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In August 1945, Japan experienced a major change as it was hit by two American atomic bombs. On August 6th, the Enola Guy released the atomic bomb "Little Boy" over Hiroshima, causing an immediate death toll of 80,000 and resulting in an additional 60,000 injuries within six months. Just three days later, on August 9th, Nagasaki was targeted with another atomic bomb which caused approximately 70,000 fatalities.
The utilization of atomic bombs during World War II remains a subject of intense debate and controversy, with ongoing discussions about the decision.
It is impossible to fully comprehend the thoughts and intentions of crucial figures involved, including President Truman and his advisors, or even Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki. President Truman himself acknowledged the gravity of his decision, expressing fear and recognizing that he had to make an unparalleled choice.
Truman had to make a challenging decision, weighing the pros and cons of using the bombs. It is believed that his choice was motivated by altruism, seeking to make the best decision possible given the information at hand.
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The main reason for dropping the bomb was its potential to hasten the war's end and safeguard American lives. Truman justified his action by stating it was done "to shorten the suffering caused by war, in order to preserve numerous young American lives."
In November 1945, Operation Olympic was established as a strategy to invade Japan. Truman, who had recently observed the battle of Okinawa, hesitated to authorize another ground invasion. In this battle, the Japanese fiercely defended their home islands and employed 193 kamikaze planes.
The American fleet effectively neutralized 169 of these attacks. The kamikaze planes that managed to penetrate caused substantial damage, particularly to America's carrier fleet which lacked armored flight decks unlike their British counterparts. Nonetheless, by eliminating numerous kamikaze flights, the potential harm they could have inflicted was significantly diminished.
The battle of Okinawa occurred between April 1, 1945 and June 21, 1945. It was the deadliest part of the Pacific War, resulting in a total loss of 12,613 U.S soldiers and leaving 40,000 wounded. Additionally, over 110,000 Japanese soldiers were killed. The aftermath of this battle led Truman's military advisors to anticipate that an invasion on Japan could potentially result in the deaths of one million Americans. As a result, Truman sought an alternative solution to end the war due to the significant impact on American morale caused by the high casualties suffered in Okinawa.
Japan possessed a strong and dignified national spirit. Rather than accept defeat, the Japanese preferred to end their own lives. They adhered to the ancient tradition of Bushido, which involved acts of self-disembowelment. In more extreme cases, honorable death meant training young children to become living explosives, known as "Sherman carpets." These children would be strapped with TNT and willingly sacrifice themselves by throwing their bodies under American tanks in an attempt to kill the enemy. One example of this pride and shame can be seen in the people of Hiroshima. Before the bombing, they felt ashamed that they had not been targeted by the Allied forces. This made them feel insignificant and as if they were not considered a threat in the war. Although citizens were proud of their contributions to the war effort, they were ashamed of remaining unharmed and not being attacked. This made them believe that the enemy held them in contempt. Given this mindset, it cannot be assumed that they would readily surrender.
Scientific advancements, starting with Rutherford's atom splitting in 1919, led to the development of the atomic bomb. In 1938, Hahn discovered fission and by 1939, scientists in Britain, France, and the U.S were exploring nuclear energy's military potential while also worrying about Germany's pursuit of bomb creation. The American government invested $2 billion into the Manhattan Project which was established in 1942 and ultimately resulted in the successful creation and testing of the atomic bomb on July 16, 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
The Japanese were offered a chance to surrender when they were informed about the construction and testing of the atomic bomb. On July 28, 1945, Truman granted approval for the bomb's use, giving Japan a twelve-day window to surrender. It would be unrealistic to assume that America would not utilize the bomb after investing so much in advancing scientific technology. Throughout history, military leaders have consistently sought out new technologies, such as the European introduction of modern guns and a fleet of ships against the Samurai in July 1853. Ultimately, the generals responsible for leading the war are tasked with securing victory at any cost.
After spending 2 billion dollars constructing these bombs, the Americans faced difficulties in justifying the expenditure to their citizens and explaining why the bombs were not being utilized. The prevailing sentiment among Americans at that time was that dropping the bomb would serve as a form of retaliation for the unexpected and unwarranted attack on Pearl Harbour, as well as a response to the numerous young lives lost in other conflicts.
The treatment of American prisoners of war during the war was truly sickening. One of the stories that came home was about The Nagona bullion bunker, which was just one of many treasure sites where loot from all over Asia was buried before the end of the war. In this bunker, valuable items such as gold, platinum, diamonds, and religious artifacts including a one-tonne golden Buddha figurine were buried alongside live Allied Prisoners Of War who had been forced to dig the tunnels. The total value of these treasures was approximately $190 billion.
