In Hiroshima, there are permanent shadows caused by the intensity of the nuclear blast when the bomb was dropped.
Terrifying.
Somewhat irreverent tangent here, but in Promethean: the Created, one of the lines was the Zeky. Zeky are Prometheans created with nuclear energy, and one of their powers was turning into a Hiroshima shadow. It certainly makes for good horror.
(via marsthebringerofwar)
A liberated Jew holds a Nazi at the point of his bajonet.
DAM.
damn I want to get a print of this
(via marsthebringerofwar)
Ancient Roman Dogtag,
Inscription Reads: “Hold me if I am lost and return me to my master Viventius on the estate of Callistus”
(via marsthebringerofwar)
German Katzbalger “Landsknecht” Sword
- Dated: 1508
- Measurements: length 73 cm
On the blade lies a fine engraving with a birth date, the letters and the year “A - S 1504”, plus the following inscription: “T……VERBUA - WR,WASW - VI..ESE.”
Because of the shape of the blade (no pointy or slightly rounded tip) it is possible that this was actually an Executioner’s sword with the guard of the typical Katzbalger sword.
Sidenotes:
- The German Landsknechte (German plural, singular Landsknecht), meaning “servants of the land”, were colourful mercenary soldiers with a redoubtable reputation, who took over the Swiss forces’ legacy and became the most formidable military force of the late 15th and throughout 16th century Europe, consisting predominantly of German and Swiss mercenary pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, they achieved the reputation for being the universal mercenary of early modern Europe.
- Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 to 1519, formed the first mercenary Landsknecht regiments in 1487. He called upon Georg von Frundsberg (1473–1528), known by many as the Father of the Landsknechte, to assist him in their organization. Landsknechte later went on to fight in almost every 16th-century military campaign, sometimes on both sides of the engagement.
Photo source & Copyright: Bolk Antiques
Sidenotes source: Wikipedia
(via marsthebringerofwar)
world history
I wonder how much trouble I would get in if I hung this in my classroom when I become a history teacher
This is incredible
(via banooru)
Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer (Father of the atomic bomb)
Truly the face of a haunted man.
(via goldenchance)
![waywardsonofcthonia:
slaaneshi-party-bus:
waywardsonofcthonia:
slaaneshi-party-bus:
dimensionsintime:
cutetimmytim:
dimensionsintime:
annespage:
mutantbakabutt:
foreverisreal:
blunts-and-robots:
devils-in-my-head:
this this this this this
if anyone hates me for this you’re not thinking clearly
think about the amount of people killed in the middle east, too ..
lol so edgy xD
the only reason america dropped the atomic bomb was because we were at WAR idiots, if we hadn’t dropped the bomb the war would’ve lasted at lot longer. 9/11 was an act of terrorism, why don’t you go watch a video of the twin towers as they burn after the planes crash into them and later collapse in on themselves burying not only the people that worked there inside, but also the police officers and firefighters who were trying to rescue any survivors, and before they collapsed, when people were forced to choose to burn or jump out to their deaths. so yeah, the atomic bomb killed more people, but one was during WWII and the other was a direct attack of terrorism on America. And the only reason we were at war with Japan was because they attacked us at pearl harbor, if they hadn’t done that the war would’ve stayed in Europe and the atomic bomb wouldn’t have been dropped.
Not even remotely true, but thanks for playing. This misconception largely occurs because of the famous Stimson article that was featured in Harpers’ magazine.
Of course, he didn’t actually WRITE the thing and, though it presents itself as a fireside chat between two people it was actually a heavily engineered document, and almost every fact cited was knowingly wrong by the government at the time (declassified documents - read ‘em). But hey! What better source for info!
That’s neither here nor there though since Japan tried to surrender before we dropped the bomb.
Several Times.
Yes, Japan tried to surrender. Once through Russia, once through Switzerland, once through the Vatican of all places, and many times appealing directly to Truman. We turned them down because of the stipulation that we were not allowed to touch their emperor, a concession the US was not willing to make at the time.
“Foreign Minister Shigemitsu has instructed Ambassador Sato [in Moscow] to find out whether Russia is willing to assist in bringing about a negotiated peace. Shigemitsu’s instructions, although cautiously worded, clearly imply that he has in mind a move by Russia to initiate peace discussions between Japan and the Anglo-Americans… [I]t seems hardly likely that he would have taken such a step without having consulted at least some of the more important members of the new Japanese cabinet… This is the first time that the Japanese have been willing to suggest to Russia directly that they are ready for peace.”
