Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Primary Sources
CIA. “The Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere.” Current Intelligence Study Number 35.
August 10, 1945. Web.
These are previously confidential CIA Documents about the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity
Sphere, labeling it as Japan’s plans for imperialistic expansionism. Many parts of the
agreement sounded like a union, such as their influences from the Monroe Doctrine and
declarations about “mutual cooperation, friendly relations, accelerating economic
development,” yet was just a ruse for the Japanese to benefit from. See page 3 of the
documents.
Emperor Hirohito notified about Hiroshima A-bomb half day after: Kyodo (n.d.): n. pag. The
Japan Times. Web. 9 Sept. 2014.
This primary source is useful because provides insight about Emperor Hirohito’s feelings
about the bombings; how he tried to stop the war from continuing but failed to do so.
President Truman announces the use of the atomic bomb [Motion picture]. (1945).
C-Span.
This primary source is important because it reassures America why they have dropped the
atomic bomb, so the government would not look like the enemies.
Roosevelt, Franklin. “Infamy Speech.” Joint Session of the US Congress, 8 December 1941,
Washington, D.C.
This primary source is crucial because it is President Theodore address to the public
about the recent events of pearl harbor.
“Statement by the President of the United States.” Draft of a White House Press Release, Harry
S. Truman Library and Museum, 6 Aug. 1945,
This primary source is informational because it describes the recent events of the bombing of
Hiroshima; the future plans that are being placed to end the war with Japan.
Truman, Harry S. “Potsdam Conference.” Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, 17 July 1945.
This primary source is helpful because the declaration states the terms Japan has to follow in
order to confirm its surrender to the United States.
Secondary Sources
Allen, Thomas B. and Polmar N. “The Radio Broadcast That Ended World War II.” The Atlantic,
Atlantic Media Company, 7 Aug. 2015,
This source helps to portray the Emperor’s influence on the decision to surrender and the
process that led to his decision.
"How U.S. Economic Warfare Provoked Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor | Robert Higgs." The
Independent Institute. Web.
This article explains how the US and Japan became more tense towards each other due to
economic reasons. This would also apply to some causes of the conflict.
“Japan Surrenders, August 10-15, 1945.” Manhattan Project: Japan Surrenders, August 10-15,
1945, U.S. Department of Energy.
This source explains some of the effects American weapons like the nuclear bombs had on the
Japanese surrender, and also provides a simpler version of the surrender in general.
Japan's Modern History: An Outline of the Period | Asia for Educators | Columbia University.
Web.
Timeline of Japan from its feudal age to the fall of Japan’s imperial empire. One can see the
cause and effects of japan’s history and apply it to its imperial age
Lipman, Jonathan N. "A Teacher's Resource | Imperial Japan: 1894-1945 | Japan Society." About
Japan. Web.
This source gives an overview of Japan between the late 1800’s to mid 1940’s by a Professor
of a Japanese College.
Masamoto, Kitajima, and Gil Latz. “Japan.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc., 1 Mar. 2018
Treaty of San Francisco - Japan recognized the independence of Korea and renounced all
rights to Taiwan, the Pescadores, the Kurils, and southern Sakhalin and gave up the rights to
the Pacific islands earlier mandated to it by the League of Nations. This was the treaty that
ended the US and Japan conflict, yet the Soviets refused to sign it.
Nichols, T. (2015, August 6). No Other Choice: Why Truman Dropped the Atomic
Bomb on Japan. The National Interest, The Natural Interest, 2015. Web. 6 Aug.2015.
This secondary source is critical because it describes the reasons why President Truman
decided to bomb Japan; how his decision impacted the world today.
Relations Between Japan & the USA in the 1930s & 1940s. (n.d.).
This secondary source is critical because US stopped supplying oil to Japan which caused
the United State to Contemplate for war.
Shoji, Junichiro. The Japanese Termination of War in WW II: The Significance and Causal
Factors of “The End of War”. National Institute for Defense Studies, 17 Sept. 2015.
This source goes over specific ideas connected to the Japanese surrender and explains their
significance in the decision. It is an analytical paper, so it helped us to understand how and
why these events were important.
Voa. "American History: US-Japan Relations Before World War Two." VOA. VOA, 25 May
2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2018
This is a script of a podcast discussing the relations between Japan and the US by Steve
Ember
Williams, Josette H. “The Information War in the Pacific, 1945.” Central Intelligence Agency,
Central Intelligence Agency, 6 May 2009.
This source also goes over Japan’s surrender process. It also includes some US viewpoints on
the event.
Wilson, Ward. “The Bomb Didn't Beat Japan ... Stalin Did.” Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, 31
May 2016.
This sources provides an alternate viewpoint on the Japanese surrender, explaining Russia’s
impact on the decision. Japan surrendered off successive firebombings and Soviet threat of
invasion following the end of their treaty with Japan, rather than the nuclear bombs - the
death rates weren’t ranked very high for the atomic bombs, and the surrender was too quickly
after Nagasaki for that to have been the cause.
Pictography
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Battle_of_Shaho.jpg/350px-
Battle_of_Shaho.jpg
Battle of Shaho
http://www.researchhistory.org/2011/07/02/5664/
Beijing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirohito
Emperor Hirohito
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evacuations_of_civilians_in_Japan_during_World_War_II
Evacuation
http://www.nucleardarkness.org/hiroshima/
Japan after the Bombing
https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/japans-influence-on-cinema-after-wwii/
Japan’s Influence in Modern China
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--
yZJyQawl--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/uahwws2eqoql9pokf4qx.jpg
Little Boy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_East_Asia_Co-Prosperity_Sphere
Manchukuo Propaganda to promote that Japanese expansion is beneficial and peaceful.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/sites/default/files/imagecache/ch_article_main_image/articles/03061
045.jpg
President Truman’s Hiroshima Speech
http://totallyhistory.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/03/Lawrence_Compton_Bush_Conant_Compton_Loomis.jpg
The Manhattan People Meeting Up
https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/photos/images/thumbnails
World War 2 Photos
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/japanese-surrender-document
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Beiping
%E2%80%93Tianjin#/media/File:First_pictures_of_the_Japanese_occupation_of_Peiping_in_C
hina.jpg
Battle of Beiping
https://blog.360cities.net/2011/08/10/hiroshima-after-the-atomic-bomb/
Nuclear Aftermath of Hiroshima