ipl-logo

Was The Us Justified Dbq Research Paper

1963 Words8 Pages

Was the United States justified in using the Atomic Bomb against Japan? When the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Japan in the summer of 1945, the world was shocked, and all war immediately ceased. The United States justified their decision to use the atomic bomb to avoid invading mainland Japan which would have resulted in massive casualties of both Americans and Japanese, and would have surpassed the number of deaths resulting from the actual atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Knowing the Japanese were ruthless in their military decisions, motives, and use of suicide aircraft; President Truman also knew using nuclear warfare would stop Japan without killing massive numbers of American soldiers. The attack caused …show more content…

In his postwar memoirs, former president Harry Truman recalled how military leaders had told him that a half-million Americans might be killed in an invasion of Japan. This figure has become canonical among those seeking to justify the bombing. But it is not supported by military estimates of the time. As Stanford historian Barton Bernstein has noted, the U.S. Joint War Plans Committee predicted in mid-June 1945 that the invasion of Japan, set to begin Nov. 1, would result in 193,000 U.S. casualties, including 40,000 deaths. America’s decision to use the atomic bomb was only one factor considered. The “selection of targets to produce the greatest military effect on the Japanese people and thereby shorten the war;” and the “morale effect upon the enemy” was also critical to ending the war. (Source: Manhattan Project Investigation Group 1946. http:avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/ mpmenu.asp) The leaders of other foreign countries, such as the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also saw the benefit of using the atomic bomb to give peace to the world. (Source: Excerpt #2) So there was a unanimous decision from many supporting countries agreeing to stopping the war through the use of the atomic …show more content…

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. Furthermore, the use of the atomic bomb convinced the world of its horror and prevented future use when nuclear weapons became more accessible, it also displayed our military might to other threatening and powerful countries. To conclude, the United States was justified in using the atomic bomb since it brought the war to an end, saved even more Japanese and American lives from being lost, and resulted in the restriction of nuclear weapons being used in the

Show More
Related
719 Words | 3 Pages

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb is one of the biggest and deadliest controversial turning points in history. America’s president, Truman, decided that on August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb would be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. President Truman’s choice to drop the bomb on Japan was considered one of the most debatable turning points. The settlement to drop this bomb was a wrong decision because this bomb killed more than 70,000 innocent people with 10,000’s dying later. Also, bombing a country that was going to surrender in a few months would not be necessary, and last but not least, the atomic bomb could give ideas for the world to start nuclear warfare.

Read More
496 Words | 2 Pages

Since the bomb was used it showed the world the mass destruction that can be caused so it could help prevent larger destruction. Document three was written by the secretary of war and states, “The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki put an end to the Japanese war” which stopped the rest of the violence between the armies (Doc 3). Death is a part of all wars but the choice of the bomb also stopped further casualties because it stopped fire raids, strangling, blockades, and the overall clash between the two sides. These two quotes demonstrate why the atomic bomb should have been dropped on purpose because the purpose of these quotes was to put an end to the war. The next agreement is that some citizens believed that the bomb should not have been dropped and other measures should have been taken to end the war.

Read More
1035 Words | 5 Pages

World War II has been going on for 10 years and for the war to be over Japan or the Allied Powers would have to surrender. The United States and the Soviet Union were super powers with tension that stayed beneath the surface for the duration of the war. The two were in a race to invent and use the first atomic war head. After ten years of war the conditions of Japan were poor and not likely to withstand much more conflict. Yet on December 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed an American naval base in Hawaii.

Read More
882 Words | 4 Pages

Afterwards, the United States declared war on Japan, and joined allies against the axis powers. The United States’ use of the atomic bombs is justified because it saved American lives; Japan was given fair warning, and their aggressions towards the U.S. The atomic bombs on Japan saved many American lives. Document 15 reads: The entire population of Japan is

Read More
602 Words | 3 Pages

Although it was inhumane and horrific, we were justified in dropping the atomic bombs because American soldiers were being tortured, American bodies were disrespected after death, and the bombs ended the war preventing more American casualties. The first reason that America was justified in dropping the atomic bombs is that American soldiers that were captured in Japan were being tortured. When Japanese soldiers captured American soldiers, they needed some way of trying to get them to give up valuable information because the U.S soldiers wouldn’t just tell them for no reason. So they began torturing them in hopes they’d crack. Document 2 showed the numerous

