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Atomic Bomb Argumentative Essay

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The first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States marked a significant turning point in global history. The sheer magnitude of destruction caused by this deadly weapon left an unparalleled imprint with a reported fatality rate of instantly killing an staggering estimate of up to around 80,000 people. In three more days, on August 9th another bomb hit Nagasaki adding another layer to what recent reporters declared as an irreversible catastrophe with around additional deaths projected at roughly another forty thousand lives taken. The dropping of the atomic bombs marked an end of years of fighting between the United States and Japan during WWII. International law envisions such attacks as a war crime, considering it illegal and …show more content…

Notably so is that these bombings resulted in fatalities reaching more than 200 thousand innocent people- comprising mothers, infants, seniors uninvolved directly in conventional combat activities at different levels. Resultantly this occurrence caused polarizing discussions revolving around the justification or lack thereof for launching such attacks. The use of nuclear weapons had long-lasting implications on the global power balance, as it resulted in the United States gaining a status of preeminence in military might. The Soviet Union became its chief adversary during the Cold War epoch. This gave rise to an era of geopolitical instability, which endangered these two superpowers with potential nuclear conflict. Moreover, this episode triggered an intense desire among other countries to procure nuclear weapons for defensive purposes. Despite these repercussions, the bombings did have a favorable outcome: by forcing Japan's immediate surrender, they prevented military action that could have culminated in even greater loss of life. With their explosive force, incredible magnitude, and brutal aftermaths, these bombings demonstrated both the power and threat inherent in nuclear warfare. Until this day the bomb is being studied and debated, which serves as a reminder of the dangers of war and the need for preventing this from happening

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On August 6, 1945, the U.S. made history with a fatal blow to the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended WWII. To this day there is a controversy on whether the dropping of the atomic bomb, ordered by President Harry S. Truman, was justified or not, but in fact, it was. Thousands of Japanese would perish, but this act would, in turn, saved American lives and end the war. Throughout various battles, the Japanese consistently crossed lines of ethics of warfare, and in an attempt to bring justice and an end to the war Truman put forth a plan to bomb Japan. President Truman warned Japan of the upcoming attack and gave demands, but in the end, the Japanese denied those negotiations which led to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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The doubts about the U.S. decision in 1945 have been discussed, analyzed, and there are still many controversies. In August 1945, the U.S. decided to use both of its two atomic bombs on Japan to end the war between them during WWII. The atomic bomb has killed about 200,000 people in the Japanese community and brought destruction to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even though the bomb had terminated the war by Japan surrendering, there were many who were against the action of using the bomb. The reason behind that perspective is that many innocent people have died, and Japan was near surrendering, so there was no need for a major event.

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Following WWII, in 1945, the division of Korea was initiated. The Soviet Union established a pro-communist government on the Northside of Korea and Americans created a pro-democratic government on the Southside of Korea. After the division, known as the 38th parallel, occurred, North Korea began to attack again. This attack consisted of both the South and North pushing each other farther from the 38th parallel until the Chinese troops drove them back to the 38th parallel. The United States and The Soviet Union knew the war was not going anywhere but still persisted to continue.

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Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941. In response, the United States declared war on Japan. America gained victory in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The Japanese suffered a lot of losses. In early 1945, American forces suffered heavy losses during the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

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Women and children were killed, and entire cities were erased from existence. This clear lack of respect and ethical reasoning highlights that there were more negatives than benefits of the bombs. Document 8 says, “The record of General Macarthur’s operations from 1 March 1944 through 1 May 1945 shows 13,742 US killed compared to 310,165 Japanese killed.” These numbers support the fact that the number of Japanese casualties far exceeded that of America. The decision to drop the atomic bomb added to this total, and made the comparison between American and Japanese deaths even more striking.

