The Atomic Bombs in Japan

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Recommended: Truman making the decision to drop the atomic bombs

On August 6th, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima without any precedent. The explosion viciously destroyed four square miles of the city and killed 90,000 and injured 40,000. (Weber, “Was Hiroshima Necessary?”) Three days later, a second atomic bomb stroked the city of Nagasaki which killed approximately 37,000 people and injured 43,000 (Weber, “Was Hiroshima Necessary?”). These actions of the United States still remain controversial today and the United States’ abuse of power and morality can be questioned. ‘Were the dropping of atomic bombs in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a justified way to end World War Two?’. The answer is no, the bombings were not justified as Japan was already militarily and economically devastated, the explosion slaughtered thousands of guiltless civilians and President Truman seemed to have other political and experimental intentions rather than bringing an immediate end to World War Two.

The bombings were not necessary as both Japan’s military and economy had been defeated and weakened. Even before the bombings, the United States had continuously attempted to destroy many Japanese cities with their intense fire bombings. For example, the night of March 9th, 300 American bombers attacked Tokyo, killing 100,000 residents (Weber, “Was Hiroshima Necessary?”). The bombers dropped nearly 1,700 tons of bombs and burnt out 16 square miles and destroyed a quarter of city infrastructures (Weber, “Was Hiroshima Necessary?”). By July 1945, many Japanese cities were severely damaged from the fire bombings, for example, the cities’ infrastructure had been severely damaged and many civilians had no choice but to endure through starvation. Along with the continuous...

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"Harry Truman and the Atomic Bomb." N.p., 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. .

"President Truman: Using Atomic Bombs against Japan, 1945." Digital History. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. Path
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"Radiation Injuries." The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. .

Steele, Diana. "America's Reaction to the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
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Weber, Mark. "Was Hiroshima Necessary?." The Journal of Historical Review. Institute for Historical Review, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. Path
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