According to an anonymous source, there is a haunting tale of a grandfather who perished in Bataan during his captivity as a prisoner of war. Tragically, when he became unable to continue the arduous forced march due to a severe shoulder infection causing fever and delirium, he was ultimately killed by gunfire.
When Americans heard stories of rape, murder, forced incest, medical experiments on human guinea pigs, and fetal disembowelment, it is no wonder they felt bitter towards the Japanese. The horrific accounts made many people in America strongly supportive of dropping the bombs, as some of the things they read were sickening.
Truman's motive for using the atomic bomb was to impress Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin and assert his power, as he had a falling out with Stalin over the Soviet armies occupying much of central Europe. Truman wanted to show that he was unafraid of the consequences and willing to use the new bombs. Although Stalin had promised to join the U.S.A in the war effort against Japan, Truman had second thoughts about allowing Stalin to gain territory. He wanted to end the war quickly before the Soviets could claim victory. After the first bomb, the Soviets declared war on Japan and entered Manchuria, crushing Prime Minister Suzuki's hopes for Russian assistance in signing a peace treaty.
Soon after the first bomb, Truman expressed his satisfaction, stating "This is the greatest thing in history." This reaction may have influenced his decision to drop the second bomb. Additionally, upon learning of the Soviet's involvement, Truman promptly ordered the other bomb to be sent to Nagasaki. However, had he witnessed the immense human suffering caused by the bombing of Hiroshima, Truman's perspective on inflicting such agony might have been altered.
America dropped the bombs in quick succession to maximize their impact and to deceive Japan into thinking they possessed more nuclear power, which was actually true. Construction of a third bomb was underway and it would be ready by late August 1945.
The justification for dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is supported by the fact that these two cities were already targeted for fire bombing. In March 1945, Tokyo experienced a devastating raid where approximately 1,700 tons of bombs were dropped by 334 B-29s. This resulted in the destruction of 16 square miles of the city and an estimated death toll exceeding 100,000 people due to the firestorm. This conventional raid was the most destructive during the war against Japan. Within two weeks, nearly 1,600 additional sorties were conducted against four cities resulting in a total destruction of 31 square miles at only a cost of 22 aircraft. This demonstrates that if nuclear bombs had not been used and instead solely fire bombing had been employed on these cities, there may not have been a significant difference in immediate impact. Historically, fire bombing has caused comparable levels of death and destruction although with higher American casualties.
Looking back, it is now clear that the immediate utilization of the bomb served as a convincing demonstration of its terrifying nature, effectively deterring future deployment, especially considering the significantly larger nuclear stockpiles that existed at the time. Undeniably, there are valid perspectives that portray the use of the bomb in a favorable manner.
During this time, Americans harbored intense emotions, including a deep animosity towards the Japanese because of the horrendous war crimes inflicted upon prisoners of war. Additionally, President Truman believed he was acting in the best interest of his country. He aimed to swiftly conclude the war before the Soviets had a chance to seize any territory, as they already held significant control in central Europe. Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb was motivated by a desire to save American lives that would have otherwise been lost in a land invasion; it was done to maintain the happiness of the American people. Some argue that he did it simply because he had the ability to do so.
The dropping of the bombs had a significant element of fate. If President Roosevelt had not unexpectedly passed away and if Truman had been more experienced, a different outcome might have been reached. However, we cannot make assumptions about this. President Roosevelt might have made the same decision. Additionally, the bomb intended for Kokura was redirected to Nagasaki due to adverse weather conditions.
There were discussions about a potential demonstration bomb to showcase its effects, possibly by dropping it in Tokyo's harbor or off one of Japan's islands, where the Japanese would witness the severity of the situation. This could have saved some lives and facilitated surrender, but ultimately this idea was rejected due to the impracticality of expending a bomb for demonstration purposes.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs are widely seen as an unjust and cruel action. As time has passed, there is increasing agreement that the bombings were unnecessary. Numerous people argue that Japan was already on the verge of surrendering and question the military importance of targeting these two cities. Some believe that America's demand for "unconditional surrender" showed inflexibility and Truman's attempt to justify the immense cost of the bombs. Additionally, critics claim that the Americans did not provide enough time for Japan to surrender after Hiroshima was bombed before dropping a second bomb.
Despite facing the destruction of over sixty cities through conventional bombing and being blockaded by the American Navy, Japan was prepared to surrender, especially after the Soviet Union joined the war by attacking Japanese troops in Manchuria.
The Americans rejected changing their demand for "unconditional surrender". They did not consider the possibility that the Japanese would likely have surrendered immediately upon learning that they could keep their emperor. This unnecessarily prolonged Japan's resistance. Emperor Hirohito stated, "The time has come when we must endure the unimaginable...I suppress my own emotions and agree to accept the Allied proclamation..." In the end, the Americans agreed to the surrender without removing the Emperor from power. They permitted him to remain, but limited his authority.