-“Japanese Consider Peace Possibilities” War Department MAGIC reports of intercepted messages: EYES ONLY for President and closest advisers
“I learn from a very reliable source that in important civilian circles in Japan the peace problem is being discussed with increasing anxiety. A speedy German collapse is expected and it is not believed that Japan can then continue the war. It is therefore considered necessary to get peace as soon as possible before the country and towns are destroyed… If any willingness appeared to exist in London the Japanese would be ready for preliminary discussions through Swedish channels. Behind the man who gave me this message stands one of the best known statesment in Japan and there is no doubt that this attempt must be considered as a serious one.”
-Telegram from Swedish minister in Tokyo given from the British Ambassador to the United States
“…It seems probably that very far-reaching conditions would be accepted by the Japanese by way of negotiation… Exchange of the Japanese constituted must also be considered as excluded. The Emperor must not be touched. However, the Imperial power could be somewhat democratized as is that of the English King”
-Report from Swedish minister in Tokyo sent to US State Department
AND EVEN LATER THEY GAVE THOSE CONDITIONS UP
“…Stated that he had been asked by Masutaro Inoue, Counsellor for the Japanese Legation in Portugal, to contact United States representatives. Source quoted Inoue as saying that the Japanese are ready to cease hostilities, provided they are allowed to retain possession of their home islands… On 19 May [1945], the OSS representative reported Inoue again had repeated to source his desire to talk with an American representative. On this occasion Inoue declared that actual peace terms were unimportant so long as the term ‘unconditional surrender’ was not employed.”
-OSS Representative report directly to Truman
Of course, we did anyway. But that’s not important.
Because the bomb wasn’t about Japan.
In Derry and Ramsey’s Memo to Groves (May 12, 1945) when picking a target for the atomic bomb, one of the primary listed reasons for picking a target was:
“making the initial use sufficiently spectacular for the importance of the weapon to be internationally recognized when publicity on it is released.”
In fact, they ranked targets - AA to B. Know what got the lowest ratings? Military targets. The ones that got the highest ratings were civilian ones.
Japan was currently researching wooden planes. WOODEN PLANES. They had attempted to give up, we said no. They had already lost the war when we dropped the bomb. They knew this - hell, they tried to surrender.
So why did we drop the bomb, then?
A close reading of the memo tells all. It was to make an impact on the international community.
Do you know how Truman was first informed about the Manhatten Project and the bomb? It was in a discussion with the Secretary of State in regards to negotiations with Russia after the war.
Truman kept delaying the “Big Three” discussions, the most important political talks in recorded history, until basically the day AFTER the Trinity Tests - he wanted to wait until he knew he had the bomb as a political piece. Stalin and Churchill were VERY angry at him pushing the date back with little to no reason given (they knew, of course, because of spies and intelligence).
Still don’t believe me?
The Secretary of War, and MOST of the army was against dropping the bomb. They wanted to give the option of doing a demonstration and giving Japan an option of total surrender (that we get to do whatever we want with the Emperor) or of giving Japan time to evacuate the civilian population before bombing a city.
Oh, and there’s this from Stimson’s Memo of Talk with Truman (June 6, 1945)
“I told [the President] that I was anxious about this feature of the war for two reasons: first, because I did not want to have the United States get the reputation of outdoing Hitler in atrocities; and second, I was a little fearful that before we could get ready the Air Force might have Japan so thoroughly bombed out that the new weapon would not have a fair background to show its strength. He laughed and said he understood.”
He laughed.
An estimated 500,000 people died between Nagasaki and Hiroshima if you count deaths by radiation poisoning and long-term cancer.
And Truman could only laugh because he was worried the bomb might not be noticeable amongst the wreckage of Japan.
The reason for dropping the bomb was to give America a better condition amongst the international population, particularly Stalin and Russia, in the coming years. It was to make Russia afraid to invade Japan (and from there, the fear was, the rest of Asia) when they knew America had interests in it. They dropped the bomb to give them an advantage when negotiating in the future and to give them a start when everyone began arming (a situation tons of scientists warned everyone about in The Franck Report).
But don’t pretend it was about Japan. And don’t you dare pretend it was about peace.
500,000 people died and all Truman could do was laugh.
I’m rebloggjng this because of the fullness of the information-rich response (the part that actually contains facts, not the rah rah America one)
Bringing this back because it needs to be said and people need reminding.
Huh. Wonder how many people died during the Rape of Nanking. I’m not saying that the use of atomic weapons during WW2 had nothing to do with showing our Soviet allies what was up, that’s pretty well demonstrated. But for whatever reason, people ignore that Japan was an axis power and did some fucking awful things - for whatever reason, the firebombing of Dresden is a-ok but the use of atomic weapons on Japan was just OMG THE WORST THING EVER.
