Preview

Was It Morally Justifiable for Truman to Use Two Nuclear Weapons Against Japan During Wwii?

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1182 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Was It Morally Justifiable for Truman to Use Two Nuclear Weapons Against Japan During Wwii?
WAS IT MORALLY JUSTIFIABLE FOR TRUMAN TO USE TWO NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST JAPAN DURING WWII?

WWII is still the most horrific war in the history of human existence. With over 50 million dead in just 6 short years, every single chapter of the war has been eternally marked in world history. Two particular incidents that will last over the years would be the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Now being considered in hindsight, the nuclear attacks have become very controversial topics. In my personal opinion, I believe that the bombings were absolutely atrocious, but I also think that the bombings were needed for WWII to truly end.

Supporters of Truman’s decision believe that the bombings were a reasonable second option compared to other choices available. Today, we know that the Japanese were fanatical fighters during the war. Surrender was out of question, and so when asked to do so by the Americans, they ignored the request. Instead they persisted with their fighting, and the war on the Pacific lasted almost 4 years. After witnessing the Japanese fight in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, it was clear that high casualties on both sides would’ve been the result of an American invasion of the Japanese main island of Kyushu. The Japanese would stop at nothing. They invented the Kamikaze, the point when one of their pilots would sacrifice himself by crashing his plane head on into Allied ships. The Japanese people were dedicated to their emperor; civilian men, women, and children would have courageously fought to the death had the time come. President Truman also had to consider the fact that estimates revealed at least 50-80% of the American soldiers that survived the war in Europe were expected to die in the invasion. He couldn’t put men, who had fought many years in Europe and survived, in the field only to have them die for nothing when there was another much easier option. After all, a war is a war; the laws of Right and Wrong don’t apply when



References: 1. What are arguments for and against the atomic bombings of Japan being justified?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_arguments_for_and_against_the_atomic_bombings_of_Japan_being_justified 2. Chung, TK. (1979). Cold War 1945-1960. Retrieved from http://www.funfront.net/hist/europe/coldwar.htm

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan in August of 1945 was made by a complex group of technological, political and military influences. History has it that the bombs were dropped in order to save American lives by avoiding the invasion of Japanese homelands, at least, that was what President Truman told the American public at the time. “For years, this simple view has been challenged by a seemingly more sophisticated academic perspective that the bombs were wrongfully used against innocent civilians, did not genuinely factor into the surrender of Japan, and would have better served the war effort as part of a diplomatic “carrot and stick” package.” (Beason 1). Some argue that the first bomb may have been required to achieve Japanese surrender, but the second one was a needless act of barbarism. According to Admiral William D. Leahy, the President’s Chief of Staff, “The use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war over Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender…” (Beason 1). However, I have many facts to counteract all of these criticisms and to support President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb.…

    • 1290 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atomic Bomb Dbq

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One can argue that the dropping of the atomic bomb by the United States was strictly a military measure designed to force Japan’s unconditional surrender. First, as stated in the Memoirs of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Japan was willing to literally “fight to the death” and the war was guaranteed to be prolonged for many months against the Japanese. Many more millions of American casualties were bound to happen and the U.S. wasn’t willing to risk all those lives. Because of this unwillingness to surrender, both Truman and Americans found it strenuous to figure out a way to end the war quicker. Charging into Japan or bombing Japanese cities with regular bombs would take up too much time and the number of casualties would only increase. Therefore, having the decision to use an atomic bomb to blow an entire city up within seconds, Truman undoubtedly ordered…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb was a good decision. If he had not decided to drop the atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the war would have continued and more Americans, as well as Japanese, would have continued to die. Since the Japanese were using ruthless methods of war like kamikazes or killing themselves rather than be captured, it was hard to tell how far Japan was willing to go in order to win the war. Thus, Truman’s decision to bomb Japan is justifiable by the cause of not knowing to what extents Japan was willing to go. I believe Truman wanted to show the Japanese that the United States was willing to do anything to win the…

    • 125 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered, but there were still controversies with Japan. President Truman pleaded with the Japanese government to surrender like Germany did, but they were stubborn and loyal to their country. The Japanese were formidable because they would rather die than admit defeat. As a result, Truman met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on June 28, hoping to determine the decision on whether or not to use to bomb. Truman had a bit of a wake up call when he was told how many American soldiers would die as a cause of not using the bomb and made up his mind to use it. Many ideas were brought up in the meeting, but it was finally agreed upon to use four atomic bombs on four different targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Nagasaki, and Niigata. (Truman 206).…

    • 950 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “On August 16, 1945, Enola Gray, a U.S. bomber, dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and three days later, a second atomic bomb destroyed the city of Nagasaki” (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Many people argue whether or not these bombings were ethical and legal. The U.S. killed innocent people in order to “break the morale” of the Japanese population. The U.S. also broke many of the statements in the “Just War” doctrine. Theses bombings caused many people to face harmful amounts of radiation and die. I believe that President Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs was unethical and he did not justify using nuclear weapons in order to get Japan to surrender.…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American people have questioned Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb for years. Some people believe the release of the bomb was beneficial to both parties involved in the war, however others believe that it was cruel and unnecessary. Either way the decision was one that caused many people to speculate, asking questions such as; did the release of the bomb prevent the death of millions of the Japanese and Americans, or was the United States trying to show the Soviet Union how much power they possessed? Even though one’s interpretation on the matter may differ, the whole world felt the desperation to end World War II. Truman deliberated and decided that the only way that the end could come swiftly was by dropping the atomic…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Barnes, Michael. "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb: Arguments Against." The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb: Arguments Against. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://www.authentichistory.com/1939-1945/1-war/4-Pacific/4-abombdecision/3-against/>.…

