Nuclear Anniversary: The Atom Bomb Was Deemed “Essential”. “A Rain of Ruin, the Likes of which has Never been seen Before”
On 1 September 1939 – the date of the beginning of the Second World War
– the President of the United States of America, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
wrote to «the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and His
Britannic Majesty» saying that
«The ruthless bombing from the air of civilians in unfortified centres of population during the course of the
hostilities which have raged in various quarters of the earth during
the past few years, which has resulted in the maiming and in the death
of thousands of defenceless men, women, and children, has sickened the
hearts of every civilized man and woman, and has profoundly shocked the
conscience of humanity».
He
was rightly appalled about the aerial slaughter of civilians and
desired each country to which he addressed his appeal «to affirm its
determination that its armed forces shall in no event, and under no
circumstances, undertake the bombardment from the air of civilian
populations or of unfortified cities, upon the understanding that these
same rules of warfare will be scrupulously observed by all of their
opponents».
was rightly appalled about the aerial slaughter of civilians and
desired each country to which he addressed his appeal «to affirm its
determination that its armed forces shall in no event, and under no
circumstances, undertake the bombardment from the air of civilian
populations or of unfortified cities, upon the understanding that these
same rules of warfare will be scrupulously observed by all of their
opponents».
