Flying as fast as he could away from Hiroshima, he knows the atomic bomb, Little Boy has just exploded. He feels the Enola Gay shudder from the shock wave of the blast and knows the city of Hiroshima was no more. This is what Colonel Paul Tibbets and his crew experienced on the morning of August 8th, 1945 at around 8:20 am. This was a day that changed the history of the world forever, as a new type of player was introduced to the game of war, the atomic bomb, a superweapon of mass destruction. It was developed by the Americans during the Manhattan Project and was unlike anything the world had ever known. A single bomb that could destroy a city and kill thousands within seconds. It was used by the Americans to end World War II due to the Japanese’s …show more content…
When Truman was considering using the atomic bomb to end the war with Japan in the Pacific, he had many things to consider. One of the major considerations was the moral aspect of how many Japanese civilians would die in an invasion versus a bombing. Based on the behavior of both the Japanese Imperial Army and the United States Army, it has been estimated that a land invasion would have ultimately led to 5-10 million Japanese casualties which was significantly higher than the 200,000 that were killed across both the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Choosing the option that results in fewer casualties is morally superior and by using the atomic bomb, Truman was able to accomplish this. The atomic bomb allowed the Japanese to avoid a long, agonizing end to the war, and despite the deaths that did occur, it was the moral decision for the pain it prevented. The Soviet Union, which had a neutrality pact with Japan for most of World War II, decided they wanted a piece of the American war in Japan and decided to declare war on August 8, 1945, and invaded several Japanese-held positions the next day. Although the Soviets and Americans had agreed to this invasion at the Yalta Conference in earlier, it was becoming clear that Stalin was not joining to aid the Americans but rather to expand his influence in Asia as he was already doing in Europe. By dropping the atomic bombs and forcing a more rapid Japanese surrender, Truman accomplished two things that ultimately kept Soviet influence from coming to Japan. American troops could now enter Japan peacefully and protect the territory and its people from any potential Soviet invasion and bombings. This sent a strong signal to Stalin that he was militarily inferior and should limit his ambitions. Additionally, by keeping the Soviets