Read the Google Doc I shared with you about the reasons for dropping the two atomic bombs on Japan in August of 1945. Do you think the United States was justified in dropping the bombs? Answer that question in your journal in a full multi-paragraph answer where you cite evidence and information from the reading.
In 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. A few days later, Japan surrendered and World War II had ended. Would the war have ended in 1945 if the U.S. did not drop the bombs in Japan? NO. Even though the bombs costed two billion dollars, and it seemed that Japan was going to surrender anyway, the atomic bombs forced Japan to surrender (ending the war) saving millions of soldiers’ lives for both countries, and fire bombing had already killed 100,000 people in Tokyo. Hiroshima and Nagasaki probably would’ve been fire bombed as well while killing thousands and perhaps the war would not have ended. President Truman was faced with the most difficult decision in his life (whether to use the bombs or not) but made the right decision to drop the bombs and put an end to World War II because even though it killed thousands, it probably saved hundreds of thousands.
ReplyDeletePlus, it showed the world and the Soviet Union how powerful our country is militarily.
DeleteThe debate over the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki concerns the ethical, legal and military controversies surrounding the United States. Of course it wasn't necessary to use atomic bombs, but President Truman had to consider the alternative. The alternative was to invade Japan and have the war continue for an indefinite time. In the article it said “Japan was ready to call it quits anyway. More than 60 of its cities had been destroyed by conventional bombing.” I do not think that United States was justified to use the atomic bombs. There has to be another way other then putting lives in danger to stop World War II.
ReplyDeleteI believe that The United States did do the right thing by protecting its self; however, if there could have been another way to get the message out to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atom bomb was truly made for only military and political reasons. Something worse could have happened if The United States did not attack Japan that way. Although, the two targeted cities would have been firebombed anyway in the end. If the atom bomb did not send the message that was intended, then probably the firebombs would happen next. However, I do find it wrong that even though USA knew that Japan was ready to call it quits. Still more than 60 of its cities had been destroyed by conventional bombing, the home islands were being blockaded by the American Navy, and the Soviet Union entered the war by attacking Japanese troops in Manchuria.
ReplyDeleteIn 1945, the United States dropped Fat Man and Little boy on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The decision to drop the bombs on Japan had given President Truman an agonizing choice. However, I believe that President Truman made the right decision. Using the Atomic Bombs ended the war and saved 100 of thousands of Americans lives. However, if firebombs were dropped In Hiroshima and Nagasaki the war could still had continued. Fatalities would have been inevitable on both sides and easily exceeded the casualties in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 15, the Russians were planning to enter the war and President Truman did not want then to have a say in the peace treaty in Potsdam. Russia was already a threat to the United States so if they got land from the peace treaty, they would have a larger influence in the Far East. President Truman was faced with a choice; however, I believe that he had the right choice.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the US should have dropped the atomic bombs. I think that Trumans idea of finding a way to keep Russia out of the war was well thought out and a good plan, but using the bombs took it a little too far.
ReplyDeleteAs I see it, Japan was already beginning to decline is their war efforts and were giving in a little to the pressure of the United States. Their army was already so small that for every one soldier, there were five or six civilians that were not willing to fight. They were scared and only still in the battle because the US would not modify their “unconditional surrender” demand. I think that the US took advantage of Japan's weakness, diminishing army size, and low moral to demonstrate the power that they had but over other countries, but how they showed it, was a horrible mistake.
In theory, the US already had won the war. The one thing that they never did was show off their atomic bombs to Japan and all the world. They had spent 2 billion dollars developing the products and they used the bomb, in part, to justify that the money put in was all worth it. They tried to rush the end of the war but used a devastating method against Japan. If Japan was already about to call it quits, why would people feel the need to wipe out 100,000 innocent people? Trying to prove that you are powerful in the world is an important thing to do, but the US took that idea the wrong way.
Was the United States right in dropping the two atom bombs in Japan? Yes, the United States did the correct move and President Truman did what was best for America. Notice that the question in the blog is different from the topic of the document of the pros and cons of dropping the atom bomb. I am not answering "Were the atoms bombs the necessary or the right way to end World War II?" That is different. Perhaps there could have been some easier way to solve the conflict between the nations and come to a peace treaty.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the atom bomb was a new invention and had never been used in battle. It had only been tested once prior to the bombings and that test came only a few days before hand. The United States could not possibly fully understand the effects and the damage that the atom bomb could cause at the time of President Truman's orders.
Also, an argument against the atom bomb dropping is that it killed hundreds of thousands of Japanese people. This can argument can easily be disclaimed by the fact that the Japanese were willing to fight to the last man and mass suicide and kamikazes were occurring. These would have kept occurring if the war went on and the Japanese futile resistance would have lead to more Japanese people dying needlessly. If the atom bombs were not used, than an invasion of Japan would have had to take place and it "would have caused casualties on both sides that could easily have exceeded the toll at Hiroshima and Nagasaki." The bombs assured a immediate surrender and saved a lot of American deaths while barely extending the casualties of the Japanese. But isn't that a big factor in war anyways? To try to get the least amount of casualties for your country?
Lastly, the atom bombs had a positive long effect. It showed the whole world the horrors and the destruction they could cause. Who knows when else they could of been dropped, by which countries, and for what reason? "Fat Man" and "the Little Boy" prevented the further use of these deadly weapons. They also secured the U.S as the main powerhouse in the world and prevented Russia (then the Soviet Union) from challenging the United States with control over Asia and the post war agreements. This was a necessary step for the U.S and shaped the world to what it is today.
The United Sates had no true reason to drop the atoms bombs. Japan was going to surrender and would have already surrendered if America had let them keep their emporer. They also wasted billions of dollars dropping the first bomb on an unpopulated area. The city that they dropped the other bomb on was not an important military base to the Japanese and ended up causing more civilan than military casualties. America's other techniques for war, such as fire bombing, would have brought on the same effect as the atom bombs and would have cost much less money. The bomb was a waste of money and time. It had no true purpose than to show the strength of the United states which could have been demonstrated in many other less costly techniques. They atom bombs should have never been used and caused many unnessasary deaths
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the United States should of or had to drop the atoms bombs in Japan. The bombs killed many innocent citizens. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are also scarcely populated and are not crucial to the military. Even though the dropping of the bombs stopped the soviet union from entering the war, it did not do much for the USA. It would have cost billions less to go to war with the Japanese. This would also save many lives since Japan was close to surrendering.
ReplyDeleteMaybe from President Trueman's point of view this was the right choice. Instead of Dropping the bomb on those certain towns he could have dropped it on a more populated military base. So in the end, I think he should have just gone to war with the Japanese instead of dropping the bombs.