When the United States dropped the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, it showed the world that it had a capability for destruction the likes of which had never been seen before. Less than one week after the bombings, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender with the Allied Powers, officially ending the second World War. While these attacks helped to finally bring an end to the largest global conflict in history, they are understandably still the topic of debate over seventy years later. Even though there are many negatives associated with the bombings, they were ultimately necessary because Japan would not have surrendered otherwise, and the lives of countless soldiers and Japanese civilians were spared because of the attacks. …show more content…
They had fought long and hard battles over thousands of miles to defeat the German and Italian portions of the Axis Powers. But even after all the men, women, and children whose lives had been lost, the Japanese refused to surrender. This was a part of their culture, stretching back thousands of years to the first Japanese empires. Their refusal to surrender was demonstrated in full at the battle of Iwo Jima. Instead of surrendering, Japanese soldiers would kill themselves with their own bayonets. This was seen as being more honorable than surrendering to the enemy. With this knowledge, the United States and the rest of the Allies had to weigh their options. Should a full-scale invasion of the Japanese mainland be carried out, where innumerable military and civilian casualties alike would take place? Or should a new type of warfare be brought into play? After planning and analyzing an entire invasion, the allies made the tough decision to drop the bombs on both Japanese cities. A show of unmatched force and destructive capability was the only way to convince the leaders of Japan to agree to a surrender on Allied terms. This is a main reason that these bombings were