was the dropping of the atomic bomb justified - 2496 Words

Did the USA need to drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945? On the 6th of August 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima,1ushering in the nuclear age. The bomb caused the deaths of over 100,000 people,2with the bulk of the destruction pertaining to innocent civilians. Three days later, the Americans repeated their action at Nagasaki. The aim of the US was not, however, to cause complete annihilation of the Japanese, but to seize the fierce nationalism within Japan, ending world war two. Arguably, this was achieved, with the Emperor Hirohito broadcasting their surrender on the 15th of August.3However, was the Americans use of nuclear warfare justified in their bid for world peace? President of the†¦show more content†¦During December and January 1944 and 1945 the Americans regularly bombed the islands of Iwo Jima, launched 334 B’29s on the capital Tokyo killing 83000 people in March, and attacked Okinawa, the site of a major military base10. Thus by July 1945, Japan had few ships and planes to defend itself, and was met with leaflets from the US announcing in advance where the next attack would take place, urging people to surrender. Furthermore, the blockade implemented by the allies was severely impacting the Japanese, solidifying that defeat was inevitable, yet the Allies heard no news of surrender from the Emperor. Consequently the US began to evaluate the implementation of the A bomb as a necessary method in order to bring the war to a conclusion. President Truman described the Atomic project as the ‘greatest scientific gamble in history’ and believes his decision to drop it was unquestionably the right decision, bringing the war to a quick 7 A.Pollock, 8 Ibid pg 47 9 D.McKinlay, J.Cantwell, Conflict in the Pacific 1937-195, McGraw Hill Publications, Australia 2003 pg 47 Ibid pg 47 10 Ibid pg 122 end, and saving the lives of thousands of Allies. Prior to its use, the Potsdam Declaration was released, informing the Japanese that they must surrender unconditionally or face ‘prompt andShow MoreRelated Was The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Justified? Essay2760 Words   |  12 Pagesfirst atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The U.S. feared the rise of communism and gave aid to any country against it. The U.S. also fought countries threatening the spread communism. One of these countries was Japan. We began a harsh and brutal war against Japan and against communism. This war was killing many soldiers and Japan was notRead MoreWas the Un Justified in Dropping Atomic Bombs on Japan?2277 Words   |  10 PagesDeepali Shinde Professor Kalra Academic Writing 101 19th September 2015. Was United Nations justified in dropping atomic bombs on Japan? World War II also known as The Second World War was a global war that was fought from 1939 to 1945 in Europe and Asia. The Second World War was debatably the most consequential period of the 20th century. World War II led to vital advancements in technology and set the base for post war social changes, that includes the end of colonialism by the EuropeansRead MoreThe United States Was Justified in Dropping the Atomic Bombs on Japan1244 Words   |  5 PagesStates of America dropped the Atomic Bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The use of these bombs brought a quick end to World War 2, yet caused extensive damage to the two Japanese cities. There have often been disputes as to whether the USA was justified in the dropping of the atomic bombs because of the damage they caused, not only to the cities, but to the people of Japan as well. Many people believe that the USA should not have dropped the bombs because of the damage they causedRead MoreA Closer Look at the Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki1485 Words   |  6 Pagesof history was changed. Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima, and three days later, August 9, 1945, on Nagasaki that ended World War II. Japan had already been a defeated nation from conventional bombs and World War II. Many innocent lives were lost, psychological scars were left on the lives of the bomb survivors, and thus many lives were changed forever. The atomic bombings caused many people to have genetic effects due to the radiation from the bombs. RevisionistsRead MorePresident Truman and the First Atomic Bomb Essay1193 Words   |  5 PagesAtomic Bomb Essay In 1945, World War Two was coming to an end. Following Adolf Hitler’s suicide, and Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945, the war in Europe was finally over. The allies began began postwar planning for future, as well as establishment of post-war order and peace treaties issues. America’s war wasn’t done yet as they were still fighting Japan, eventually pushing them back to their main islandRead More Drop The Bomb? Essay656 Words   |  3 Pages Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan, Justified? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;On August 6th and 9th of 1945 U.S. bombers dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing utter destruction and many deaths. These bombs were dropped as the Pacific battles of World War II were coming to an end. Soon after Japan surrendered, ending the war. But, was the use of atomic warfare necessary? Was it too harsh and cruel to the Japanese? The first question was whetherRead MoreWas the Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima Justified Essay1587 Words   |  7 PagesWere the Americans justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945? The dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945 by the Americans is a very controversial issue with no definite answer. Both sides of the issue have very justifiable arguments. Reasons for dropping the bomb include the fact that Truman’s options were limited at this point in the war, that the bomb did have the desired outcome of Japans surrender and that the majority of reasonsRead MoreWhy Truman Chose to Drop the Atomic Bomb895 Words   |  4 PagesAmericas decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan was only done to assert our position over the Soviet Union, and Japans surrender was only an extra accomplishment of the attack. During the years 1939 to 1947, numerous conferences were held to discuss diplomatic matters, and the strive towards getting Japan to accept an unconditional surrender. The Japanese had already been weakened, and the military predicted that they would eventually be forced to surrender in a short amount of time. Even theRead MoreThe Atomi c Bomb Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki1445 Words   |  6 PagesOn August 6th and 9th two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombings were the first and only time nuclear weaponry has been used in wartime. These bombs were the first of their kind, developed by the United States, Canada and Great Britain under the research development plan codenamed the ‘Manhattan Project. It is an important issue because there is much controversy over whether or not the atomic bombs should’ve been initially been dropped. Many sidesRead MoreThe Bombing Of The War Essay1230 Words   |  5 Pagesaround, and the bombs were dropped. Japan issued their surrender several days later. The bombings could be seen as an event that directly resulted in the end of the war, or merely accelerated it by as little as a few days. Numerous analyses by top United States Army officials say that Japan would have surrendered well before the end of the year even h ad the bomb not been used. One of these army officals, Major General Curtis Lemay of the air force, said that â€Å"the atomic bomb had nothing to do