Over 250,000 to 300,000 were killed at the Rape of Nanking. And 20,000 women were raped, including infants and the elderly.
I had thought it was up to 500,000 but I was being rhetorical. I mostly want to know why the atrocities Imperial Japan committed are glossed over and the ones Nazi Germany committed are discussed forever. Like the population of Hiroshima was totally innocent and blameless but the people who died during the firebombing of Dresden and the people who were raped and murdered during the invasion of Berlin were just Nazi assholes who deserved what they got.
Some say the Japaneses war crimes were worse than the Nazi’s. You can search online Japaneses soldiers bayoneting babies, beheading prisoners and civilians, burying people alive, and so on. Ever hear of comfort women? The women and female children were basically kidnapped and taken along with Imperial Forces and systematically raped. The ages were 9-22. Then you have the horrific treatment of allied prisoners, the testing in China. The two cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were military targets. By this time in the war all their industry moved to populated areas. And there were military installations. 2 million Germans were raped as they steamrolled through Germany, and not just the goosestepping fucks, but civilians. Women and children.
But at least many modern Japanese either don’t know it happened or actively deny it! Oh, the wonders of selective storytelling.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma6vdfhlLe1rujoxho1_400.jpg)
this this this this this
if anyone hates me for this you’re not thinking clearly
think about the amount of people killed in the middle east, too ..
lol so edgy xD
the only reason america dropped the atomic bomb was because we were at WAR idiots, if we hadn’t dropped the bomb the war would’ve lasted at lot longer. 9/11 was an act of terrorism, why don’t you go watch a video of the twin towers as they burn after the planes crash into them and later collapse in on themselves burying not only the people that worked there inside, but also the police officers and firefighters who were trying to rescue any survivors, and before they collapsed, when people were forced to choose to burn or jump out to their deaths. so yeah, the atomic bomb killed more people, but one was during WWII and the other was a direct attack of terrorism on America. And the only reason we were at war with Japan was because they attacked us at pearl harbor, if they hadn’t done that the war would’ve stayed in Europe and the atomic bomb wouldn’t have been dropped.
Not even remotely true, but thanks for playing. This misconception largely occurs because of the famous Stimson article that was featured in Harpers’ magazine.
Of course, he didn’t actually WRITE the thing and, though it presents itself as a fireside chat between two people it was actually a heavily engineered document, and almost every fact cited was knowingly wrong by the government at the time (declassified documents - read ‘em). But hey! What better source for info!
That’s neither here nor there though since Japan tried to surrender before we dropped the bomb.
Several Times.
Yes, Japan tried to surrender. Once through Russia, once through Switzerland, once through the Vatican of all places, and many times appealing directly to Truman. We turned them down because of the stipulation that we were not allowed to touch their emperor, a concession the US was not willing to make at the time.
“Foreign Minister Shigemitsu has instructed Ambassador Sato [in Moscow] to find out whether Russia is willing to assist in bringing about a negotiated peace. Shigemitsu’s instructions, although cautiously worded, clearly imply that he has in mind a move by Russia to initiate peace discussions between Japan and the Anglo-Americans… [I]t seems hardly likely that he would have taken such a step without having consulted at least some of the more important members of the new Japanese cabinet… This is the first time that the Japanese have been willing to suggest to Russia directly that they are ready for peace.”
-“Japanese Consider Peace Possibilities” War Department MAGIC reports of intercepted messages: EYES ONLY for President and closest advisers
“I learn from a very reliable source that in important civilian circles in Japan the peace problem is being discussed with increasing anxiety. A speedy German collapse is expected and it is not believed that Japan can then continue the war. It is therefore considered necessary to get peace as soon as possible before the country and towns are destroyed… If any willingness appeared to exist in London the Japanese would be ready for preliminary discussions through Swedish channels. Behind the man who gave me this message stands one of the best known statesment in Japan and there is no doubt that this attempt must be considered as a serious one.”
-Telegram from Swedish minister in Tokyo given from the British Ambassador to the United States
“…It seems probably that very far-reaching conditions would be accepted by the Japanese by way of negotiation… Exchange of the Japanese constituted must also be considered as excluded. The Emperor must not be touched. However, the Imperial power could be somewhat democratized as is that of the English King”
-Report from Swedish minister in Tokyo sent to US State Department
AND EVEN LATER THEY GAVE THOSE CONDITIONS UP
“…Stated that he had been asked by Masutaro Inoue, Counsellor for the Japanese Legation in Portugal, to contact United States representatives. Source quoted Inoue as saying that the Japanese are ready to cease hostilities, provided they are allowed to retain possession of their home islands… On 19 May [1945], the OSS representative reported Inoue again had repeated to source his desire to talk with an American representative. On this occasion Inoue declared that actual peace terms were unimportant so long as the term ‘unconditional surrender’ was not employed.”
