ipl-logo

Did President Truman's Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb Justified?

471 Words2 Pages

In 1945, Germany surrendered, leaving Japan as the only Axis Power still fighting in WWII. The US devised plans that would force Japan to surrender. In August, 1945, the US ended up dropping two atomic bombs; one in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki, which ultimately led to the surrender of Japan. Some believed that the atomic bomb should have not been dropped because it was barbaric as it killed many innocent civilians while some thought that the atomic bomb was necessary in order to get Japan to surrender, ending the war. President Truman’s decision to use the atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a justified action as it was necessary to end the war while saving the American troops lives and prohibiting Russia from interfering with Japanese affairs. …show more content…

According to John Correll from his article, The Invasion that Didn’t Happen, he states that “Operation Olympic and Coronet had a projected casualties of 1,202,005”, if the US would have gone with the invasion instead of using the atomic bomb. The Atomic Bomb was necessary not only in ending the war but also preserving the lives of the American troops as if the US planned to go with the invasion that was similar to D-Day, the war would end but with many casualties of American Troops. Furthermore, President Truman stated that, “Having found the bomb, we have used it for the Japanese who caused Pearl Harbor and those who tortured American Prisoners.” Building on Truman’s thoughts, the atomic bomb was the only way to end the war as Japan deserved its actions committed against the US and the US could not bear to lose anymore troops. Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb was justified as it was utilized in order to end the war while preserving the lives of American

Show More
Related

Pros And Cons Of Truman And The Use Of Atomic Bombs

642 Words | 3 Pages

But he had no compelling reason to do so. The bomb provided a promising way to bring about a prompt Japanese surrender without the disadvantages of other alternatives, and in Truman’s mind, its use did not require a lengthy consideration” (Walker pg. 96). After the bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people decided that the bombs were actually required. The people thought that if the bombs weren’t dropped, thousands of American lives would have died while America invaded Japan. The problem with this logic is that many people died in those bombings.

Read More

How Did Truman Use The Atomic Bomb Dbq

301 Words | 2 Pages

As stated in document A, President Truman believed that it was his duty as president to use every weapon available to save American lives. By making the decision to employ atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it successfully brought an end to World War II. Now, while these bombs did ultimately spare thousands of American lives, it did also put an end to about 200,000 lives as shown in document E. Document A stated that Admiral William Leahy, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, opposed using the bomb because it killed civilians indiscriminately. He believed that an economic blockade and conventional bombing would convince Japan to surrender. As an opposite end of the spectrum though Truman’s advisor, James Byrnes thought that the use of “the A-bombs would not only cause Japan to surrender, but also impress the Soviet Union, and hopefully stop its expansion” (Doc C).

Read More

Truman Justified Dbq

798 Words | 4 Pages

It stopped the fire raids, and the strangling blockade; it ended the ghastly specter of a clash of great land armies” (Doc 5). This quote from Henry Stimson explains how the fighting between Japan and America was like no other, the militaries were very powerful and that meant there would be more blood, and more death, and the use of the Atomic bomb was the least horrific outcome to the war. Secondly, the use of the atomic bomb saved many lives on both sides of the war, and that is another example of why Truman’s decision is justified. The reason President Truman’s decision is justified is because the bomb saved many lives on both sides of the war, even though there were innocent deaths, there would have been hundreds of thousands to even millions of deaths on each side of the war, so yes the decision is justified because it ended the chances of dying in war drastically. One piece of evidence from the pilot of the Enola Gay states “I am convinced that we saved more lives than we took.

Read More

How Did Truman's Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb Dbq

719 Words | 3 Pages

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb is one of the biggest and deadliest controversial turning points in history. America’s president, Truman, decided that on August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb would be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. President Truman’s choice to drop the bomb on Japan was considered one of the most debatable turning points. The settlement to drop this bomb was a wrong decision because this bomb killed more than 70,000 innocent people with 10,000’s dying later. Also, bombing a country that was going to surrender in a few months would not be necessary, and last but not least, the atomic bomb could give ideas for the world to start nuclear warfare.

Read More

Should The Us Have Dropped The Atomic Bomb Dbq

616 Words | 3 Pages

If the U.S. did not use the atomic bomb, the war could have killed more American soldiers because Japanese soldiers fought to the death. “The U.S. had sustained more than 75,000 casualties.” (Historical Background). The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was just retaliation for Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor. The bombing was not really about saving lives.

Read More

Was Truman Justified In Dropping The Atomic Bomb

506 Words | 3 Pages

The answer is very simple. America knew the risk being taken if Japan didn’t surrender and that is why America dropped a second atom bomb on Nagasaki to make sure they would surrender. In conclusion, Truman was justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan to end WWII. It was a demonstration and act of strategy, moral and politics.

Read More

How Is Truman's Use Of The Atomic Bomb Justified

575 Words | 3 Pages

President Harry S. Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II continues to be a topic of heated debate to this day. Many have questioned whether the bombings were justified and whether they truly helped bring the war to an end. However, when examining the historical context, key figures involved, and considering various perspectives, it becomes clear that President Truman was indeed right in his decision to use the atomic bomb. In his essay "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb," published in Harper's Magazine in February 1947, Secretary of War Henry Lewis Stimson provides valuable insights into the rationale behind dropping the bombs. Stimson argued that using the atomic bomb was necessary to bring

Read More

President Truman Was Justified In Dropping The Atomic Bombs On Japan

722 Words | 3 Pages

President Truman was justified to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagaski in order to end WWII. This is due to the fact that it was necessary in order to prevent many more countries and lives lost. In addition to that, using the bomb was simply just a reaction to the arms race. If we hadn’t used it first they would have. Those are just two of the many reasons that President Harry Truman was justified in using the atomic bombs on Japan.

Read More

Truman Justified To Drop The Atomic Bomb Analysis

1056 Words | 5 Pages

You see a blast six miles away as bright as the sun, then the ground shakes tremendously. You just saw an atom bomb go off over Hiroshima, Japan. Prior to this day President Truman gave orders to drop the atomic bomb to try ending world two. Truman was justified to drop the atomic bomb to end the war because it was planned strategically, he had good political reasoning, and he had good moral points as to why it was okay in dropping the bomb.

Read More

Pearl Harbor Argumentative Essay

918 Words | 4 Pages

Towards the end of the war, it was clear that Japan was not going to surrender, and a full-blown invasion of the mainland may be necessary to end the war. Out of fear of unnecessary American and Japanese deaths the U.S. made a drastic choice. “Instead, in an effort to end the war quickly, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945” (Gale in Context 18). After the two bombs were dropped, Japan surrendered and agreed to cease fighting.

Read More

Was The Atomic Bombing Of Japan Necessary?

1480 Words | 6 Pages

author Robert Freeman argues that the atomic bombs were not required to end the war because Japan was already on the verge of surrendering. The blockades around Japan were working effectively and Japan had already begun peace negotiations prior to the bombing. The U.S. only dropped the bombs because they feared that the Russians would

Read More

Was The Atomic Bombing Justified Or Unjustified

725 Words | 3 Pages

The Japanese refused surrender without a major turning point in the war. The atomic bomb made this turning point a reality and shocked them into surrender. American officials made the right decision on August 6, 1945. Their decision has made the world safer for decades to

Read More

Argumentative Essay On Dropping The Atomic Bomb

863 Words | 4 Pages

However, the Japanese were committed to fight to the bitter end of the war and see it all the way through, regardless of the fact that the United States demanded unconditional surrender from the small country of islands. This further emphasizes that since the Japanese were not simply going to give up, Truman came to the conclusion that in order to save millions of lives, he had to take thousands. President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan to warn the world about the new found power of the United States, force an unconditional surrender of the Japanese, and save millions of lives. With the controversy over whether or not Truman should have dropped the bomb, some consider the decision irrational and unnecessary.

Read More

American Decision To Drop Of The Atomic Bomb Essay

929 Words | 4 Pages

In 1945 President Truman, of The United States of America made the decision to drop Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing World War Two to end, saving thousands of American lives. The dropping of the Atomic Bombs caused Japan to surrender, thus ending the war. 

 In 1945 The United States of America dropped two bombs on Japan, making them victorious in causing Japan to surrender and ending the war.

Read More

The Atomic Bomb Argumentative Analysis

1126 Words | 5 Pages

The argument that explains why the United States used the atomic bomb is President Harry S. Truman; along with other policymakers argued that the atomic bomb would rapidly end the war with Japan and would save American lives (Bernstein, 94). Truman argued the atomic bomb could also be used as a bargaining lever and would offer the United States great advantages in the postwar world. (Bernstein, 95) However some decision makers argued that the invasion on Japan with atomic weapons would not be necessary for Japan to surrender. In fact, according to Herbet Feis, he states Japan would have surrendered without the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Read More

More about Did President Truman's Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb Justified?

Open Document