Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastating man-made disasters that led to numerous deaths and certainly were not ethical or moral. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing is well known for its destructive effects, it led to many deaths and destroyed the surrounding with the use of an immoral atomic bomb. The bombing was accomplished by the US, which initially took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the name suggests, it was a huge annihilation, leaving all on its way to perish. With an estimated death of 140,000 in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki, it is safe to say that it was an unjust act that could have been prevented; though minimal action was taken and resulted in an outstanding amount of deaths. The neglected debates, no sense of compassion, …show more content…
In Hess Gary's article, Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Lingering Questions, it states, “How did the American government decide to use the atomic bomb? This momentous decision was made without any major debate among policy makers over the implications of atomic warfare that have since become important. The prevailing assumption among those who were aware of the Manhattan Project was that whenever the bomb was developed and tested, it would be used.” (Hess 2) The article clearly states that there were no major conversations or discussions between the officials, and the decision was made without any processing. It's quite unfortunate that there were no debates or discussions on whether the bombing was ethical or morally right, there should have been at least some type of conference that would get everyone's point of view across. With such a vital piece of information or process missing, it is easy to consider there was no graveness included. Equally important, the bombing displaced and ended numerous lives as the detonation was …show more content…
Truman announced to the world that the atomic bomb involved the "harnessing of the basic power of the universe." The Japanese still did not surrender, even after the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on August 8. Another American bomber, the Bockscar, then dropped the "Fat Man" plutonium bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, with another 50,000 deaths and eventually tens of thousands more. At last Japan surrendered.” (Jeffries 3). While it was true that Japan didn’t surrender, the actions taken were quite harsh since they directed numerous casualties. The death toll suggests its harshness and not just once but twice as the first bomb was called “Little Boy” and the second called “Fat Man”. Japan didn’t surrender, but it didn’t seem morally right to bomb the two places, furthermore, other justified actions could have been taken less severely. Consequently, there was a ferocious effect due to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which included an image of Japan and the history of Japan. After the bombing, Japan faced devastating destruction and was forced to surrender to the United States of
We agree that, whatever be one’s judgment of the war in principle, the surprise bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are morally indefensible. The “8 Primary Pros and Cons of Dropping the Atomic Bomb” People also say how Japan was already defeated, concluding why the bombs were unnecessary. Although, many others say that the dropping of the atomic bombs saved their lives, but the debate over the decision to drop the atomic bomb will never be resolved. The war against Japan bestowed the Allies with entirely new problems as they encountered an enemy with utterly unfamiliar tactics.
...had hit him. Before they found out, they were hit again . on August 9 the fat man was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. It had looked as if the enemy was finally ready to surrender. the Hiroshima bombing became and remains one of the most controversial episodes in American history.
The effects of the atomic bomb might not have been the exact effects that the United States was looking for when they dropped Little Boy and Fat Man on Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively (Grant, 1998). The original desire of the United States government when they dropped Little Boy and Fat Man on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not, in fact, the one more commonly known: that the two nuclear devices dropped upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki were detonated with the intention of bringing an end to the war with Japan, but instead to intimidate the Soviet Union. The fact of Japan's imminent defeat, the undeniable truth that relations with Russia were deteriorating, and competition for the division of Europe prove this without question. Admittedly, dropping the atomic bomb was a major factor in Japan's decision to accept the terms laid out in the Potsdam agreement, otherwise known as unconditional surrender. The fact must be pointed out, however, that Japan had already been virtually defeated.
There were many factors as to the argument relating to the atomic bombs leading to the United States final decision. Many people had arguments for the bombing and others had arguments against the bombings, but it is still not determined if the United States made the right decision. After Truman decided to bomb Japan, they had to plan it out. They first had to decide where to release the bomb. They ended up choosing Hiroshima, Japan and Nagasaki, Japan as their two locations.
“Little Boy” and “Fat Man”, the world’s first two nuclear bombs were dropped in two major cities in Japan: Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6th and 9th of August 1945. This “experiment” by the United States Government completely demolished the two cities, killing over 150,000 people instantly and nearly 50,000 people died from aftermath as well as radiation.
The development of the atomic bomb and chemical warfare forever changed the way people saw the world. It was a landmark in time for which there was no turning back. The constant balancing of the nuclear super powers kept the whole of humankind on the brink of atomic Armageddon. Fear of nuclear winter and the uncertainty of radiation created its own form of a cultural epidemic in the United States. During these tense times in human history officials made controversial decisions such as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dangerous biological experiments and bombs tests were carried out in the name of the greater good and national defense. Some historians and scientists argue that the decisions and acts carried out by the U.S. during World War II and the Cold War were unethical because of the direct damage they did. The United States' decisions were moral because it can be proven their actions were aimed at achieving a greater good and those that were put in potential danger volunteered and were informed of the risk.
