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Disputes over Public Memory of U.S. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Case of Smithsonian’s Enola Gay Exhibitions (1994–2003)

  • Grzegorz Nycz
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Instrumentalizing the Past
This chapter is in the book Instrumentalizing the Past

Abstract

The paper analyses the U.S. memory politics dispute of veterans’ associations and intellectuals for and against the atomic bombings as a mean to end WWII despite Japan’s fierce resistance in the context of Smithsonian Enola Gay exhibits between 1994 and 2003. The dispute concerned alternatives to nuclear weapons. The first discussed exhibition case (1994) was centred on the broader context of the bombings (WWII losses of the U.S.) as a veterans’ expected scenario of the exhibition. The 2003 discussion was driven by leftist opposition to G.W. Bush military policies and protests of Japanese atomic victims organizations against the depiction of Enola Gay mission as heroic

Abstract

The paper analyses the U.S. memory politics dispute of veterans’ associations and intellectuals for and against the atomic bombings as a mean to end WWII despite Japan’s fierce resistance in the context of Smithsonian Enola Gay exhibits between 1994 and 2003. The dispute concerned alternatives to nuclear weapons. The first discussed exhibition case (1994) was centred on the broader context of the bombings (WWII losses of the U.S.) as a veterans’ expected scenario of the exhibition. The 2003 discussion was driven by leftist opposition to G.W. Bush military policies and protests of Japanese atomic victims organizations against the depiction of Enola Gay mission as heroic

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Introduction 1
  4. International Conflicts Employing History as Its Instrument: What they are and how to Measure them?
  5. Historical Memory as a Variable: Two Analytic Frameworks 11
  6. How (and why) to Measure Conflicts of Memory? 31
  7. History as an Instrument of Politics in Central and Eastern Europe
  8. Between Orwell and Fukuyama. Poland and its Neighbours: Disputes over History 43
  9. Overcoming Conflicting Memories: History in the Polish-German Relations after 1989 55
  10. Heritage Burnt, Heritage Born – Paradox of “Space of Memory” in Conflicts: Ukraine’s Experience Reconsidered 71
  11. The Accession Policy and Identity Conflict 79
  12. Narrating Conflicts in Post-Truth Era: Facing Revisionist Russia. Ukraine and Georgia in a Comparative Perspective 91
  13. The Dynamic Character of the Conflictual Historical Narrative (on the Example of the Georgian-Turkish Relations) 125
  14. The Politics of Graves – Negotiations, Practice and Reactions about Fallen German Soldiers of World War Two and Their Resting Places in Russia 133
  15. Peaceful Foreign Policy and Remembrance of War Effort. The Conceptualisation of Willingness to Defend in Finland and Its Connections to Previous Armed Conflict, 1960s–1989 147
  16. History and Politics beyond Europe
  17. Shadows of the Past. Japanese Imperial Policy and Its Influence on Contemporary Domestic and Foreign Policy of Japan 159
  18. Disputes over Public Memory of U.S. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Case of Smithsonian’s Enola Gay Exhibitions (1994–2003) 189
  19. Japan’s Power in East Sumatra and South Sumatra 201
  20. From Allies to Enemies; Putting the Israeli- Iranian Conflict in Historical Context 213
  21. History and its Impact on Contemporary International Relations: The Case of Rwanda 231
  22. Successes and Failures: Methods of Getting Out of Historical Conflicts
  23. The Resurfacing of the “Titanic” in the Balkan Bermuda Triangle: Political Conflicts over History between Sofia, Skopje and Athens before and after 1989 245
  24. Israeli-Polish Political Dispute over the Amendment of the Act of the Institute of National Remembrance 259
  25. Historical Commissions: A Mean to Overcome Traumatic Historical Experiences? 275
  26. Possibilities of Building a Memory Dialogue between Russia and Poland Concerning Soviet Repression 291
  27. List of Contributors 301
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110769791-013

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Introduction 1
  4. International Conflicts Employing History as Its Instrument: What they are and how to Measure them?
  5. Historical Memory as a Variable: Two Analytic Frameworks 11
  6. How (and why) to Measure Conflicts of Memory? 31
  7. History as an Instrument of Politics in Central and Eastern Europe
  8. Between Orwell and Fukuyama. Poland and its Neighbours: Disputes over History 43
  9. Overcoming Conflicting Memories: History in the Polish-German Relations after 1989 55
  10. Heritage Burnt, Heritage Born – Paradox of “Space of Memory” in Conflicts: Ukraine’s Experience Reconsidered 71
  11. The Accession Policy and Identity Conflict 79
  12. Narrating Conflicts in Post-Truth Era: Facing Revisionist Russia. Ukraine and Georgia in a Comparative Perspective 91
  13. The Dynamic Character of the Conflictual Historical Narrative (on the Example of the Georgian-Turkish Relations) 125
  14. The Politics of Graves – Negotiations, Practice and Reactions about Fallen German Soldiers of World War Two and Their Resting Places in Russia 133
  15. Peaceful Foreign Policy and Remembrance of War Effort. The Conceptualisation of Willingness to Defend in Finland and Its Connections to Previous Armed Conflict, 1960s–1989 147
  16. History and Politics beyond Europe
  17. Shadows of the Past. Japanese Imperial Policy and Its Influence on Contemporary Domestic and Foreign Policy of Japan 159
  18. Disputes over Public Memory of U.S. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Case of Smithsonian’s Enola Gay Exhibitions (1994–2003) 189
  19. Japan’s Power in East Sumatra and South Sumatra 201
  20. From Allies to Enemies; Putting the Israeli- Iranian Conflict in Historical Context 213
  21. History and its Impact on Contemporary International Relations: The Case of Rwanda 231
  22. Successes and Failures: Methods of Getting Out of Historical Conflicts
  23. The Resurfacing of the “Titanic” in the Balkan Bermuda Triangle: Political Conflicts over History between Sofia, Skopje and Athens before and after 1989 245
  24. Israeli-Polish Political Dispute over the Amendment of the Act of the Institute of National Remembrance 259
  25. Historical Commissions: A Mean to Overcome Traumatic Historical Experiences? 275
  26. Possibilities of Building a Memory Dialogue between Russia and Poland Concerning Soviet Repression 291
  27. List of Contributors 301
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