The Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

However, it is difficult to make a case for the ethics in the use of the atomic bombing of Japan. Although it may have been needed to end the war, war, in any manner, is never ethical and all those innocent people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki should not have died.

1. The bombings killed 129,000-246,000 people in total over two to four months. The Japanese army managed to kill over 300,000 people in a single city over a span of just over a month. People really shouldn't be calling the bombings truculent when Japan's allies, the nazis, started the Holocaust and committed genocide .2. The US even gave Japan a chance to surrender before the bombs were dropped by issuing the Potsdam declaration which stated that if they didn’t surrender, Japan would face “prompt and utter destruction”. Japan did not surrender so they had to face the consequence. The US could have just dropped the bombs without any warning, but they decided to give Japan a chance to surrender first. This shows that the US were not inhumane in the bombings of Hiroshima and

Intense moral justification was needed in order to make the decision to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki however, President Truman was ultimately the man who made the final decision to launch ‘Little Boy’ and destroy Hiroshima, Nagasaki and their civilians, thus forcing an end to the war. Although there were many alternatives presented to President Truman, it is unknown as to whether they would have actually succeeded in ending the war or producing less casualties. Truman made the decision to drop these bombs in the heat of war but his justification of having a military target appeared extremely unrealistic, as both cities were full of innocent civilians. The morality of the bombs have been debated over the years, however the publication of the actual damage to civilian life caused a strong voice opposed to the usage in the 60 years following the action.

Before John Hersey’s novel, Hiroshima, Americans viewed Japanese as cruel and heartless people. This warped perspective caused the majority of American citizens to feel complacent about the use of the atomic bomb against civilians. Americans, in many ways, were blinded by their own ignorance to notice the severity of the destruction suffered by not only the city of Hiroshima but, more importantly, the people who lived there. The six testimonies in Hiroshima illustrate the strength and optimistic attitude of the Japanese people. In this essay, I will discuss the feelings towards the ethics surrounding the use of the atomic bomb, next I will look at two testimonies and how their lives

In 1945, at the order of President Harry Truman, the United States of America dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which triggered controversy worldwide. The debate arose between two sides, with one favoring the decision and the other calling it inhumane. Those favoring the decision agreed with President Truman, that dropping the atomic bomb was justified because it ended World War II. Those in favor also believed the bombing was justified because the US had given Japan a chance to surrender before they made the decision to drop the bomb. Those against the decision claimed Japan was ready to surrender and the bombing was unnecessary.

The two atomics bombings dropping on Japan are forever remembered today as a changing moment in history. The US dropped the atomic bomb called “Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. Only three days later on August 9th, 1945, the second atomic bomb called “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki. This has been the only time that nuclear weapons have been used in war. These bombs have been questioned through history if it was moral or immoral correct. However, the bombs were definitely a moral decision, which helped the country immeasurably. The atomic bombing of Japan was a military success, and a moral decision because it was less harmful than the fire bombings and it helped the country immeasurably.

On the 6th and 9th of August, 1945, the United States of America dropped the Atomic Bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The use of these bombs brought a quick end to World War 2, yet caused extensive damage to the two Japanese cities. There have often been disputes as to whether the USA was justified in the dropping of the atomic bombs because of the damage they caused, not only to the cities, but to the people of Japan as well. Many people believe that the USA should not have dropped the bombs because of the damage they caused, and they also claim that Japan was already defeated. However, Japan did not surrender, and prolonging the war was not an option for America, as it believed it would cause even more casualties, not only to American troops, but to Japan as well. Thus the USA was justified in dropping the bombs on Japan.

As the war continued and violence escalated, bombings caused enormous destruction and high death tolls, leading inevitably to the use of the atomic bombs. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki represented a culmination in the destructiveness of bombings, not a significant deviation from previous bombing practices. The alternatives to the use of the atomic bomb were likely to have caused equal suffering for the Japanese people. The use of the atomic bomb was no less moral than these horrific wartime practices. Harry Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan was justified by Japan’s refusal to immediately surrender. Harry Truman gave the Japanese time to surrender in order to preserve the existence of their people. They did not comply and as a result endured the consequences. (Walker) Yet an alternate perspective states that it was quite unnecessary to drop the Atomic Bombs in that Japan was practically an already defeated opponent. If a conditional surrender were to be issued by the United States to Japan in

On August 6, 1945 the culmination of years of scientific research and testing was released on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The fiery explosion that discharged from the atomic bomb killed tens of thousands instantly. When no word of surrender was uttered by the Japanese leadership, another atomic weapon was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9. Although less lethal than the first, thousands still perished in the Japanese city. “The Japanese leaders [understood] the utter hopelessness of their position” (Groves 319), and the next day they announced Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied forces. This capitulation finally saw the conclusion of almost four years of warring in the Pacific.

Others may not agree with me, but I believe that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki cannot be justified. Yes, it was one of the main factors in stopping the war, however, morally and ethnically it, in my opinion, was wrong.

The American’s hoped that dropping two atomic bombs in Japan would in fact bring an end to World War 2, as they would be forced to surrender, without American soldiers needing to invade Japan. Many believe that the USA also wanted to prove its superiority to the rest of the world and this was the perfect way for them to do so. Six days after the attack on Nagasaki, Japan surrendered to the USA and the war was announced over.

Many, if not all know of the infamy that arose from the ashes on August 6th, 1945. Three painfully slow days later a second shock-wave rocked through Japan with the trauma still rippling through the ruins of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These instances today still remain the only use of nuclear weapons ever used in the history of the world. Two bombs, two cities, three-hundred thousand casualties, only three days apart. While tragic, this historical event prevented the loss of hundreds of thousands of allied forces and supplies. This still under the presumption the move to overtake Japan with the traditional methods of warfare would work. The bombs carried the allied war machine past the fears of losing the lives of men for no sure strategic advantage. Already at a belated stage in the war this furthermore was an opportunity for the United States to insert their hand on the table of world power. Not to be confused with the task at hand to bring a swift end to the war, while being a saving grace for the rest of the world.

Many of the people that are against dropping the bomb argue that Japan had not done anything so deserve to deserve two atomic bombs to be dropped on them. But Japan had already started a bloody battle with an unprovoked attack on pearl harbour. They killed a total of 2,403 army, navy, marine, and civilian people. Japan was also guilty of many violations of the international laws. They “had a record of atrocities against civilians prior to and during the war”(Carlisle). Japan had done many war crimes against civilians. They had done so for their own advantage. Japan was notorious for these crimes. One of the war crimes was “the cruelty of the Japanese toward American prisoners, especially in the Philippines”(Campbell). Japan was torturing American

On August 6th and 9th; the American military leadership dropped two atomic hydrogen bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; in an attempt to expedite the end of a war that consumed the world. It was then, on these days that a small few experienced; while the whole world watched as utter destruction unfold as the two bombs did what they were created to do, decimate the Japanese resolve. A resolve that shook and intimated the most courageous of convictions, a resolve that ushered a generation of willing kamikaze fighters; it was these fighters that embodied the essence of Japanese spirit. It was this spirit that overwhelmed others to act and drop a bomb that was not only physically damaging but psychologically effective. President Truman of

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were unnecessary and unjustified, because the war was basically over, the Russians were marching in anyways and it is an inhumane thing to do.