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JFK once said, " Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind." In 1939 Albert Einstein had written the US president of the potential to build a nuclear weapon. The US entrance into the war on December 7th of 1941 led to the president creating the Manhattan Project in 1942 where the atomic bomb was developed. On August 6th of 1945 US president Truman ordered the bombing of Hiroshima using the atomic bomb, 3 days later he ordered a second bomb to be dropped in Nagasaki. The US was justified in using the atomic bomb to end WWII because, America's technology was their greatest achievement, during the time of war death is inevitable, and Japan ignored all warnings given by America.

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In their article, Document 4, Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper, Nippon Times, revealed that the United States had caused unnecessary deaths, basically going against an international war law. Nippon Times states in their article in 1945, “What meaning is there in any international law, in any rule of human conduct, in any concept of right and wrong, if the very foundations of morality are to be overthrown as the use of this instrument of total destruction threatens to do?¨ The essence of Nippon Times argument is that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is against the International War Laws that state the unnecessary suffering of people in a conflicted war. The United States, according to Japan, broke a law of war that should be respected and followed as it helps to maintain some humanity in armed conflicts, saving lives and reducing suffering. This example shows that the dropping of the atomic bomb wasn't a military necessity. Additionally in Document 4, Nippon Times responds by claiming “… if the very foundations of morality are to be overthrown as the use of this instrument of total destruction threatens to do?” which implies that the U.S. planned to threaten Japan to bomb them.

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In the debate “Nuclear Weapons is the best invention ever made”, it is stated that, “The only time that nuclear weapons have ever seriously been used was back in WWII against Japan” (Article 2). The bombs were dropped on two of Japan's major cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were both centers of military production and transportation. The destruction of these cities had a profound impact on Japan's ability to continue the war, as it disrupted the country's ability to produce weapons and supplies. The bombing also sent a clear message to Japan and the rest of the world that the United States possessed a devastating new weapon and was willing to use it. This served to deter other countries from pursuing nuclear weapons and helped to establish the United States as a dominant military power in the post-war

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In the twentieth century, the United States dropped two atomic bombs, which were the most powerful weapons at that time, on Japan. It happened on August 6 and August 9, 1945. The atomic bombs killed 226,000 Japanese and ended the war. However, America should not have dropped the atomic bombs for two reasons. First, it was not necessary to drop the bomb to win the war militarily or to get the Japanese to surrender.

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In 1945, World War Two, a six year conflict, ended in the adoption of firebombing tactics, and ultimately the dropping of two atomic bombs. These two bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima devastated thousands, killing and wounding 75,000 and 150,000 people respectively. At the time this decision was one supported by many because after years of fighting they believed it would save more American lives, and prevent the need for more face to face combat between the Allied Powers and the Axis powers, which at this point only consisted of Japan. However, years after the end of World War Two many historians have analyzed the motives behind this decision. Many believe the traditional orthodox argument that dropping these

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Theoretically of course, what if a country was to develop a weapon strong enough to completely disintegrate cities and all the people living in it? Coincidently, the United states discovered a bomb that did exactly that and ended up thrusting the world into a new era of weaponized technology towards the end of World War II. Countries from this point on became wary of opposing the United States, aware of the power they possessed, especially since the US had already used this weapon on Japan to end the war.

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President Harry Truman gave an executive order in 1945 to drop to atomic bombs in popular downtown cities in Japan. With the guidance of many scientists and political leaders President Truman made the extremely tough decision to drop the bombs. After listening to arguments from both sides President Truman came to the conclusion that dropping bombs would be the best thing to do for this war. It would also show that the United States had an extreme military power. Many American politicians were for the idea of dropping the bomb, because they believed that it was the only way to end the war and get Japan to surrender.

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The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki initiated the nuclear arms race, with countries seeking to develop and acquire their own nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence. This led to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, increasing the risks of accidental or intentional use and destabilizing global security. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki created a lasting legacy of fear and mistrust. The development and stockpiling of nuclear weapons by different nations in the aftermath of World War II led to the establishment of a precarious balance known as "mutually assured destruction. "

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