-OSS Representative report directly to Truman
Of course, we did anyway. But that’s not important.
Because the bomb wasn’t about Japan.
In Derry and Ramsey’s Memo to Groves (May 12, 1945) when picking a target for the atomic bomb, one of the primary listed reasons for picking a target was:
“making the initial use sufficiently spectacular for the importance of the weapon to be internationally recognized when publicity on it is released.”
In fact, they ranked targets - AA to B. Know what got the lowest ratings? Military targets. The ones that got the highest ratings were civilian ones.
Japan was currently researching wooden planes. WOODEN PLANES. They had attempted to give up, we said no. They had already lost the war when we dropped the bomb. They knew this - hell, they tried to surrender.
So why did we drop the bomb, then?
A close reading of the memo tells all. It was to make an impact on the international community.
Do you know how Truman was first informed about the Manhatten Project and the bomb? It was in a discussion with the Secretary of State in regards to negotiations with Russia after the war.
Truman kept delaying the “Big Three” discussions, the most important political talks in recorded history, until basically the day AFTER the Trinity Tests - he wanted to wait until he knew he had the bomb as a political piece. Stalin and Churchill were VERY angry at him pushing the date back with little to no reason given (they knew, of course, because of spies and intelligence).
Still don’t believe me?
The Secretary of War, and MOST of the army was against dropping the bomb. They wanted to give the option of doing a demonstration and giving Japan an option of total surrender (that we get to do whatever we want with the Emperor) or of giving Japan time to evacuate the civilian population before bombing a city.
Oh, and there’s this from Stimson’s Memo of Talk with Truman (June 6, 1945)
“I told [the President] that I was anxious about this feature of the war for two reasons: first, because I did not want to have the United States get the reputation of outdoing Hitler in atrocities; and second, I was a little fearful that before we could get ready the Air Force might have Japan so thoroughly bombed out that the new weapon would not have a fair background to show its strength. He laughed and said he understood.”
He laughed.
An estimated 500,000 people died between Nagasaki and Hiroshima if you count deaths by radiation poisoning and long-term cancer.
And Truman could only laugh because he was worried the bomb might not be noticeable amongst the wreckage of Japan.
The reason for dropping the bomb was to give America a better condition amongst the international population, particularly Stalin and Russia, in the coming years. It was to make Russia afraid to invade Japan (and from there, the fear was, the rest of Asia) when they knew America had interests in it. They dropped the bomb to give them an advantage when negotiating in the future and to give them a start when everyone began arming (a situation tons of scientists warned everyone about in The Franck Report).
But don’t pretend it was about Japan. And don’t you dare pretend it was about peace.
500,000 people died and all Truman could do was laugh.
I’m rebloggjng this because of the fullness of the information-rich response (the part that actually contains facts, not the rah rah America one)
Bringing this back because it needs to be said and people need reminding.
Huh. Wonder how many people died during the Rape of Nanking. I’m not saying that the use of atomic weapons during WW2 had nothing to do with showing our Soviet allies what was up, that’s pretty well demonstrated. But for whatever reason, people ignore that Japan was an axis power and did some fucking awful things - for whatever reason, the firebombing of Dresden is a-ok but the use of atomic weapons on Japan was just OMG THE WORST THING EVER.
Over 250,000 to 300,000 were killed at the Rape of Nanking. And 20,000 women were raped, including infants and the elderly.
I had thought it was up to 500,000 but I was being rhetorical. I mostly want to know why the atrocities Imperial Japan committed are glossed over and the ones Nazi Germany committed are discussed forever. Like the population of Hiroshima was totally innocent and blameless but the people who died during the firebombing of Dresden and the people who were raped and murdered during the invasion of Berlin were just Nazi assholes who deserved what they got.
Some say the Japaneses war crimes were worse than the Nazi’s. You can search online Japaneses soldiers bayoneting babies, beheading prisoners and civilians, burying people alive, and so on. Ever hear of comfort women? The women and female children were basically kidnapped and taken along with Imperial Forces and systematically raped. The ages were 9-22. Then you have the horrific treatment of allied prisoners, the testing in China. The two cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were military targets. By this time in the war all their industry moved to populated areas. And there were military installations. 2 million Germans were raped as they steamrolled through Germany, and not just the goosestepping fucks, but civilians. Women and children.
But at least many modern Japanese either don’t know it happened or actively deny it! Oh, the wonders of selective storytelling.
(via gorecoveredrampager)
