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Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Date Range
August 6 and 9, 1945
Location
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan
Combatants
United States vs. Imperial Japan
Outcome
Near-total destruction of two cities; Japan surrendered August 15, 1945
Casualties
Hiroshima: 70,000–80,000 immediate deaths, over 100,000 total. Nagasaki: 40,000 immediate deaths
Strategic Significance
The only use of nuclear weapons in warfare. Ended the Pacific war and launched the nuclear age. Remain the subject of deep and continuing moral debate among historians about their necessity.