Moreover, other countries claimed the right of nuclear weapons to defend their citizens. Consequently, the tragic bombings became the example of an arm’s race instead of peace. Furthermore, since Japan was already on the brink of collapse the bombing was unnecessary, and peace talks would have taken place within a decent time frame (even after the cancelled Hawaii summit). The millions of deaths calculated by Operation Downfall [the codename for the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of the Second World War, which was abandoned when Japan surrendered following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki] actually show that only desperation and honour stood between Japan and unconditional
Isabella Esposito Doctor Young H6SX 4/16/12 The Atomic Bomb: A True Necessity In 1945, President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb against Japan in an attempt to end World War II. It brought an almost immediate end to the war and hypothetically saved thousands of lives. Without the atomic bombs, the Japanese leaders might have dragged the war out, refusing to surrender. Moreover, the bombings could be seen as falling in line with the concept of “total war.” The decision by the United States to drop atomic bombs on Japan was justifiable based on three factors: the desire to save American and Japanese lives, to end World War II quickly, and to demonstrate the power of the US military. Harry Truman,
After multiple ideas along with deep thought, Truman along with the chiefs decided the most efficient, least costly and less bloody approach would to be dropping the atomic bombs on the Japanese home land. The essay states “evidence points to the conclusion that he acted for the reason he said he did: to end a bloody war that would have become even bloodier had invasion proved necessary” pg 175 Readings in United States History. The writer’s purpose of this essay is to educate the readers about the difficulty of this decision. I believe the writer did a fine job explaining the whole process. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing are two greatly important milestones in the United States history, and the essay “The Biggest Decision: Why We Had to Drop the Bomb,” by Robert James Maddox is a perfect essay to be read over and discussed in a class like this.
The bombing of Hiroshima, and later, Nagasaki were not justifiable military acts but war crimes. One of the major arguments about the bombing of Hiroshima had been whether the Japanese would have surrendered without the atomic bomb or not. President Truman said the atomic bomb was necessary to make Japan surrender quickly and prevent both more American and Japanese casualties. Others believed that there was no need for the use of the atomic bomb. The United States Strategic Bombing Survey issued in July 1946 declared “Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Survey's opinion that certainly prior to 31 December 1945 and in all probability prior
Fussel versus Walzer I believe that dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was inhumane and that the happenings of that war could have been solved in a different manner. Before reading both Fussel and Walzer’s opposing opinions on the droppings of the atomic bombs on Japan, I can confidently say that I agreed with Fussel to a certain extent. Many people’s gut reaction to something as huge as this would be “Better him/her than me”. What was so wrong with killing 100,000 to potentially save hundreds of thousands of American lives? That is what a lot of people asked themselves and still ask themselves until this day.
The point that arises is , when it was known that Japan had already succumbed and an official announcement was on the cards anyhow , then why destruction of such nature was unleashed . Skeptics of Truman 's decision point to the fact that it was more of political drama , and it was the way of showing the Soviets the deadly arsenal of the country . Today the same nuclear bomb has brought up an arms race , where now quiet a couple of countries have become nuclear capable . Truman 's decision of unleashing atomic bombs has today made the world an unsafe place as bombs much powerful than the `little boy ' and `fat man ' are being developed and would be used in a blink of an eye running on the American example . In the end it can only be concluded that , killing thousands of people on the excuse of
"Here at great expense," he moaned to Oppenheimer, "the government has assembled the world's largest collection of crackpots. “In the epilogue, Sheinkin acknowledges the difficulties of addressing such a big topic. “In the end, this is a difficult story to sum up,” he writes. “The making of the atomic bomb is one of history’s most amazing examples of teamwork and genius and poise under pressure. But it’s also the story of how humans created a weapon capable of wiping our species off the planet.
If not, Germany would have looked at all the positives and negatives of sinking the Lusitania, and would have realized the cons outweighed the pros in this situation. The Germans, though sure of the presence of weapons onboard, did not consider all the possible repercussions of sinking the Lusitania. They knew the ship held weapons, and, instinctively, any enemy will fight their enemy to prevent them from gaining an advantage. So, the Germans sunk the Lusitania because of their knowledge that the ship contained munitions
Evaluate the view that the United States had no option but to use the atomic bomb in 1945. The United States clearly had no option but to use the atomic bomb in 1945 since it was the only way they could end the war. Due to the failure of conventional warfare, the US needed to resort to the use of the atomic bomb since it was the only viable means of ending the war. There was also a need to avoid a land invasion which would come at the cost of thousands of lives, particularly due to the existing military strength of Japan. Furthermore, Japan’s rejection of the Potsdam declaration meant there was the possibility of a conditional surrender and Soviet involvement in the post-war administration of Japan – both of which were consequences the US did not want to face.
Tyler Ayala-Turner US History AP March 11, 2015 Atomic Bomb Essay Question: “The United States made the best choice possible in using the atomic bomb against Japan. Agree or disagree and support your argument with evidence from the packet and relevant outside information.” While the U.S. evaluated alternatives to end the war with Japan, Truman ultimately made the best possible decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to avoid more unnecessary casualties of American troops. One reason for dropping the bombs was the fact that Truman’s options were very limited at this point in the war. In the end, the decision to drop the bombs did, however, create the desired outcome of Japan’s immediate surrender. (pg.