Read More
900 Words | 4 Pages

This put the United States and Japan in an awkward stalemate with no real solution, but to keep fighting. The use of the atomic bomb was justified in these regards, according to Feis. The atomic bomb would be the ultimate shock, such a shock that the Japanese would be forced to surrender, as Feis put it. This is a controversial standpoint to be taken by Feis, especially when the situation comes down to the morally ambiguous use of atomic

Read More
583 Words | 3 Pages

From my stand point, I believe that President Harry Truman felt he had no other choice. The Japanese were not going to surrender and Truman made a military decision to use the first atomic bomb. I truly feel the bomb was necessary and crucial to ending the World War II. There were already so many casualties and, yes, the bombing did produce many casualties but what if we had not used the bomb; how many casualties would there have been if the war just had continued? By using the atomic bombs, Truman ensured that no more American lives would be spared and protecting Americans was his top priority.

Read More
712 Words | 3 Pages

Even though dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed thousands of Japanese citizens in a matter of seconds, it was still justified. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, a naval base on one of the Hawaiian Islands, thus plunging the US into the biggest war the world had ever seen. President Harry S. Truman decided to use the atomic bombs to save American lives by not invading Japan. American soldiers were able to return to their wives and children since they did not have to fight in the war any longer. The war ended just six days after the bombs were dropped.

Read More
493 Words | 2 Pages

Do you think that the US was justified in dropping the Atomic Bombs on Japan? My opinion is that I think the US was justified in dropping the Atomic Bombs on Japan because the Japan attack the US first and the US didn’t want to get involved with the War and Japan started the fight. If the US didn’t get involved with the War, Japan might attack the US again because they think they can take over the US if the US didn’t attack Japan.

Read More
560 Words | 3 Pages

In 1945 the United States was faced with an extremely difficult decision, this decision would bring a beginning to the “nuclear age” and end world war 2 but was it worth it. The decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan is thought to have been done to prevent the loss of an estimated 200,000 American troops; the bombs were an alternative to occupation/invasion . The first crucial point to consider is the alternative options available to the United States to achieve victory in the Pacific Theater; the two primary Alternatives were a full-scale invasion of Japan or a Prolonged blockade. Both of these options would have likely resulted in Far higher casualties on both sides and an invasion of Japan would have exposed countless soldiers to brutal Warfare, leading to a catastrophic loss of life.

Read More
852 Words | 4 Pages

In the twentieth century, the United States dropped two atomic bombs, which were the most powerful weapons at that time, on Japan. It happened on August 6 and August 9, 1945. The atomic bombs killed 226,000 Japanese and ended the war. However, America should not have dropped the atomic bombs for two reasons. First, it was not necessary to drop the bomb to win the war militarily or to get the Japanese to surrender.

Read More
1838 Words | 8 Pages

In the article “Why We Did It” ,it stated that people wanted the war to end (“Why We Did It”, 1995). People were tired of the sacrifice of the army. For better understanding imagine that someone has not seen their friend for a long time because they are fighting a war and they want to see them again and are tired of the war with Japan and just wants this battle to stop. Many people have felt exhausted from the long lasting wars being fought and wanted it to end. Soon the atomic bomb was the solution to end this.

Read More
418 Words | 2 Pages

The atomic bomb was the final kick in the teeth to the already beaten Japan. Overall the dropping of the bomb on Japan was an unnecessary decision. The United states used Japan as a tool. Power hungry in the downfall of a war I believe the U.S. used Japan as a pawn to show Russia who has the real power.

Read More
581 Words | 3 Pages

President Truman and his associates believed that if they dropped the bomb they would receive surrender from Japan. Thus, saving millions of American lives, and ending the war. Nevertheless, by saving American lives they would sacrifice thousands of Japanese civilians. They had other idea to have Japan to surrender, but were willing to take the one that would have the most consequences. They were thinking too much about the US instead of creating actually peace within the nations.

Read More
597 Words | 3 Pages

The world was not going to help the Japanese and thousands were left to die. The use of weapons of mass destruction can never be justified because; they are inhumane, have massive negative effects on the environment, and wastes the government's money. The most important reason against the use of weapons of mass destruction is the simple fact that it is immensely inhumane and barbarous. The use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima to end WWll was and still is justified by the fact that it saved American lives.

Read More

More about Was The Us Justified Dbq Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document