Persuasive Atomic Bomb

(Doc C). Next, Winston Churchill’s recollection of the Potsdam Conference also emphasized the need to end the war before Soviet intervention. It seemed to be a mutual agreement between the U.S. and Britain that the two powers should not need the Red Army to end the war with Japan (Doc E). Finally, nuclear physicist Leo Szilard’s recollection of a 1945 meeting between James Byrnes and a group of concerned atomic scientists supports the idea that America dropped the atomic bomb to intimidate the U.S.S.R. The scientists were very concerned about the rapid spreading of Russian influence in Europe, which probably contributed to the U.S. policy of containment. Due to this fear, James Byrnes and the atomic scientists believed that demonstrating the bomb would make the Soviet Union more manageable in Europe. One can also argue that this approach can be related the John Foster Dulles theory of massive retaliation, which is the belief that the threat of “massive of retaliation” with nuclear weapons would stop Soviet aggression. Therefore, one can argue that the dropping of the atomic bomb was a diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union and one can argue that this idea was backed by the theories of containment and massive retaliation.

When President Truman authorized the use of two nuclear weapons in 1945 against the Japanese in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II, the nature of international security was changed irreversibly. At that time, the United States had what was said to have a monopoly of atomic bombs. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union began working on atomic weaponry. In 1949, it had already detonated it first atomic bomb and tensions began to heat up between the two countries. With the information that the Soviets had tested their first bomb, the United States began work on more powerful weapons1, and a fight for nuclear superiority had begun.

In the 1930’s and the 1940’s there was a change in American leadership. Having this change not only changed the outcome of the war that we were currently in, but how the rest of the world would view our country after the war. The decision that Harry Truman was forced to make on the choice to drop the atomic bomb or to attempt more land invasions was a choice that shaped the outcome of the war. There were major influences and side effects from the dropping of the atomic bomb and what it did to the country of Japan. Having the option and the weight of the moral decision weighing on Truman’s shoulders about what decision should be made, he was the only one who was capable of making the decision that shaped the outcome of the war. Having dropped the bomb on Japan, as a statement of power and a means to an end in a form was the only way that American lives could have been spared as comparing that to the lives that would have been lost in a land invasion. Knowing what the issues with the bomb was; one has to look at the moral issues, the results of the incident, and also how it played in the rest of the development of the world.

The United States decision to release the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a way to intimidate the Soviet Union. The United States did this by revealing to the Soviet Union what they were capable of doing during war. According to Document 3, Dwight D. Eisenhower did not want the Soviet Union to enter the war. Eisenhower believed that the United States did not need aid from the Soviet Union during war. Also, according to Document

“We believe that . . . an early unannounced attack against Japan inadvisable. If the United States were to be the first to release this new means of indiscriminate destruction upon mankind, she would sacrifice public support throughout the world, precipitate the race for armaments, and prejudice the possibility of reaching an international agreement on the future control of such weapons. Much more favorable conditions could be created if nuclear bombs were first revealed to the world by a demonstration in an appropriately selected uninhabited area.” The initial test for the atomic bomb was dropped in Alamogordo, Mexico with experts observing more than 20 miles away. The explosion was estimated to be a blast of about 10,000 tons of TNT. The Atomic bomb’s intense and destructive power frightened many scientists who were working on the Manhattan Project (Knebel 78). Including the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer felt as if he had created something that would bring forth destruction to the world, instead of using his brilliant scientific mind to improve and usher the world into an era of peace like he intended to. In fact, many scientists within the Manhattan Project were shocked and against using such a powerful weapon as the atomic bomb against other humans, so much that a group of scientists and

The decision to drop the atomic bomb, made by President Truman, was largely influenced by political factors rather than military factors. Traditionalist historians argue from the military perspective that the bomb was used to end the war as quickly as possible and with as minimal causalities as possible. Revisionist historians, on the other hand, argue the political perspective where they believe that the bomb was dropped as a diplomatic tool to intimidate the rising superpower that was the Soviet Union. In 1945, there was little reason to doubt the traditionalist perspective; however, in retrospect, with the evidence now gathered and available, it was very likely there were other strategic reasons that played a larger role in the decision Truman had made. By observing the historical timeline, the Cold War began shortly after World War II. Truman was aware of the rising power of the USSR and the threat of the spread of communism into Europe and Asia. The fear of this threat was what likely influenced him and Congress to use the bomb more so than the desire to end the war more efficiently.

The use of an atomic bomb is something that has lingered in the conscience of many Americans since the American B-29 Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb ever used on August 6, 1945. The United States was urging Japan to surrender, when they refused to comply with these terms, the bomb was dropped and 100,000 people were killed. Two professors of American History, Robert James Maddox and Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, share their opposing views on weather the atomic bomb was necessary to end World War II. Maddox claims that the atomic bomb forced the Japanese army to agree to surrender, which significantly saved more lives than would have been lost. Hasegawa asserts that the Soviet invasion of Japan was a more prominent reasoning for surrender in

