To What Extent Was The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Justified Dbq

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The end of World War II can be credited to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is hard to imagine being in a world war for six years. Many citizens had their families torn apart. Being in the position to end it all, but at a cost is an impossible decision. Even though there are many people that can argue that the dropping of the bomb was over kill, the atomic bomb was a military necessity. The final decision to drop the atomic bomb was left to President Harry S. Truman. If the bomb was not dropped, it is believed that the war would have gone on for about four more years. Truman once said, “We have used it to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans''(Doc. I). Many others support Truman, “Lewis estimates that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the extent that it induced Japanese surrender, saved the lives of roughly 30 …show more content…

First of all, in the case of the Americans the bomb was compared to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Truman says in a press release, “We have used it against those who attacked without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have abandoned the pretense of obeying international laws of warfare” (Doc I). Second, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was an uncalled for action that was against the “laws of international warfare” and was rectified by the atomic bomb. The soldiers in Europe were extremely relieved that they would not have to invade, which would be a fatal battle where our soldiers would be shot at constantly and have bombs flying around them while they were rushing the beaches of Japan (Doc H). This bomb avoided the invasion of Japan which would have ended in an estimated 1.7 to 4 million casualties for the Allied powers (OI ladailypost.com). Pearl Harbor justified the dropping of the bomb and the bomb was a much better course of

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