EP34 Atomic Accountability
Summary
Dan Carlin interviews Alex Wellerstein, author of *The Most Awful Responsibility*, who argues that Harry Truman misunderstood the atomic bomb’s target, believing he ordered a strike on a military base rather than a city. The discussion challenges traditional narratives, suggesting Truman was kept out of detailed operational decisions and later assumed full responsibility to prevent future civilian targeting. They explore how Truman’s lack of technical knowledge and the decentralized nature of wartime decision-making led to this historical misconception.
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