Analysis: Why The Atomic Bomb Was Justified

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When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 it cost the lives of 2,403 Americans. This event marked the date for the day that the United States entered World War II in response to the atrocities committed by the Japanese. Japan was not militarily or economically powerful enough to fight a long war against the United States, and the Japanese military knew this. Its attack on Pearl Harbor was a tremendous gamble — and though the short-run gamble was successful, the long-run gamble was lost because the Japanese were wrong about the American reaction (Asia for Educators). Four years later, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and the second on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 with intent to put …show more content…

Shortly before the US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, the United Stated showered the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima with over five million leaflets warning civilians of the impending attack and specifically stating that they need to “read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend…” (Leaflet 1) Although the Leaflets were dropped just days before the bombs giving only a short amount of time for people to even consider going anywhere, they were warned. The Japanese people knew this was going to happen, so why didn't they make further accommodations for the people that would be affected? We will never understand that. In addition to being showered with warnings about the bombs, several people took it lightly; thinking that it may just be a scare to get them to surrender. Knowing that it was going to take all of the power of the United States to get them to surrender and put an end to the war, they had no other way then to completely disable them from any further atrocities. Not only did the Japanese receive several warnings about the bombs from the United States, the dropping of the bomb undoubtably saved thousands - perhaps millions - of American and Japanese lives if the war had continued and not been ended by the surrender of the Japanese after the