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Summary Of Leo Szilard's Last Resort

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Szilard’s Last Resort Imagine being the ultimate decision maker responsible for deciding if the world’s deadliest weapon should be used on your enemy’s cities. In 1945, this was the position Harry S. Truman was in, but fortunately, he did have advisers who were willing to voice their opinions. Leo Szilard’s petition to the president claims that the atomic bomb should not be used on Japan based on the current stage of the war. However, if Japan was offered the opportunity to surrender and refused, then the decision to use the bomb should be reassessed (Szilard, “A Petition”). “A Petition to the President of the United States” by Leo Szilard provides a strong claim against the use of the atomic bomb supported by establishing credibility, …show more content…

Since Szilard and the additional signers of this petition were experienced scientists working in the field of nuclear science for years, this established that they were knowledgeable about atomic bombs and therefore credible sources on this matter (“A Petition”). This is noted in the second paragraph of the petition and established the author and signers’ credibility from the start. Also, Szilard provides a reservation to his claim, which demonstrates that he has considered all aspects of the issues. This reservation was that if Japan was unwilling to surrender, then the United States should reconsider the using the atomic bomb to end the war (Szilard, “A …show more content…

The opening remark states there is information “the people of the United States are not aware may affect the welfare of this nation in the near future” (Szilard, “A Petition”). This statement immediately captures the reader’s interest and creates concern. After the logical appeal, the petition plays on the reader’s emotion by discussing the path of ruthlessness that the world would travel down if the atomic bomb was used (Szilard, “A Petition”). The author continues to paint a picture of a world with such destructive powers available that the devastation would be unimaginable, and if the United States deployed the first atomic bomb, then it would be responsible for the opening Pandora’s box and all that followed (Szilard, “A

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That fact that the atomic bomb had to be dropped at all is a shocking fact to accept. In the modern era, it is challenging to understand the sentiments of America's leaders during that time period. The passages "A Petition to the President of the United States," "The Decision to Drop the Bomb," and "Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists" illustrate the thought process of American citizens and the government very effectively. They each go into the miniscule details in order to assist the readers in understanding what compulsion the government had to drop the bomb, and how civilians reacted to this. It is due to passages like these that people in the modern day can continue to acknowledge America's past and decisions.

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The success of the petition lies in the ability of the author to convey his position on the use of the atomic bomb while at the same time acknowledging that situations exist where he may have to change this position. He skillfully appeals to the emotion of the reader by showing the history of the war and how the current efforts are getting dangerously close to the same tactics that the United States had previously condemned. The ability to obtain such a large support for the petition might be the authors greatest success in support of the

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Szilard appeal to the emotions and feelings when he stated “Atomic power will provide the nations with new means of destruction. The atomic bombs at our disposal represent only the first step in this direction and there is almost no limit to the destructive power which will become available in the course of this development” (Szilard, 1945). Doing this he was looking to appeal to the human side of the reader also letting the reader know the amount of power and destruction this new weapon can bring to the table. The scientists offered alternatives and stressed the moral responsibility in the use of the bomb due to all the death and destruction that will bring to the cities that will be used against in this case Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and possibly the United

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