While there are few examples of nuclear warfare in history, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan serve as one of them. Many forget with all the threats from foreign countries like North Korea, that the United States is still to this day to the only country use this warfare. At the tail end of World War II, the US made a seemingly necessary decision to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The end result was over 100,000 casualties, two demolished cities, and an end to arguably the most impactful wars in history. Although there are examples of mass death in history, death to this amplitude and with the use of this warfare is unparalleled. The following picture shows a man looking upon what once was the city of Hiroshima, but is now a wasteland of debris. When looking at the man, rubble, and the diminished building, it is evident that an entire city has been transformed into a wasteland as a result of war, which is important because it could happen anywhere.

When observing the picture, we can see that the man is placed at the center; a large amount of the picture is focused on this man. The man looks out into what was once a city, and has now been reduced to a rubble-filled wasteland. The man is alone and hunched over, looking as if he is just now taking it all in. We can note that this man is alone, and a possible inference one can make is that this bombing has had a direct impact on his life. The fact that he is alone suggests that the bombing of this city could have his family away from him. Although we can see the man and his posture, one aspect we cannot see is his face. Therefore, it is very possible that this man is not even of Japanese descent or citizenship. The fact that we can only see his back leaves his race in ambiguity. Sure, we could assume that this man is Japanese, but the photographer chose to take this picture with the man's back facing him. With this said, theoretically, this man could be of any racial descent, because anyone in the world who would come across this sight would be in awe and disbelief. Another point that is seemingly simple one can draw is the fact that this man is alive. Since he is alive and his surroundings have been completely demolished, one can infer that he was not present at the site during the bombing. One can also note that this man is the only sign of life in this picture. Standing in front of a city that possibly had hundreds of thousands of people is now just accompanied by one shocked man, taking it all in. Regardless of this mans racial descent or whether this bombing affected him directly/indirectly, either way war has left this man in disbelief and could happen to anyone when warfare is involved.

The man is surrounded by rubble, of which the majority of the photo is comprised. Within the rubble, there are three key elements that allude to a city once populated. First, there are metal rods and broken up wall, suggesting that there was once infrastructure. This supports the idea that this wasteland was once a city, populated densely with large amounts of people.  Additionally, the rubble is not laid flat, but rather in piles. This implies that there once multiple storied buildings that collapsed in heaps of rubble. To further support this idea, we can see that there is a wheel emerging from the mound of debris. This was either once a bike or some sort of motorized bicycle, but gives the viewer evidence that this city was inhabited during the blast. It also gives one reason to believe that the owner of this bike was killed during the blast, since the bike half buried in rubble. This picture illustrates that was once a thriving and large city, is now nothing but piles of debris with no signs of life. Even a tree springing from the debris in the distance has been stripped of its leaves and has been transformed to a brittle dying piece of timber. The cities current condition in the picture also emphasizes that this was all a result of war.

In the distance, a building stands alone among the refuse. This seems to be the object of the man's attention. The building ignites thoughts of the devolution of mankind, and illustrates the outcome of nuclear warfare. We can assume the damage to the building was brought forth by a bomb because of the details of its damage. This four-story building still has some walls standing, while the rest have been blown off which points towards an explosion. The building is a symbol to depict that it is the remaining standing structure in this field of ruin. When taking a closer look at the building, it looks as if it had a dome on top. Also, there is a wall on the perimeter of this building, which seems to go around the entire building. This can mean a number of things, but most importantly highlights that this building likely is an important structure. If walls were placed around this building, chances are it was something of significance worth protecting. The structure not only shows what this city once was, but what the city could have been, but never will. War not only destroyed this building, city, and civilization, but has put a halt on the city's growing potential. Putting historical knowledge aside, by looking at this picture alone, it is nearly impossible to label this building indigenous to Japan. Realistically, this building could be anywhere on the globe, reinforcing the fact that the outbreak of war can affect anyone, anywhere.

It is easy to glance at a photograph such as this one and come to a conclusion that it is simply the fallout of Hiroshima after the nuclear bombing. However, when taking a closer look, one can take away much more than that. While this man is likely Japanese, the photographer took this picture with the man's back towards him, leaving his race up in the air. This leaves the viewer wondering whether or not he is visiting the site or has connection to it. Either way, the man is astonished at the sight, and is an example of how war impacts everyone. The rubble gives evidence that this city was once flourishing with tall buildings and life. The remains of a building in the background are the lone structural survivor in this picture, and shows what this city once was. All elements of the picture depict an outcome of war, and give us reason to believe that this could happen anywhere given warfare. Hopefully pictures like this portray to the world today the very real consequences of nuclear warfare and that is something our generation never has to worry about.
