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The Pros And Cons Of The Atomic Weapon

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Atomic weaponry was a foreign concept to the world in the 1940s, and when the USA unleashed its destructive power upon Japan in 1945, many questions arose about the moral connotations this bomb posed. It’s estimated that the atomic bomb saved 30 million lives Japanese and Allied alike by ending the continued fighting. However, in its wake, 200,000 deaths were caused by the impact at Hiroshima, with many more to follow via its lingering effects. Amid the devastation of WW2, the atomic bomb was seen as one of the few decisions left to end the destruction, despite this, the ethics of it are even now still under fire. Was the terror the bomb brought with it worth the victory or if it should have never been developed? 26th July 1945, the Allies …show more content…

Even with this information at their disposal, Japan held steady with the refusal to surrender. A strong desire to keep fighting burning brighter than ever. Former President Harry Truman wrote in his The Truman Memoirs that “It was their conclusion that no technical demonstration they might propose, such as over a deserted island, would be likely to bring the war to an end. It had to be used against an enemy target”. Truman had been advised by the committee involved with the bombs that not only did they have a limited supply, but that they did not believe a demonstration would be effective and that the firepower needed to be brought to Japan in full force. Additionally, Churchill, the British prime minister, and important American ally had been fighting this war the entirety of his office, watching his country slowly fall under the pressures of war. Thus when faced with a possible solution, supporting the quickest escape from this nightmare …show more content…

The weapon created more damage than it prevented, was a common standpoint of the many thousands who witnessed the damage firsthand. A quote taken from The Nippon Times dated 10th August 1945 gives us a representation of how Japan was reacting to the aftermath of the bomb, “This is not war: this is not even murder; this is purely a crime. This is a crime against God and humanity which strikes at the very basis of a moral existence.” The atrocities the bomb committed were seen as beyond vial to the Japanese people and while they ended the war were considered not worth the horrors it

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More people died during the bombings than they would have if America invaded Japan. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki almost two-hundred thousand people were injured or killed. There are still people suffering the effects of the atomic bombs today. Many people that lived near the impact sites and survived have been entered into a radiation study.

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On August 6, 1945, the U.S. made history with a fatal blow to the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended WWII. To this day there is a controversy on whether the dropping of the atomic bomb, ordered by President Harry S. Truman, was justified or not, but in fact, it was. Thousands of Japanese would perish, but this act would, in turn, saved American lives and end the war. Throughout various battles, the Japanese consistently crossed lines of ethics of warfare, and in an attempt to bring justice and an end to the war Truman put forth a plan to bomb Japan. President Truman warned Japan of the upcoming attack and gave demands, but in the end, the Japanese denied those negotiations which led to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Although this atomic bomb appeared to be needed, it was seen to be an immoral instrument of destruction by many. The Nippon Times had stated, “This is not war; this is not even murder, this is pure nihilism. This is a crime against God and humanity which strikes at the very basis of moral existence” (David M., 419). In addition, there was no advantage of hurling the bomb without announcing the possession of it to Japan. Through this announcement, Japan may have been more aware of the true power America had and may have resulted in them surrendering (David M., 421).

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The Japanese were ruthless and brutal when it came to their militaristic decisions and motives. Dropping the atomic bomb was our final hope in stopping them from performing further harm. Either way, lives were going to be taken. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we wanted those lives to be those of Americans or the Japanese. President Truman had to make a vital decision, and using nuclear warfare was the only way to stop Japan without killing American soldiers.

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The doubts about the U.S. decision in 1945 have been discussed, analyzed, and there are still many controversies. In August 1945, the U.S. decided to use both of its two atomic bombs on Japan to end the war between them during WWII. The atomic bomb has killed about 200,000 people in the Japanese community and brought destruction to the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even though the bomb had terminated the war by Japan surrendering, there were many who were against the action of using the bomb. The reason behind that perspective is that many innocent people have died, and Japan was near surrendering, so there was no need for a major event.

