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Harry S Truman's decision to drop the bomb
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(Intro)Imagine living in a world of destruction were your days are counted and only have limited chances of survival.In the passage called”A petition to the president of the United States” the physicist that were behind the Manhattan Project which was organized by president Franklin.D.Roosevelt and later lead by President Harry.S.Truman was a project specifically meant for the harnessing fusion to create a weapon of mass destruction now known as a “BOMB” which would be scheduled to drop on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945,,and these bombs would release harsh levels of radiation that is so powerful that anybody near the bomb site would be vaporized and killed instantly because of the radiation poisoning and dropping of such bomb
Upon reading “Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan” by J. Samuel Walker, a reader will have a clear understanding of both sides of the controversy surrounding Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The controversy remains of whether or not atomic bombs should have been used during the war. After studying this text, it is clear that the first atomic bomb, which was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, was a necessary military tactic on ending the war. The second bomb, which was dropped on Nagasaki, however, was an unnecessary measure in ensuring a surrender from the Japanese, and was only used to seek revenge.
The United States of America’s use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has spurred much debate concerning the necessity, effectiveness, and morality of the decision since August 1945. After assessing a range of arguments about the importance of the atomic bomb in the termination of the Second World War, it can be concluded that the use of the atomic bomb served as the predominant factor in the end of the Second World War, as its use lowered the morale, industrial resources, and military strength of Japan. The Allied decision to use the atomic bomb not only caused irreparable physical damage on two major Japanese cities, but its use also minimized the Japanese will to continue fighting. These two factors along
President Harry Truman’s use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during the Second World War is the most controversial decision in history. While it was an undoubtedly difficult decision, it was indeed necessary in order to end this six-year war that had ravaged the world. While many critics argue that the bomb was used primarily as an act of vengeance toward Japan, simplifying such a crucial moment in human history downplays the very real risk invading Japan posed to the United States. While avoiding strained relations with the other Allied countries, Truman had to assess the possible danger of the Soviet Union in a post-war world. Furthermore, the possibility of an arms race, the moral implications of using this weapon, and the number of American lives that would possibly be lost invading Japan were among the numerous pros and cons Truman had to consider when contemplating the use of this powerful weapon never before unleashed on humanity.
The dropping of the atomic bomb was a major turning point in United Sates history and WW2 specifically, it caused the surrender of Japan and ultimately ended the war which had been going on since 1939 two years prior to U.S. involvement. The dropping of the atomic bomb not only ended the war but lead to a fight over which nation had the most atomic weapons, a terrifying power play between countries. Through the years leading up to the dropping of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki the United States struggles with preventing the speed of communism and intimidating the Soviet Union. Through WW2 American casualties were also adding up fast. The use of the atomic bombs was a shock strategy the government saw as the most successful was to
Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration the atomic bomb was being developed. After Roosevelt died, his vice president Harry Truman was appointed President of the United States. Truman was never informed about the bombs development until an emergency cabinet meeting (Kuznick 9). Truman had to make the fatal decision on whether the bomb was to be dropped on Japan. With the idea of going to war, Truman had to think about the lives of the thousand American soldiers. The American soldiers had begun using the method of island hopping, because the bomb was not available. The idea of dropping a bomb was that the war itself could possibly end in its earliest points. The dropping of the atomic bomb could also justify the money spent on the Manhattan Project (Donohue 1). With a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt “This will be a day that will live in infamy”, Pearl Harbor was a tragic day for Americans. The United States had lost many soldiers, which they had claimed that they will eventually get revenge. The alternates of dropping the bomb was also discussed at the Interim Committee. The American government was trying to get an invitation response from the Japanese government. If the United States did not drop the bomb and ‘Operation Downfall’ ha...
The road that led to the bombing of Hiroshima was a long and covert one. In fact, the research and development of the atomic bomb was so secretive that when Vice President Harry S. Truman entered the Presidency following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he had no knowledge of it. Yet he would be the central figure in making the decision to use the bomb. In April 1945, Secretary of War Henry Stimson(pictured - left) and General Groves briefed Truman(pictured - right) about the "Manhattan Project", the top-secret program that researched and developed the atomic bomb.2
The world cried and wept for an end to World War II. All of the endless slaughter,fighting,and violence needed to stop. With one last nation,not standing, on its knees was struggling to continue the war. This nation was Japan. The people of Japan were suffering the burden of having a communist government and they were waiting for an end for World War II also. The United States had just that, an ending for World War Two. This ending came in the form of a 9,700 pound bomb called “Little Boy”. This Atomic Bomb was dropped upon the people of Hiroshima on the day of August 6, 1945 at exactly 8:15am, a Monday. It has been argued that we should or shouldn't have dropped the bomb on Hiroshima due to the after effects of the bomb. But I believe that dropping the Atomic Bomb had more benefits rather than the outcomes that would have occurred if we hadn't.
