How Did The Potsdam Conference Dbq

On July 26, 1945, an ultimatum known as the Potsdam Declaration was announced at the Potsdam Conference. This offer was created by the United States, China, and Great Britain and it called “for the unconditional surrender of Japan”(Encyclopedia Britannica). The Japanese Prime Minister at the time, Kantarō Suzuki, replied with “mokusatsu.” The translation was continuously disputed so no one is exactly sure what was said. President Harry S. Truman interpreted Suzuki’s response as a refusal to the surrender, so on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. These cities were of civilian majority and most are unsure on the choice of them for the

(source 2)AKA THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE AGAINST THE DECISION EVEN THOUGH THEY WANTED THE WAR TO END They wanted a quick end to the war and agreed that the use of the atomic bombs would be an effective method but they believed it was unjustified to do so on Japan.(source 2) Unless the details of the attack were made public and Japan was given an opportunity to surrender, the atomic bomb attack would not be justified. (source 2) The sheer possibility of the use of atomic bombs would be enough to keep Japan at bay.(source 2) “The added material strength which this lead gives to the United States brings with it the obligation of restraint and if we were to violate this obligation our moral position would be weakened in the eyes of the world and in our eyes.”(source

President Truman wanted to limit the number of American casualties as the United States had already lost so many people during this war. There were over 82,000 casualties for the U.S. during the battle of Okinawa alone. Scientists who worked on the production of the atomic bombs determined that they “ may very well be an effective method of warfare”(Source 2). Truman said, “The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold. And the end is not yet”(source 4). Japan was also given an opportunity to surrender and for the most part they denied. So the United States went forward with their