this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2024
304 points (96.3% liked)

World News

39032 readers
3127 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] CosmicCleric@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

No, the targeting committee was very clear that the targets were selected mainly based on spectacle and effect.

That's not my understanding at all, only just that having witnesses was a side effect, but not the primary reason.

From what I remember from watching documentaries there were military targets in the cities, I think (don't hold me to it) bomb making factories.

~~Feel free to pass on some links if you know otherwise, as history is always a learning experience.~~ (See edit below.)

Edit: Looking at the Wiki page, under the section about targeting, it mentions this about Hiroshima...

Hiroshima, an embarkation port and industrial center that was the site of a major military headquarters

... and...

Hiroshima was described as "an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urban industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large part of the city could be extensively damaged. There are adjacent hills which are likely to produce a focusing effect which would considerably increase the blast damage.

The wiki article does mention what you're stating as well, so in essence we're both right, though I would still argue that the military objective was primary, and the spectacle as you call it was secondary, even if it was a close secondary.