Potsdam Conference

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Recommended: Importances of History

What is so important about learning about past events in our history? Well, the answer is simple, in order to move forward in the future and advance as a society, one must first be able to recall events that occured in the past. One year in particular that had a major impact on the world for years that followed was the year 1945, which had many influential events including the Potsdam Conference, the atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Battle of the Bulge.
One of the major events in the year 1945 was the Potsdam Conference. During this meeting of monumental importance, “the leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union” (Rothfeld 1) met to discuss “the occupation of Germany, [and] plans for war reparations by Germany” …show more content…

One of the most devastating events in the history of the United States was the bombing by Japan at Pearl Harbor. Many Americans were killed by the surprise attack by the Japanese that day. As a response, the United States planned the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The attack was initiated “on August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m. (local time)... [the bomb] destroy[ed] 60 percent of the city, and kill[ed] an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people immediately” (“Atomic Bombing of Japan The Issue” 2). Although this was an attack in response to their attack on us, there were still people that questioned our use of the bomb. Some of the skeptics claimed that using these bombs on innocent civilians “is immortal and barbaric”, and unnecessary because “indications show[ed] that Japan [was] pursuing peace negotiations” (“Atomic Bombing of Japan The Issue” 1). However, the U.S. government claimed that “using the atomic bomb against Japan is the most effective means of bringing World War II to an end… [and] all indications show that Japan [would have fought] to the very last man, so a drastic course of action [was] needed” (“Atomic Bombing of Japan The Issue” 1). Because this event was so controversial between the American people, this event goes down in American history as one of the most impactful from the year

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