In 1945, Germany had surrendered, but the war in the Pacific raged on. The allies were becoming desperate to end the war before it was necessary to carry out a full scale invasion. New developments in science had made it possible for the United States to weaponize the atom, and the consequent bomb created was dropped on Hiroshima and later Nagasaki at the approval of President Harry S. Truman and his advisors. In years to come, Truman would have to face questions over the merit of his actions. Although some may believe the atomic bomb was needed because it ended WWII, it was unnecessary to drop the nuclear bomb because of the alternatives that existed, the effect it had on the Japanese people, and because of the unethical reasons for dropping it.
On December 7, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on a U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii with the possibility of forcing the U.S. to join World War II. About 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had been sunk, and 188 aircrafts were destroyed. On August 6 and 9 of 1945, the U.S. retaliated and dropped two atomic bombs called Fat Man and Little Boy on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The U.S. was not justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Japan because of the locations that were bombed, the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, and the lack of previous bomb testing.
Near the end of the Second World War, America and Japan continue to fight with no signs of surrender in sight from either side. President Truman warned the government of Japan that he would use weapons of mass destruction if there was not an end to the war, but they refused to surrender. The decision that Japan made to ignore President Truman left him with two choices: develop the atomic bomb or invade Japan with American forces and allies. After careful consideration, President Truman made the choice to develop and use the nuclear bombs as a way to end World War II. On August 6, 1945, the president unleashed the massive weapon of destruction on the city of Hiroshima, dropping the atomic bomb code named “Little Boy”.
“My God, what have we done?” were the words that the co-pilot of Enola Gay wrote in his logbook after helping drop two bombs, one in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki, that killed an estimated two-hundred thousand individuals. The bombings were completely unnecessary. Japan was already defeated because they lacked the necessary materials to continue a world war. The Japanese were prepared to surrender. There was no military necessity to drop the atomic bombs nor is there any factual information stating that the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped to “save the lives of one million American soldiers.” The United States bombed Japan in August of 1945. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were uncalled for and could have been avoided.
On August 6, 1945, the first bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later on August 9, the second bomb hit Nagasaki. Whether the United States made a moral and ethical decision is still an ongoing debate. President Truman was faced with a difficult choice. The U.S. chose to adopt a stance that seemed to limit the amount of casualties in the war, by significantly shortening it with the use of atomic weapons. It was certainly a reasonable view for the USA to take, since they had suffered the loss of more than thousands of lives, both military and civilian. To the top rank of the US military the death toll was worth it to prevent the “many thousands of American troops that would have been killed in invading Japan.” This was a grave
The United States was justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for many reasons. First of all, just to start out, the bombings had nothing to do with Japan, it was about the Cold War and the real reason America used these weapons was to show Russia that the US possessed them. Second, the war in the Pacific had been raging for almost four years. The two battles immediately preceding the bomb decision were Iwo Jima and Okinawa, two battles where the Japanese fought to the death and the cost in American casualties was horrific. It was predicted that the invasion of the Japanese mainland at the Island of Kyushu -- scheduled for November of 1945 -- would be even worse.
“Little Boy,” the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 70,000 people with an additional 66,000 injured (30-39). “Fat Man,” the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, also carried its “share of America’s duty” by killing 40,000 people and injuring another 25,000 (30-39). The bombs also killed an estimated 230,000 more people from the after effects of the two explosions (30). The two bombings had opened the world’s eyes to the destructive power that could be unleashed by man. The bombs had raised hell on earth for those few minutes and produced a tremendous amount of casualties.
Justification of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings The moral and military necessity of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings has been a subject of debate for almost half a century. Most revisionists emphasize the victimization of Japan during the attacks. They often forget the military realities and the historical context while judging whether it was necessary for America to use nuclear weapons against the two Japanese cities. It is important to note that Japan was the aggressor.
The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The long lasting effects of the atomic bomb dropped on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified by the United States. The United States had no other choice, or the war would just go on, which would be unfavorable for both the United States and Japan. The first reason why the US’s choice to use Atomic Bombs was justified is that it saved many soldiers’ lives. If the war had continued, many more lives on both the United States and Japan’s side would have been lost.