The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb on Japan - Term Paper Example

Running Head: Decision to drop the Atom Bomb on Japan Decision to drop the Atom Bomb on Japan [Institute’s Decision to drop theAtom Bomb on Japan Since decades, the decision of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan remained a major issue of debate and criticism, and the United States continued to confront huge criticism from various historians, experts, and even American veterans in different parts of the globe. This decision involving dropping of bombs on August 06 and August 09 of the year 1945 resulted in adverse effects on not only Japan, but also changed perspective of different nations around the world. In response to criticism, US President Truman specified that dropping of the atomic bomb saved lives of thousands of US soldiers in the war. However, recent studiesi related to this issue have indicated conflicting and contrasting results involving exaggeration of the number of lives saved by such decision, and the unreal reason and factor of dropping the bomb on two cities of Japan. For such purpose, this paper will specifically attempt to identify and compare arguments of both sides of this decision that will enable the reader to acquire a more critical position on the issue. Analysis of the literatureii has specified that Japan was near to surrender its forces in front of the United States; however, it was essential for the US to abandon the Japanese emperor in that case, and such step was unacceptable for the President Truman and the US government. In addition, expertsiii have argued that dropping of the bomb on Japan was an indirect indication of power and supremacy of the US government in front of the Soviet Union, essential for the establishment of an influential and commanding position after the war. Works of historians and experts in recent years have indicated that abovementioned reason of the President Truman related to saving thousands of American soldiers was not real. In addition, another reason of the President that the decision forced Japan to surrender was false as well. It is now evident from various sourcesiv that the decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan was a US or more specifically, President Truman’s way of threatening Soviet Union on the stage of war, and reasons such as quick finish of the war, saving thousands of American soldiers were just tools of hiding the real factor. However, before going against this decision, it is essential to look at the arguments that justified the decision of dropping the bomb. In this regard, sources have indicated that Japan played a very significant role during the war and resisted obsessively and passionately with its limited resources, and the Japanese government was preparing every Japanese citizen to commit in this resistance. In response, the United States armed forces attempted to defeat Japan with its firebombing that did not affect political leadership of Japan besides killing 0.1 million people in Tokyo. In the result, the US government and President Truman specified that the decision to drop the atom bomb was the only option to affect the leadership and mainstream resistance of Japan that incidentally forced Japan to surrender in the war. Additionally, the advocates of this decision argued that atom bomb jolted Japan’s leadership and organizational capacity, and atom bomb was a better option that invasion of Japan by armed forces that would have resulted in deaths of American soldiers, as well as huge number of civilians in different parts of Japan. On the other hand, the atom bomb targeted only two cities of Japan, saving lives of thousands of American soldiers, as well as Japanese citizens and soldiers in different cities of the country. An interesting argument by advocates of the atom bomb specified that the decision of dropping atom bomb on Japan enabled nations around the globe to witness the horror and drastic impact of the bomb that reduced and somehow eliminated the risks of similar attempts by other countries in the futurev. Lastly, sponsors of the decision argued that the atom bomb on Japan stopped the Soviet Union from demanding joint occupation of Japan, and thus, ended the war in a quick manner without more sufferings and losses. One of the famous advocates of abovementioned justifications was McGeorge Bundy that played a major and critical role in supporting the decision of dropping the atom bomb on Japan. Studies noted that US President Truman used Bundy in defending and supporting his decision of the atom bomb that is evident from Bundy’s works, such as ‘Danger and Survival’vi, in which he put the same justifications of a quick way of ending the war and an efficient methodology of saving lives of thousands of American soldiers in the war. Additionally, Bundy argued that atom bomb played the role of any other weapon used in different wars, and it was a more efficient way of ending the war, as compared with possible tools, such as firebombing, invading by land, etc. In his essay, Bundy put his arguments that the atom bomb resulted in no different outcome, as it would have caused with some other usual way of attack, and he amazingly ignored the social, economical, and psychological impact of atom bomb on Japan and Japanese people that continued to affect them until today. Moreover, Bundy indicated that the decision of dropping the atom bomb on Japan was a unanimous decision involving the US President Truman, heads of the US armed forces, advisors of the President, etc that were enough to carry out successful action against Japanvii. However, the basic argument of adversaries of the atom bomb is the query of why the US President concealed the real reasons of dropping the atom bomb on Japan that were intimidating the Soviet Union by the atom bomb, etc, and gave fake justifications of saving lives of American soldiers, the only possible way of forcing Japan to surrender, etc. In this regard, now the paper will present and analyze arguments that unjustified the necessity of dropping the bomb and indicated adverse impact of this decision. The Smithsonian Institute and Museum is an evident proof of counter arguments that have indicated perspectives of both sides; however, recent studies have indicated that such works have confronted major criticism from politicians, veterans of the armed forces, etc that forced such institutions to focus more on evidence advocating the decision, rather than proofs that unjustified it.viii The bombing survey reportix of the U.S. Strategic Department presented evidence in the year 1946 that, circumstances before the bomb specified that Japan was near to surrender, and it would have done so even in absence of an atomic attack on it. In addition, the report stated that even an invasion of US armed forces was not essential to enforce Japan for their surrender. This clearly showed the invalidation of the decision of dropping the atom bomb on Japan. Some of the evidence presented in this report included proofs that Japanese were seeking support from the Soviet Union for their surrender, and the President Truman was aware of such situation of Japan. Moreover, Japan was only demanding and requesting abandon of their emperor that was unacceptable for the United States government, and due to unconditional surrender of Japan, President Truman decided to drop the bomb. Another proof that nullified the rationalization of the decision was advices of commanders of the US armed forces that forbid the US President to make such a decision, as US was already a conqueror, and dropping of the bomb would be an unnecessary action against Japan. For instance, General Eisenhower informed Stimson, the then Secretary of War about the same circumstance; however, advice of the top commander of US armed forces in Europe did not change the decision.x Similarly, a number of commanders and politicians advised the US President Truman to avoid such action, but the President took the decision of dropping the atom bomb on Japan that was an unethical and horrific decision that affected Japan drastically, as well as a number of countries around the globe. Diaries of the President Truman confirmed abovementioned proofs against his decision or against his reasons presented to the American nation. For instance, in his diaries of 1945, Truman accepted that he was aware of the situation of Japan that it was seeking help for surrender.xi In other instances, Truman was aware of the fact that Russians were about to enter the war against Japan, and thus, there was no need of an atom bomb, as Russian declaration of war would have simply forced Japan to surrender. However, still after knowing these facts, President Truman decided to drop the bomb, which has resulted in huge criticism until today. Since dropping of the bomb, the United States government has continued to confront its decision of dropping the atom bomb on Japan until now. A number of historians have matched the American decision of atom bomb with German holocaust of Hitler. Historians indicated that saving elections and avoiding criticism from the American public inclined President Truman to present false reasons to the American public, and there was no need of taking such decision that changed various perspectives and issues around the world. Conclusively, the paper has discussed and argued over some of the significant aspects of the US decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. Notes Read More