To What Extent Is The Atomic Bomb Necessary Essay

The Atomic Bomb Was Necessary On August 6, 1945, the United States of America dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan in Hiroshima. After Japan refused to surrender, on August 9, 1945, the United States dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. These two bombs created a catastrophe and killed more than 129,000 people. Not all of these people were killed instantly, they died over a period of time from radiation and other injuries. World War II was about six years in the making during these times. Japan was refusing to quit, and many lives were at risk. In order to save American lives, save Japanese lives, and end the war the United States made the decision to drop the atomic bomb. The deadly force of dropping the atomic bomb saved many American lives. If the United States would of stayed back and let the fighting continue over “100,000 Allied prisoners of war would of been executed if the U.S. would have invaded” (Michael Barnes). There have been many

Without the atomic bomb, no one knows how long the war would’ve lasted, “it was clear Japan was unwilling to surrender on terms even remotely acceptable to the U.S. and its allies” (Kort). Further, Japan’s own policies seemed to point towards no surrender “Japan’s “fundamental policy” based on the Ketsu-Go defense plan, was a national resistance program intended to bloody the invading enemy enough to force political negotiations and ipso facto avoid unconditional surrender” (Ide). This plan demonstrates “the very idea of surrender was alien to the Japanese samurai tradition” (Ide). Could the United States be sure that Japan would surrender once it dropped the bomb? “It was hoped that the shock provided by the bombs would convince Tokyo to surrender” (Kort). Even after dropping bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States still didn’t know if Japan should