchor of Fox News Sunday,
is a captivating behind-the-scenes account of the 116 days
leading up to the American atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. It offers insight regarding those events that
led up to the decision to use the atomic bomb. What makes
the book riveting is that Wallace wrote it like a novel, creating
the tension as the days counted down until the decision was
made.
Wallace noted, “I wanted to write, for some time, a
historical thriller. Books have been written as to why and
how it happened, but never captured the drama of the events.
I also had the idea of taking a beginning point and counting
down to an ending point. I specifically got the idea to use
this event in February 2019 as I was covering President Trump’s
2019 State of the Union speech. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was talking
to a handful of reporters, giving the Democratic response
in advance. This is a classic Washington phenomenon where
the leader of the other party basically says what is wrong
with the President’s speech before he even delivers
it. But she also told of how this room was where President
Truman was told to rush back to the White House. After he
got off the phone he said, ‘Jesus Christ and General
Jackson.’ Within an hour he would be told that President
Roosevelt had died. He would also learn about the top- secret
Manhattan Project.”
This project was initiated in 1942 to develop an atomic bomb.
If successful, President Truman would have to decide whether
to give the order to drop it to end the war with Japan. Now,
seventy-five years later Wallace discusses the big moral question,
should the US have dropped the bomb on Japan? “I used
my training as a journalist to report what was going on and
what were the people’s motivations. Of course, it is
a lot easier to do seventy-five years later. There is the
benefit of the diaries, memoirs, and letters to loved ones
of those responsible. I hope readers get a sense of the inner
conversation. I wanted to put forth all the facts and let
people decide if it is the right decision or not.”
But there is a difference between morality and reality. Using
the facts laid out in this book and counting down the events,
it appears President Truman made the correct decision. After
all, it is the Japanese government that should be blamed.
First, America gave a warning to the Japanese with the Potsdam
Declaration, stating if Japan did not surrender, it would
face “prompt and utter destruction.” Leaflets
over populated Japanese cities were dropped warning of the
devastation. Then the first atomic bomb was dropped on August
6th, 1945. But Japan still did not surrender. Russia entered
the war on August 8th, 1945, yet Japan still did not surrender.
Three days after the first bomb was dropped the second bomb
was dropped on August 9th, 1945.
Wallace noted, “I came away with the belief that Truman
really had no choice. In fact, even after the second bomb
was dropped on Nagasaki the Japanese government still did
not want to surrender. It was only after Emperor Hirohito
going over the head of the militants and telling the Japanese
people it is time to surrender that they finally did. A number
of people, including Dwight Eisenhower, who was against dropping
the bomb, pointed out that even after the dropping of the
first bomb the Japanese still did not surrender. As horrific
as it was, the Japanese were given a demonstration, the bombing
of Hiroshima, and they still did not surrender. So why would
someone think with just a pure demonstration that they would
have surrendered. As I point out in the book, we gave the
Japanese plenty of opportunities, especially days before dropping
of the bomb.”
The book shows that the decision was not drop the bomb or
do nothing. It was dropping the bomb or invade. “As
I describe in my book, the casualty forecast would be horrific
with one million Japanese casualties and .5 million American
ones. Plus, the war would have gone on for another year and
a half. Can anyone imagine what would have happened if people
found out that Truman had access to the bomb and did not use
it? General MacArthur was against dropping the bomb, but still
predicted, ‘the assault on Japan would be the greatest
bloodletting in history.’ In fact, after the bomb was
dropped 87% supported the bombing and ending the war. It is
not irrational to say we should not have used the bomb, but
if we invaded it would have been horrific. Think of all the
decisions we have made in our own lives. It is not making
the right choice versus the wrong one, but the better choice
as opposed to the worst choice.”
The other aspect covered in the book is the question, should
Truman have ordered just a demonstration to show Japan the
power of the bomb? “There were a number of factors I
write about as to why this was not a feasible argument. Allied
POWs would have been put in harm’s way and used as human
shields. Also, since it had only been tested once, what if
the demonstration did not work? We alerted the Japanese about
this super weapon and it turns out to be a dud. This would
have only increased the Japanese resolve. The third factor,
we only had two bombs at that point. If one was used as a
demonstration, then what?”
Even since those fatal days in August 1945 no other atomic
bomb has ever been used in war. Wallace felt, “In 1945,
we could afford to use the bomb since we were the only country
with it. Now a number of countries have the bomb. There is
this doctrine of mutual assured destruction that has kept
the peace for 75 years. A bomb dropped before all the other
country’s capabilities are taken out could drop a bomb
on us. No country seems to have a first strike capability.
Ronald Reagan said, ‘nuclear war cannot be won, and
should never be fought.’”
Interestingly many of those involved are not looking back.
Hidelko Tamura, a ten-year-old living in Hiroshima at the
time of the bombing had no anger against the Americans. “I
wrote how she was deeply grief stricken having lost her mother,
other relatives, her best friend, and her city. She understands
why the US did it and does not think it was an evil decision.
Yet, she desperately does not want the bomb ever to be used
again.”
Truman had no regrets about his decision. “I was tremendously
impressed by Truman. His meticulous decision-making process
covered all the options and factors again and again. He sought
out and wanted the best advice. He really agonized over his
decision. He could not sleep at night and had searing headaches.
The military and politicians involved in the project never
had second thoughts. But the scientists who turned the technology
into a weapon did.”
Wallace wants readers to get out of the book, “We are
so divided and polarized now it was nice to travel back in
time to 1945. Even though there were 125,000 people working
on the project there was never once a leak about this highly
controversial moral question. Today, if there were just a
few baking apple pies how quickly would someone go on social
media, Twitter, or others saying this is immoral. In 1945,
there was a unity of the country with everyone all in to defeat
a common enemy, even those who did not agree with it.”
Jacob Beser, the only person to fly on both atomic bomb missions
summarized it best. During time of war, America’s leaders
must “attempt to ensure victory with a minimum loss
of life… Using the atomic bombs against Japan was simply
the ultimate step in this approach. I have often been asked
if I had any remorse for what we did in 1945. I assure you
that I have no remorse whatsoever and I will never apologize
for what we did to end World War II. Humane warfare is an
oxymoron. War by definition is barbaric. To try and distinguish
between an acceptable method of killing and an unacceptable
method is ludicrous.”
This book delves into the ticking time bomb with the tension
rising with every page. The 116 days were used to start the
countdown. As the days progressed, so did the readers’
anxiety. This book is a very definitive account of one of
the most significant events in history.
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