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Was The Use Of The Atomic Bomb Justified

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World war II began on September 1st 1939 and to date is the largest war in human history. This great war was fought between two sides, the allied powers and the axis powers. The bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Japan were not justifiable and here's why. The atomic bombing of Japan at the end of World War II by the United States is one of the most debated and controversial topics in all of history. Since the bombing in 1945, historians have debated whether or not the United States was justified in using the two atomic bombs to end the war. Some have argued in favor of the use of the bombs for a range of reasons, including: it ended the war, it saved the lives of millions, and it was necessary for the emerging Cold War with the Soviet Union. …show more content…

In general, bombs of any sort are devastating and can cause widespread damage and death. For example, in World War II, the German city of Dresden was famously fire-bombed to near total destruction by the Allied nations. However, some historians have argued that the toxic radiation present in atomic bombs made them “fundamentally immoral.” Further to the idea that the bombs were inhumane because of the injuries they caused, others have suggested that the United States was unjustified in using the two atomic bombs to end World War II because they caused excessive destruction of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 6th, 1945, the American B-29 plane, Enola Gay, dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bombing instantly killed 70,000 to 80,000 Japanese in the city and tens of thousands more due to radiation exposure. The next main reason for why the atomic bombing of Japan by the United States was unnecessary and unjustified is that some historians now suggest that Japan was nearly defeated and seeking a way to surrender. This argument holds that since Japan was on the verge of defeat, they could have been forced to give up formally through different

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227 Words | 1 Pages

As the Japanese forces were considered the aggressors of the conflict by the Allies and Japanese veterans alike, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified. Their aggression previous to the bombing was demonstrated through the attack on Pearl Harbour, which led to America’s involvement in World War II. The attack was not one born out of vengeance and was not strategically logical, whereas there was a reason behind the bombing of Hiroshima, that reason being that the Japanese military would not agree to the clauses presented in the Potsdam Declaration. This declaration was given to the military officials as an invitation to surrender before the first bombing, providing ample time for them to make a decision to hopefully end the

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When America had dropped the atomic bomb, Japan was in a very weakened state. The navy and air force were destroyed, the land had been surrounded by other armies, and the supplies had been cut off (David M., 421). By these observations, it can be concluded that Japan was in a position much weaker than the had been at the start of the war and recognition of defeat could be seen. This defeat, however, was not declared by Japan and they continued to decline to surrender. Their decline to surrender ultimately led the need of the atomic bombs.

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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

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In document 4, it says, “This is a crime against God and humanity which strikes at the very basis of moral existence. “ This demonstrates that the use of the bomb has gone against the basic rules of life, as it was too inhumane. As the war has already ended, the controversies surrounding the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki still

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Not only did the bomb kill thousands of people, houses and buildings got burned down, causing so many to be poor and homeless. Before the U.S. dropped the bomb on the Japanese, Japanese was already losing in the war and was ready to surrender. In the document 2 it states, “The use of the barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender…” This text proves that the Japanese was already about to surrender.

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On August 6th, 1945, The United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing many people. The president at the time, President Truman said that he only wanted to use the bomb in military warfare because it would hurt women and children. The bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was morally incorrect because the Japanese were ready to surrender, it was a crime against humanity, and it affected their physical self. The bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unsuitable because the Japanese were ready to surrender.

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Moreover, as document 6 indicates through a letter from a soldier who fought in the Pacific, many believed that deploying the bomb saved countless American lives and facilitated an end to World War II. According to various arguments put up by supporters of the bombing, it can be inferred that the usage of atomic bombs was an essential and justified action. The belief is that Japan would have prolonged the war further, potentially costing many more lives. Additionally, the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Japan sorry for initiating conflict, and eventually led to

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Women and children were killed, and entire cities were erased from existence. This clear lack of respect and ethical reasoning highlights that there were more negatives than benefits of the bombs. Document 8 says, “The record of General Macarthur’s operations from 1 March 1944 through 1 May 1945 shows 13,742 US killed compared to 310,165 Japanese killed.” These numbers support the fact that the number of Japanese casualties far exceeded that of America. The decision to drop the atomic bomb added to this total, and made the comparison between American and Japanese deaths even more striking.

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The decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified because, in war, death will happen no matter what, the Japanese had already done so much damage to the US with Pearl Harbor, they had it

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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.

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Some of the survivors sustained radiation poison and severe burns. And the radioactive particles from the bomb would contaminate the water, soil, air, and food supply leaving years of environmental damage behind (International). The long-term ramifications of the atomic bomb prove that it is not comparable with the short-term effects of the bombing of Tokyo. The atomic bomb is so destructive that Karl does not believe that the United States should immediately surrender the technology to other countries. In fact, he encourages using the bomb to ensure peace among the nations.

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Soon the U.S was attacked by Japan. The President then decided to drop the atomic bomb to end this war and quickly. The use of the atomic bomb on Japan was justified because it ended the war, was a better alternative than the others given, and helped save lives. The atomic bomb used on Japan was justified because it ended the war.

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During the war, the important decision to use atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 was both dangerous and a controversial issue. People may have argued that the atomic bombs used were needed in order to win this war, others also believe that it had caused an unnecessary amount of death and suffering. The use of atomic bombs by the United States in the war was unjustified for both parties that had been involved. During this time, Japan was ready to leave and surrender[1], saying bombs that were used were not necessary. Some Japanese diplomats had been negotiating with allies such as the Soviet Union, using negotiators as a type of sweet talk with other allies.

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1840 Words | 8 Pages

Was America Justified in dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945? On August 6th, 1945 at 8:16 AM, a great yet horrific event in history occurred. This event is known as the dropping of the atom bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, the event that would begin and end the pain and suffering of millions. The atom bomb was dropped by an American B-29 Superfortress bomber named Enola Gay and

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Sixty years after the atomic bombing, there are still many debates going on about justifying the use of atomic bombs which were dropped in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9. Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the centre for industry and armed forces, US officials considered that those two cities are important to capabilities of Japan’s military later in the war. The whole city was blown up, thousands of people got killed by the immediate effect of the bomb and radiation came out from the bomb. Nevertheless, using of atomic bomb was certainly necessary to everyone who was in colonies in Japan. It was inevitable to finish the war without massive death of innocent people.(Langley)

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