President Truman said that the use of the atomic bomb saved “millions of lives” and brought the war to a quick end. However, ¬¬¬¬Long says there is no conclusive answer towards the possibility of the war resulting with fewer deaths or ending any sooner. Truman also said, “The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians” (Webber). The United States Strategic Bombing Survey later on stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were targeted because of their activities and population, contradicting Truman’s statement. If the United States wanted to impress the leaders of Japan, they could have dropped the bomb elsewhere to give them a scare as well as one rather than
The dropping of the first atomic bomb marked a turning point in the way nations fight one another. The destructive nature of the atomic bomb changed the course of warfare forever. “The effectiveness of nuclear deterrence is best explained by the fact that it was based on fear unlike other peace-keeping strategies of the twentieth century.” This gradual shift to a “fear based” strategy was in response to the failures of previous peace keeping strategies earlier in the century during World War I and II, including the Wilsonian ideals, the treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I, and the concept of appeasement prior to the start of World War II.
During the final stages of World War II the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the country of Japan. On August 6, 1945 America dropped the first nuclear weapon ever used in war, an atomic bomb by the name of “little boy.” It killed approximately eighty thousand people, not including the amount of people that died due to the radiation exposure. Then on August 9, 1945 America dropped its second atomic bomb by the name of “fatman” that killed roughly forty thousand people. The dropping of the atomic bombs lead to Emperor Hirohito announcing Japan’s surrender in the war on August 15, 1945. “Why We Dropped the Bomb” written by Gar Alperovitz discusses the use of the atomic bombs, why they were used, and how it helped America gain political power. “Thank God for the Atom Bomb” written by Paul Fussel discusses how the atomic bombs were used to save lives against the Japanese. Gar Alperovitz’s article is a more persuasive piece compared to Paul Fussel’s article, because it provides facts and examples that help us understand why America used the atom bomb and how it helped America’s political status.
Imagine being put in the place of President Truman and having to make the decision to either bomb Hiroshima, or elongate the war, causing enormous amounts of deaths on both sides. "The Japanese military had a million soldiers, 3,000 Kamikaze aircraft, and 5,000 suicide boats available to defend its home islands. Civilians were also being prepared to fight to the death" [Tucker]. These are the lengths that Japan has gone to while attempting to win the war. During the early years of WW2, America wasn't even going to join the war because of negative views towards European conflicts.
How different would the world be if America had never dropped the bomb on Japan to end World War II? If America had simply offered Japan a way to surrender by simply threatening the use of the atomic bomb, would Japan have surrendered? The world will never know, however Leo Szilard, one of the scientists that created the atomic bomb, tried to make a plea for this to happen. A month before the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan in WWII, Leo Szilard and 59 scientists stood up for what they believed in and tried to alter the thinking and decision that the President was making.
Over the years, many debates arose on whether or not the United States should have launched the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. America’s entry into WWII in December 1941 was due to Japan’s unexpected bombing of Pearl Harbor. Four years later, nearing the end of war, the development of the atomic bombs and the proposed use of them were presented. President Harry Truman supported this as he and top officials saw it as a necessity to end WWII as Japan’s refusal to surrender led to the bold decision to drop the bombs to prevent further American casualties. However, others like William E. Leahy, Chief of Staff for Truman, thought of it as a war crime, a genocide, as its use wiped out more than 200,000 civilians and it
World War II brought up many new technologies for warfare. Advanced on existing developments such as weaponry, ships, vehicles air crafts, navigational devices and medicine are just a few broad examples of developments in warfare during this time in United States and World history. One development, however, changed the entire way of warfare. The Atomic bomb was developed during this time out of fears that the Germans had the same technologies, or at least were working to obtain it. Once the United States had this technological capability of producing atomic weapons, the way of fighting was changed. Two bombs were dropped on Japan in August of 1945, one on the city of Hiroshima and the other on the city of Nagasaki. Afterward, the ear of atomic diplomacy came up in American international relations, which as we have seen today, has led to the development of even stronger, more deadly weaponry and bombs. The bombing of Japan also brings up the still prevalent debate of whether the bombings were justifiable or not. Historians Gar Alperovitz, Robert P. Newman and Barton Bernstein all have written essays expressing their opinions in the matter.
On August 6, 1945 the first of two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan by the United States in order to finish World War II. The first one landed over the heavily populated city of Hiroshima. The second bomb was dropped, not only three days later, on August 9, 1945 on another Japanese city called Nagasaki. Both atomic bombs made terrible impacts on the cities they were dropped on. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed beyond belief leaving a trail of dust where once families lived a normal life. The U.S. should not have dropped the Atomic Bomb on Japan because it affected the climate and world’s mindset, targeted two sites that were not military bases, and killed a profuse amount of innocent citizens.