Instead of causing 200,000 casualties, America could have demonstrated the power of the atomic bomb by exploding it in Tokyo harbor. This strategy might have convinced Japanese leaders to surrender, with only a limited impact on marine life - they could have been turned into sushi regardless. Choosing this alternative would have been a better choice.
Why was the second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki? Was it because the bomb dropped on Hiroshima used uranium, while the one dropped on Nagasaki used plutonium? According to Professor Howard Zinn, were the people of Nagasaki "victims of a scientific experiment"?
In addition, even if the bombing of Hiroshima was considered justified, there was insufficient time for information regarding its devastation to reach Nagasaki before it was bombed. Furthermore, the Americans did not provide enough time for the Japanese to make a decision on surrender or communicate their decision to the Americans before Nagasaki suffered a similar fate.
After allocating two billion dollars for the research, construction, and testing of the Atomic Bombs, Presidents Frank Roosevelt and Harry Truman faced the challenge of justifying the expenditure to the American people. Despite immense time, effort, and financial resources invested in the project, there were concerns about why the bomb had not been used yet. This was particularly difficult considering that many Americans harbored deep hatred towards the Japanese, given the significant losses suffered by families due to the war, including husbands, fathers, and brothers. The bomb's deployment served as a means to rationalize the massive investment of $2 billion in its development.
The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were selected as targets, even though they were not strategically important. These cities had a large civilian population and the bomb was detonated directly above a suburban area with schools, factories, and houses. The intention behind this unexpected choice was not to harm the military capabilities of the cities. Truman falsely claimed that the first atomic bomb was dropped on a military base in Hiroshima to minimize civilian casualties; however, this statement was untrue. The majority of the 100,000 individuals who died immediately in Hiroshima were civilians. According to the official report from the US Strategic Bombing Survey, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were chosen as targets due to their high concentration of activities and population.
Harry Truman's decision to drop the bomb was influenced by the Soviet Union's involvement, according to British scientist P M S Blackett. In his book "Fear, War, and the Bomb," Blackett asserts that the United States was eager to deploy the bomb before Russia entered the war against Japan, making it "the first major operation of the cold diplomatic war with Russia." Additionally, American Historian Gar Alperovitz recorded in his diary that Secretary of State James F Byrnes was "most anxious to get the Japanese affair over with before the Russians get in."
Truman desired to demonstrate to the Soviets his possession of a destructive weapon, a solitary bomb capable of obliterating an entire city. Simultaneously, the Soviets involved themselves in the Manchurian war, and Truman was determined to ensure that Stalin did not gain any territorial claims once the war ended. Essentially, Japanese lives were sacrificed as a result of power struggles and political maneuvering between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
In conclusion, conventional bombing would have resulted in similar destruction to the Atomic bombs, while also preventing the U.S. from claiming the distinction of being the first nation to use nuclear weapons. Shortly after World War Two, the Cold War emerged as an arms race between Russia and the U.S.A, both striving to outdo each other in terms of nuclear capabilities.
In summary, dropping the atomic bomb was an unjustified act due to the exaggeration of casualty figures by Harry Truman, a foreseeable Japanese collapse, and an evasion of peace negotiations. The main argument presented by Truman, that the atomic bomb saved a million American lives, is not convincing since there would have been a more diplomatic approach to achieve the same outcome without any loss of life.
Research has shown that the Japanese were close to collapsing and American interference only expedited an unavoidable surrender a few months later. Among the alternatives, it appears that the decision to drop the atomic bomb had the greatest negative impact and lacked reasonability. We may never fully comprehend Truman's true intentions for bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki since we cannot access the thoughts of those who made the decision. Hopefully, instead of pondering how many American lives were saved by the bomb, people will begin questioning the number of innocent Japanese women and children who perished due to these methodical acts of violence.
After careful consideration of both perspectives, I have observed strong support for the use of the bomb as a means of revenge, while also acknowledging compelling arguments against its cruelty and lack of justification. While it may be possible to recognize some positive outcomes resulting from the bombing of Hiroshima and argue for its necessity, the events that unfolded in Nagasaki on August 9th cannot be excused.
Ending this argument, I present a quote by Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister.
"With ninety percent of Japan's shipping sunk or disabled, its air and sea forces crippled, its industries wrecked, and its people's food supplies shrinking rapidly, the collapse of Japan was certain."
The Controversial Decision to Drop Atomic Bombs. (2016, Jul 22). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-dropping-of-the-atomic-bombs-on-japan-essay
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