The Necessity Of Atomic Bombs

The Atomic Bombs; The Justification One of the most controversial and heavily scrutinized issue of the twentieth century was President Harry S. Truman’s decision to unleash atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The motives behind Truman’s actions are shrouded in controversy as top military officials publicly denounced the use of such a disastrous weapon. There is overwhelming evidence supporting both sides of the decision, as historians are split in opinion. The United States had been using conventional bombing to try to push Japan over the edge to surrender, but with countless Japanese civilians loyal to their country, invading Japan proved to be more problematic than first thought. Harry S. Truman made the ultimate decision of dropping the atomic bomb in hopes that it would end the war, but the amount of casualties caused by it has historians questioning if it was morally right, “The bomb was unfortunate, but it was the only means to bring Japan to a surrender,” historian Sadao Asada states (Bomb 9). Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justifiable because they would ultimately lead to the end of the war and would demonstrate U.S. supremacy.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan…It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.” (Senate Document No. 148) This speech would echo through history as the moment the United States officially entered the most costly five year period in all of human history. President Roosevelt continued stating multiple islands and American

Three well revered American generals, Leahy, Macarthur, and Eisenhower, stated the dropping of the atomic bomb “was not a military necessity.” Japan was already struggling greatly to maintain itself, and they felt that it would fall soon. Leahy even went as far as to say that a continuation of

Furthermore, if the true intention for the use of bombings was to end the war quicker as declared by the President Truman, then the war could really have ended months earlier without the bombs. This is because, in January 1945, General Douglas MacArthur informed President Roosevelt that the Japanese had offered peace overtures to end the war (Trohan, 1986, as cited in Weber, 1997). The terms were virtually similar to the Potsdam Declaration, but, with emphasis that the Emperor must not be touched. The Japanese were willing to end the war on any terms, as long as the Emperor was not molested (Weber, 1997). I believe that if the U.S. had not insisted on unconditional surrender and was willing to permit the Emperor to remain in place; the end of the war could have been brought forward as the Japanese would have surrendered immediately, thus saving many innocent civilians.

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” (1). These are the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to begin his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation

Pearl Harbor and F.D.R. Conspiracy President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his war speech and asserted December 7, 1941 as, “a date which will live in infamy.” The United States’ naval bases stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii were struck by Japanese planes intentionally and promptly. The news of this attack on the Pearl Harbor shocked the world. It was devastating to the nation that were still in the throes of depression. Witnesses of this event painted a portrait of a nation stunned, but determined to rise again. The United States’ government had not disclosed a Pearl Harbor story to the public--that the U.S. had failed to act on advance information about a planned Japanese attack. Japan 's move against the United States was audacious enough to be considered no more than a slight possibility, although the potential for an attack had been widely discussed.

“December 7th 1941- A date that will live in infamy.” This opening statement is the first powerful line said by President Roosevelt to the American people after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This greatness of this opening line will be forever be ingrained in the minds of every American citizen, especially the people who lived during the most significant war of the 20th century. The bombing of Pearl Harbor is an event that can never be forgotten, and President Roosevelt’s speech in response to this appalling attack is just as significant. The objective of this speech was to urge Congress to declare war on Japan. Roosevelt’s speech after Pearl Harbor is one of the more recognizable and important speeches in all of American history. His speech incorporates bountiful instances of rhetorical devices, such as logos, pathos, and ethos. By analyzing these rhetorical devices, one is able to see Roosevelt’s vigorous use of emotion, his strength in addressing his character and reputation rather than focusing too heavily upon appeals to logic and reason, ultimately to get the result he wants from his audience. The profound power of this speech resonates with all who read and hear it.

One of America’s most infamous attacks comes in the form of the Pearl Harbor. Throughout most of World War II, America led with an Isolationism-based policy that saw the country avoid foreign affairs. This policy was followed until the late 1930’s and early 1940’s when America began to see how the war affected its surrounding allies and the incoming threat of a possible attack in the Pacific Ocean. ‘The date the will live in infamy’ coined by sitting president Franklin D. Roosevelt, saw on December 7, 1941, Japanese airmen bombed the U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This horrific assault led Franklin D. Roosevelt asking Congress for a declaration of war against Japan. After one day, with an overwhelming in favor vote, America entered

The necessity of the atomic bombs have long been debated in America. Although they did contribute to stopping the war, Americans still wonder if murdering Japanese civilians was a necessary means to an end, or if it could have been avoided. Some people believe that the war would have ended

“A date which will live in infamy (Roosevelt).” There were three part to this attack, what lead to the attack, the actual attack and the aftermath. The world was at war and the United States didn’t want to get too involved until the attack happened. During the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States made the decision to join the War. The United States joining the war brought the most crucial years to follow along with the dropping of the atomic bomb. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the beginning of the a very long war that cost the lives of many people but brought a nation together.

The atomic bombs were dropped with purpose of solving diplomatic reasons and to inevitably make Japan surrender. The diplomatic goals the US had at the time was to prevent Russia from joining the war against Japan, but the US wanted to win the war before the USSR joined in order

The Atomic Bomb was needed to be Used then, but not now Cullen J. Babcock I002 FALL 15 HIST 102 Dr. Lilia Anand American Military University Abstract The Atomic Bomb or known Atom Bomb was created by a scientist, which assembled the first bomb. He and General Leslie Graves officially and successfully tested it

The atomic bomb that America used on Japan killed thousands of people most of which were civilians. According to my reading, I feel that using the bomb was unforgivable and sinful for numerous reasons. The sources I used to write this article reveals that Albert Einstein had warned how damaging

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.

The United States decision to use atomic bombs to end the war appeared to be the saving grace for the American people. Once World War II came to an end as a result of the bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, however, the eyes of Americans were opened to the possibility that what they viewed as salvation for their country could be equated with the evils committed by the Axis powers. For example, many trials were held against German men that were a part of the Nazi operation that executed the Holocaust, and these men were charged and executed for crimes against humanity. They decimated millions of people’s lives because they were taught that it was necessary for the further prevalence of their country. Many Americans possessed the same feelings towards the issue to drop the nuclear bombs on Japan. They felt that the bombs were necessary to end the war and save the “innocent” lives of American soldiers. Nevertheless, while this may or may not have been true, other innocent lives were taken in the process. As Manley Pointer was disguised as a prophet who could offer hope for Hulga, America was disguised as the deliverer from the atrocities of war. However, in contrast, America furthered the atrocities of war and left the Japanese as vulnerable and wounded as Manley left Hulga on the loft. As O’Connor stated in her commentary “On Her Own Work,” the contemporary age “not only does not have a very sharp eye for the almost imperceptible intrusions of grace, it