Speaking to the American people via radio, Truman described the bomb as “harnessing of the basic power of the universe,” and swore that “we shall completely destroy Japan’s power to make war.” Though Truman hoped to avoid as many civilian casualties as possible, the loss of innocent lives was inevitable, and tens of thousands would die upon impact, with tens of thousands more dying from radiation poisoning and other longer-term effects. In the hours after Truman drops the bomb on Hiroshima, news reports begin to surface of “a city vanished.” Truman never regretted the decision, seeing the bomb as the quickest way to bring an end to the bloodiest war in history.
