In 1945, the USA dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, one on the city of Hiroshima and another, three days later, on the city of Nagasaki. The bombs instantly killed at least 120,000 men, women and children and caused severe injuries in tens of thousands more. Over time, the total death toll rose to perhaps 240,000. The USA excused their use of nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMD) on civilians as necessary to force Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II.