    • 946 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Atomic Bomb Dbq

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Japanese leaders were very ruthless and it was against the Japanese culture to give up. For example, “Thousands of suicide missions by kamikaze pilots who tried to crash their planes into U.S. warships seemed additional proof of Japanese fantacism”. When Japan refused to give up there was only so much the U.S. could do. When in office Truman argued, “That the use of the atomic bomb was necessary to avoid an invasion in Japan that would have cost hundreds of thousands of lives”. It is quite possible that Truman may have thought that the atomic bomb could also be used to intimidate other countries like the Soviet Union and the axis powers, but his main focus was the United States at that particular moment in time. There was no winning in Truman’s situation because he was basically choosing who lived and who died. Truman had to choose between possibly losing the war and hundreds of thousands of more men and dropping the atomic bomb on innocent civilians. His actions were not based on the sole purpose of intimidating other countries, but to end the war in the best possible manor without sacrificing more Americans lives. So yes the United States could have quite possible defeated the Japanese, but “recent research shows that bombs were the shock that allowed the emperor and peace advocates to overcome military leaders who wanted to fight to the…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some may feel that the United States was justified in using atomic bombs against Japan. The US was obligated to use the atomic bomb, because, after the Potsdam Conference in July, US asked the Japanese to surrender in early August. Japanese said “no” and that they would never surrender. This left Truman with two very difficult decisions; one: keep fighting or two: use the atomic bomb to end the war. Truman chose the usage of atomic bomb on Japan to end the war quickly, by doing this, he saved tenth of thousands of American soldiers lives. According the Truman’s Decision to Drop the Bomb; four cities were recommended as targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, and Nagasaki. The bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, because of fewer populations. The atomic barely got the Japanese to surrender. Us dropped two, then only with the intervention of the Emperor and even then, there was an attempted coup to prevent surrender. If US have hadn’t used the bomb, the war could have lasted for decades.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are primary and secondary documents which support both sides of this very controversial issue. Throughout doing this research I have found it incredibly hard to take a one-sided approach to this essay and therefore have decided to remain neutral. I will present my conclusions of both perspectives on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hopefully by acknowledging the conflicting views, it will assist in further analyzing and understanding the motives responsible for the bombing.…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    One of the reasons Truman decided to drop the bomb was pressure from his military advisors, who believed that a full scale military invasion was too expensive. Truman was also under domestic pressure due to the fact that he wanted to please the public because he was up for re-election. America harbored strong feelings of prejudice against the Japanese people for the attack on Pearl Harbor and though it is speculation, it is thought that this had an effect on the decision to use an atomic weapon. Admiral William D. Leaky, Chief of Staff to Truman, said that it was in his opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was one of no material assistance in our war with Japan. The effects of the atomic bomb were overwhelming: The exact number of dead and injured will never be known because of the confusion after the explosions. Persons unaccounted for might have been burned beyond recognition in the falling buildings, disposed of in one of the mass cremations of the first week of recovery, or driven out of the city to die or recover without any record remaining. The Survey believes the dead at Hiroshima to have been between 70,000 and 80,000, with…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When President Harry Truman made the decision to drop the first ever atomic bomb, did he saves lives or did he create a whole new Pandora's box that we would continue to struggle with today? After gathering facts and meeting with our Allies such as the Soviet Union, he believed that dropping the atomic bomb would make the Japanese surrender quickly saving lives in the long run. There were many factors that went into the decision that President Truman made. After the bloody battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, American soldiers and the American government realized that the Japanese would fight to the end. They did not believe they were "beaten" but they believed they were luring the American troops to their turf where they could fight a better battle in their rugged terrain.…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    President Along those lines, Truman's decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unjustified. Japan had considered surrendering before the two atomic bombs were dropped. According to "United States history: Reconstruction to the Present,’’ the following 3 days after Little Boy was dropped in Hiroshima, Japanese leaders debated on whether or not they should have kept fighting. " The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender (Leahy). ’’…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    President Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki because the Japanese just did not surrender. However, it was the Japanese military leaders that did not want to surrender which led to the bombing on Hiroshima. The president asked the Japanese the first time to surrender by August 3rd and they did not and because of this being a war there is no sympathy. I believe that because of them not surrendering there is no other option. This war consisted of many people dying and there is no option but to surrender or get attacked. Japan if had the opportunity to attack, they would attack and this is true because of the constant resistance they have within the war.…

    • 234 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It wasn’t necessary to drop the bombs on Japan. It wasn’t justified for many reasons. One reason being that Japan was already on the brink of surrendering. They killed innocent people just for the sake to end a war when there could’ve been other diplomatic ways to end it. It was all immoral.…

    • 577 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays