Hiroshima And Nagasaki Dbq

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During the final stages of World War Two, the United States turned their attention to the Pacific, with the country that had brought them into this deadly battle. In an effort to end a ruthless war with Japan, the United States found itself stuck in a position that would alter the course of the world for years to come. A decision was to be made about using the atomic bomb or invading Japan. By dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States prevented the loss of many American and Japanese lives, and showed the rest of the world the true power of America. After the surrender of Germany, the Allied Powers celebrated their victory, although there was another battle to fight in the Pacific. America had already lost countless …show more content…

“I couldn’t have survived another month,” he said. “If the military had its way, we would have fought until all 80 million Japanese were dead. Only the atomic bomb saved me. Not me alone, but many Japanese, ironically speaking, were saved by the atomic bomb.’” In other words, this quote explains how not only did the bomb save American lives, but also the Japanese. The dropping of the atomic bomb gave Japan no choice but to surrender unless they wanted to see the end of their country. Another option that would’ve ultimately led to the end of war in the Pacific, would be to invade Japan. Although this sounds logical, it is not because it would cost many more lives and take more time. “Was it necessary to drop the atomic bomb on Japan?”, taken from The New York Times, states, “The first three options were far from certain to compel a Japanese surrender quickly, however, and each posed serious military, political, and diplomatic …show more content…

In the course of the race for atomic energy, the United States achieved its goal of beating Germany for the atomic bomb. By having a committed team of scientists working on The Manhattan Project, we were able to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This action showed that the United States was a force to be reckoned with and proved that it was indeed a world power. The article, “Stimson on the Bomb”, taken from the Atomic Heritage Foundation, states, “On August 6 one B-29 dropped a single atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the war was over. So far as the Japanese could know, our ability to execute atomic attacks, if necessary by many planes at a time, was unlimited. As Dr. Karl Compton has said, “it was not one atomic bomb, or two, which brought surrender; it was the experience of what an atomic bomb will actually do to a community, plus the dread of many more, that was effective.’” This quote taken from the Atomic Heritage Foundation states that the dropping of the atomic bombs was more of a mental game, as well as it was a massive

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