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How Did Harry S. Truman's Decision To Use The Atomic Bomb

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Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, infamously used atomic bombs against Japan during World War II. Truman chose to utilize these catastrophic weapons in order to save American lives as well as accelerate this agonizing war. The effects of the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were utterly devastating. While the immediate death toll was colossal, an immeasurable number of deaths ensued. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused roughly 180,000 deaths. Deaths that were not immediately caused by the explosion were ultimately caused by high levels of radiation. Short term effects include the unwarranted deaths of countless men, women and children. In terms of long term effects, those who survived the bombs showed highly …show more content…

This article criticizes Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb, deeming it avoidable. Alperovitz utilizes evidence suggesting that America just wanted to intimidate the Soviet Union. His quote, “The timing itself has obviously raised questions among many historians.” (Alperovitz, 3) serves to question the suspicious timing of the bombs being dropped. Alperovitz expresses that other historians, in addition to himself, feel that the bombings were handily timed in order to intimidate the Soviet Union. Due to the considerable amount of Evidence that America wanted to prove a point to the USSR, Alperovitz’s argument is absolutely …show more content…

Samuel Walker, author of Prompt & Utter Destruction, sees Truman objectively. However, it is slightly insinuated that his decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki was truly unnecessary. Walker portrays that dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was an utterly unnecessary catastrophe. Prompt & Utter Destruction states, “Even without the use of the atomic bombs, the war would probably have ended before an American invasion…” (Walker, 89). This quote reflects the needlessness of such a horrendous weapon. This serves to reaffirm his opinion that is emitted throughout the book. His arguments are excessively convincing due to his persistent use of historic detail. Walker precisely recounts numerous events that took place during World War II, which elevates his argument

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Pros And Cons Of Truman And The Use Of Atomic Bombs

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Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan is a book by J. Samuel Walker. He writes about the decision that Truman had to make during World War Two. The Decision that Truman had to make was whether or not the United States should use atomic bombs against Japan. The argument was that if the atomic bombs were used, then Japan would be forced to surrender. “Truman could have decided against it.

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Prompt And Utter Destruction Summary

1394 Words | 6 Pages

Overall, the work is worth reading and is recommendable for students and scholars with interest in the Truman administration, atomic warfare and weapons, the second world war, relations between the US and the Soviet, and those curious of knowing the reasons that led to Truman’s decision to use two atomic bombs on

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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.

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Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, being in office from 1945 to 1953. Truman demonstrates uses of both expressed and inherent powers throughout his presidency. During the years of his first administration, Truman attended the Potsdam Conference alongside Churchill and Stalin to discuss post-war matters regarding the decision to split up Germany. Throughout this time period of war filled with tension among nations, Truman approved the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in efforts to end the war in the Pacific and prevent any possible future casualties that Japan may inflict on the United States. The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, and the second was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9.

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1889 Words | 8 Pages

The reason they say that Truman decided to drop the atomic bombs was so that they could try to get ahead of the Soviet Union. Gar Alperovitz is one of the most popular advocators for this reason. He stated that Truman dropped the bombs to demonstrate the power of America, and so that Russia could not enter the war to get new territorial acquisitions. If the Soviet Union was allowed to enter the war, then they could get some of the Japanese assets in China, which would have favored Russia greatly. Alperovitz’s conclusion was that Truman did this “to convince the Russians to accept the American plan for a stable peace”(Harry).

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The United States targeted three cities, but Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the ones chosen. An eyewitness tells of the horror that he experienced when the atomic bomb exploded. After dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, President Truman addressed the nation with a radio broadcast. A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki a few days later, which caused Japan to unconditionally surrender, ending World War II.

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856 Words | 4 Pages

By dropping the atomic bomb it ended the war and saved Americans lives. In document J the estimated total casualty of Japanese people was estimated to be 199,000 people that is to the estimated 1 million American casualties if we kept fighting until the Japanese surrendered. Also, in document I it says “His (Truman’s) advisors had warned him to expect massive casualties if the United States invaded Japan.” Truman didn’t do it out of revenge he did it out of protection for American lives. In document A it says “It was their (committee of top men) recommendation that the bomb be used against the enemy as soon as it could be done.”

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During the end of World War II, few analyzed Truman 's choice to drop the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most Americans saw the unmistakable considering: the atomic bombings went on the war to an all the more important end. They didn 't have an issue with more than one hundred thousand of the adversary being executed. Taking everything in a record, the Japanese got America, and not the substitute way. In later years, regardless, particular have started to look at the good perspective of "Truman was sparing lives," driving hypotheses of their own.

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To conclude, Truman did not have the right to drop the Atomic bombs on Japan because by dropping them he killed innocent children and families who had nothing to do with the

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Truman and the Atomic Bomb Throughout history there have usually always been more than two sides to each event that has happened. After events occur, the stories of how and why it happened can get easily switched up and twisted. People may also question why a particular Historic figure decided to do an act that they did, and if it was the right thing to do. That is exactly what has happened with the dropping of the first atomic bomb, lead by President Harry Truman.

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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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Scientists wanting not to have development of the bomb to be used for warfare, were kept from speaking with President Truman to give him an alternative perspective. Tight restrictions were implemented. The fact that intimidation of the Soviet Union was interesting. It provided another piece of

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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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