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John Hersey wrote that “[Mrs. Nakamura] immediately turned 4 on the radio, which … [was] broadcasting a fresh warning”. Along with radio warnings there were also rumors that Hiroshima might be hit with bombs and air raid alarms when enemy planes flew over the city. Truman also dropped leaflets on many different Japanese cities a month before the attach informing them of what could happen if they did not surrender. PBS translated the leaflets which said that “we shall resolutely employ this bomb and all our other superior weapons to promptly and forcefully end the war”. With the warnings given by radio, alarms, and leaflets, this demonstrates that the Japanese knew what could happen to their beloved city and decided not to evacuate their cities.

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In Document 2, Admiral Leahy says, “The use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender.” Some Americans felt as though the weapon should not have been used because the Japanese were ready to give in. COME BACK Not only were the Japanese ready to surrender but it was morally wrong to bomb multiple cities without realizing what the outcomes may be.

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The deployment of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by President Truman during WWII is a contentious issue still debated today. With an aim to achieve victory over Japan without any further loss of life or military resources, some say that his decision was logical and ultimately successful in accomplishing national goals. However, others regard this act as immoral claiming that such violence could never be justifiable under any circumstance. In support of dropping the atomic bomb, proponents asserted that it was crucial to quickly end the war and avoid further loss of American lives. According to Document 3, Secretary Stimson believed that deploying the bomb was crucial to quickly end the conflict and avoid a land invasion of Japan, which would have caused more American lives to be lost.

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During WWII there were many deaths and terrible battles but the worst of all of them was America dropping the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This tactic of bombing a city was the wrong decision by America, it was completely barbaric and was an act of total war something no country should ever use. The main issues with this decision was that it wasn’t an attack on a military base like Pearl Harbor but it was an attack on a populated city and Japan was prepared to surrender because they knew America and the Allied Powers would win the war. The main argument others have is that the Atomic bomb saved lives by creating a fast end to the war so it wouldn’t be strung out resulting in more deaths on both sides but Japan was prepared to surrender

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The Article also stated that Truman was forced to keep fighting because “ “Despite their heavy losses at Okinawa and the firebombing of Tokyo, the Japanese refused to surrender.” If I was him I wouldn’t have stopped up until they surrendered. The bombings was one of the most terrible things to happen but they didn’t surrender and so I would have kept fighting. Even though the bombing was unconventional he was able to almost completely destroy Tokyo. In which, the bombing was a source of having less soldiers on the Japanese side.

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Not to mention all of the innocents that were killed in the event that went down in Pearl Harbor. Those who had or will continue to have an issue with the atom bombs don’t appear to have problems with the bombs themselves, but war in its entirety. There is no code of ethics for war. After everything done, who was to say America owed Japan respect, even sympathy. For the justice of Americans, for the madness of the war, for the fighters the US has lost, the United States had to drop the atom

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The decisions made to drop the A-bomb in Japan by president Harry Truman are often criticized, but to judge an opinion based off of the standards of this day and era is meaningless. Although everyone has different propositions, views, or opinions the decision that Truman made to protect his country seems like the only justifiable solution of ending this war. President Harry Truman had to make one of the most difficult decisions ever known to mankind. Many critics recognize the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as merciless acts to express the United States mobilization of their military superiority. Therefore, in question of this laborious outcome, how did the United States and Truman come to their commitment of terrorizing millions of lives

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The bomb needed to be dropped for the war to end or the Japanese would have kept on fighting. If the Japanese refused to surrender when Germany did, when were they going to? “I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used”(Doc 1). The bomb needed to be used not demonstrated to clearly show the war can only go

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Since the Japanese were willing to inflict the most harm possible, the war may have lasted several more years. By 1945, those involved in the war were shattered. Therefore, the use of the atomic bombs was justified because it put an end to an already horrific

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The Enlightenment movement, also knows as the "age of reason", began from the work of 18th century scientists and philosophers. Among these philosophers were, Voltaire, Diderot, D'Alembert, Decartes, and Montesquieu. They called themselves philosophes, philosophers were more concerned with abstract theories. Philosophes dedicated themselves to solving real world problems. The Enlightenment movement emphasized reason and individualism.

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