Was it Right to Drop the Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Questions on the subject of those nuclear attacks are multifaceted. While it is frequently proposed that “The Bomb” was the only way to ensure a Japanese surrender, Japan was asking only one concession from the U.S. at the time – the emperor is allowed to remain as head of state. Had the U.S. agreed to this, might have the massive destruction of a principally civilian populace been avoided? Taking this into consideration, it is obligatory for history to question President Truman’s motivations for authorizing its use. Was it really necessary to use this swift resolution to the prolonged deadly war so as to ultimately save many thousands of lives, both American and Japanese, which surely would have been lost if the Americans invaded mainland Japan? Or was the reason, as has been theorized, a decision based more so on keeping the former Soviet Union from having input as regards to the partition of post-war Asia much as it had following the war in Europe? Critics charge that even given that the first bomb might be justified, the extensive devastation along with the collateral and continuing damage was devastating enough. The second bomb was an unnecessary “overkill” and should not have been utilized.
The main reasoning generally provided to use the bomb was that it saved many thousands of lives on both sides by eradicating the need to fight the Japanese on their homeland, a horrific prospect. When the battles for Okinawa and the Philippines were occurring, President Truman was contemplating a massive ground invasion of Japan’s mainland. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More