After six months of the United States attacking Japanese cities using bombs with the United Kingdom, and China, and the Japanese go as far as to use suicide bombers to change the events of the war, the United States called for japan to surrender. But the Japanese government was too honorable to surrender in time of war and ignored the Potsdam Declaration. Created by brilliant scientists, the bomb which was Original’s purpose was to be used against Nazi Germany was to be used to end the war. The bomb which could wipe a city off the surface of the map and cause long time damage was first atomic test was in New Mexico which Exploded with the force of 67 million sticks of dynamite. The flash from the explosion could be seen from over 10 miles away

Few events in world history have made a global impact on humanity as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The decision to drop the bombs made by Harry S. Truman, the newly sworn in commander-in-chief after the death of Franklin Roosevelt, has been one scrutinized not only for the destruction of the act, but also in itself for the actual motive of the decision. Was the decision to use the Atomic Bombs one to quickly end the war to save American lives, or did Truman do his best to prevent Soviet influence in East Asia, to try and scare the Soviet Union from making any kind of territorial claims in Japan? Because there is ample evidence for both points of view, it's impossible to declare one to be the case. While both sides have good evidence, it's likely Truman made his decisions not only to end the war quickly, but to also avoid massive casualties on both sides, and to intimidate the Soviets. This was the genius of Truman's actions, it was able to end the war that was destroying the globe's nations for nearly six years, while also preventing another war from occurring in the future, and to keep peace in the process. As far as today, there has been no atomic warfare

On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb that the world had ever seen was dropped onto Hiroshima on orders of President Harry S. Truman. Three days later, a second bomb fell onto Nagasaki. While not all may find the bombs necessary to end the war with Japan, Truman had his own reasons for causing such devastation. He wanted the fastest possible end to the war to save soldiers’ lives, many Americans, as well as his key advisor, Byrnes, wanted the “unconditional surrender” (Walker 46) of Japan, and there was hatred still harbored against the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

J. Robert Oppenheimer stated, “When you see something that is technically sweet, you go ahead and do it and you argue about what to do about it only after you have had your technical success. That is the way it was with the atomic bomb.” J. Robert Oppenheimer, in the Manhattan Project, was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory and was responsible for the research and design of the atomic bomb. In the summer of 1945, the first atomic bomb was made and tested, and on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb killed nearly seventy-thousand people instantly, which is miniscule in comparison to the thousands more that would have died if the war would have continued. Dropping the atomic bomb was a just decision because it saved American lives by avoiding a recreation of D-Day, was necessary to end the war swiftly by forcing Japan to surrender.

In 1945, two bombs were dropped on Japan, on in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki. Theses bombs marked the end to the world’s largest armed conflict. Despite the ghastly effects of such a weapon, it offered the best choice for a quick and easy defeat of Japan. President Truman, who authorized the use of the atomic bomb, made a wise decision under the circumstances of the war. Fifty years ago this is what people thought. Now many people are starting to find out that there might be more to the story than what was originally thought (Grant 26).

Truman’s other bargaining chip was the atomic bomb. When urged to send an early warning to Japan and try to avoid using the atomic bomb, Truman refused, a decision which Offner believes was made because of Truman’s “need to demonstrate his authority” (Offner 292). Offner argues that the use of two atomic bombs, the second one being militarily unnecessary, made Stalin feel as if the bombs were used as a threat to him, a feeling which pressured him into creating an atomic bomb for the Soviet Union. When bargaining with Stalin over Germany, Truman showed no interest in any form of agreement, and because of his stubbornness, Germany remained separated until the 1990 (Offner 300). Offner asserts that actually negotiating the situation in Germany and not dropping the atomic bombs could have prevented, or at least greatly lessened, the Cold War, and because of Truman, these things did not happen.

In most schools we are taught that the Japanese would never have surrendered without the use of the atomic bomb because of their culture’s insular mindset and their honour bound approach to war. Japan had already been defeated in the sense that the fortunes of war had turned against her. At that time Japan 's Supreme Council was hoping to find a way to surrender on its own terms by asking the then neutral Soviet Union to help mediate a resolution. Ward Wilson, a Senior Fellow and Director of the Rethinking Nuclear Weapons Project, that focuses on nuclear disarmament, believes that “the turning point was the Soviet Union’s sudden declaration of war and preparations to invade Japan’s north. With the U.S. and the Soviet Union both invading from different directions, there was no longer hope for any compromise.” (http://classroom.synonym.com/evidence-japan-going-surrender-10861.html) This was beneficial to the Soviet Union in order to gain territory. It is argued that the USA was unaware of plans to surrender but America had already intercepted communications from Japan where Japan had asked the Russians to mediate a solution. At this time in America communism was just being seen as a future threat to national security. President Truman needed a way to end the war and intimidate the Soviet Union. The nuclear bombing was a geopolitical intimidation tactic to secure America as the winner at the

World War II was successful when the allies freed Europe. Germany and most of the Axis powers had finally surrendered. But the United States and Japan were not done yet. There was still a war to fight for the Pacific Ocean. After years of fighting, the United States begin to create a solution that can end the war abruptly. That creation is the atomic bomb. It is a destructive bomb that is much more powerful than a regular bomb. Japan was warned that destruction was coming, but they still refused to surrender. President Truman had no other option but to drop the bomb. It was dropped on August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima. A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 8, 1945. Thousands of innocent people either died or were hurt. Many people questioned whether it was reasonable or not to drop the bomb. There were many reasons on why it was reasonable to drop the bomb.