Decision to use the Atomic Bomb
By reece farnsworth
The article that I suport was the article supporting the use of the Atomic bomb. This article was written by Michael Barnes. The first argument in the article was that it saved american lives. U.S. Army chief of staff george marshall thought the americans would suffer 31,000 casualties in the first thirty days, while Admiral Ernest King, Chief of naval operations, put them between 31,0000 and 41,000. Chester nimitz, whose staff conducted their own study and estimated 49,000 U.S. casualties in the first 30 days, including 5,000 at sea from kamikaze attacks.
Studies estimating the total U.S. casualties were equally varied and they were just as grim. One of the studies from the joint chiefs
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The study was done by secretary of war stimson predicted five to ten million japanese fatalities. Their was some support for the bomb even among some of the japanese. If the military had its way they would have kept fighting the japanese until all 80 million japanese were dead. A japanese professor recalled that at wars end, due to extreme food rationing he had weighed less that 90 pounds and could scarcely climb a flight of stairs. He said he couldn't have survived another month. The atomic bomb saved him and many japanese. Another concurrent argument supporting the use of the bomb is that its primary objective of shortening the war. The bombs were dropped on August 6th and 9th. The next day the japanese requested a halting of the war. The names of the two atomic bombs that they used were. “Little boy” the bomb used against hiroshima, and the fat man bomb.
Arguments against the dropping of the atomic bomb included that according to the league of nations bombs were allowed to be used but in non-populated areas. The league of nations said the dropping of the atomic bomb was “illegal”. Another argument against dropping the atomic bomb was that it was created for defense only. “According to the article”... even though the United states fought major was in Korea, vietnam,iraq, and afghanistan, nuclear weapons were never again deployed. In other words not using them in those wars has been an admission
On August 6, 1945 the United States deployed the first atomic bomb over Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Once the United States dropped the atomic bomb there has been a lot of comments whether or not it was the right move to do. I believe that it was justified for the United States to drop the atomic bomb on Japan however, it did have some cons to it. The reason behind dropping the first atomic bomb was to stop the war. Although it roughly killed around 60,00 people in Hiroshima and 35,000 in Nagasaki. If they didn’t drop that bomb the war could have claimed more lives than the atomic bomb dropping.
The more fighting by soldiers would lead to more soldier deaths but because the atomic bomb was used, US troops could return to The safety of the United States. "The total United States military and naval forces involved in this grand design was of the order of 5 million men. We estimate that if we should be forced to carry this plan to its conclusion, the major fighting would not end until the latter part of 1946, at the earliest. I was informed that such operations might be expected to cost over 1 million casualties, to American forces alone" (Doc A). The United States was in control of 5 million men between the military and navy, if the estimation is correct the US would lose 1/5 of its troops in the better part of the year. The bomb prevented the loss of an expected 1 million US soldiers ending the war. "We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans" (Doc H). The president of the United States, Harry S Truman, address the general population through radio to appeal to the publics questions about the use of the atomic bomb. The public did not know why such a weapon back to do such damage was used, so Truman explained that he understood the question but the use of the atomic bomb was to save American lives. Truman explain how the use of the atomic bomb shot in the ward and saved American lives in the process. He also noted that the bomb would continue to be used until Japan
The atomic bomb killed many innocent people that didn’t have anything to do with war such as school kids and little children. “ One of my classmates, he muttered something and pointed outside the window" All I can remember was a pale lightning flash for two or three seconds then, I collapsed, it was awful”(document D). This evidence helps explain that the U.S. should not have dropped the atomic bomb because it is about the innocent school children that were hit by the bomb and it shows how they did not have anything to do with the
Nearly seventy years later, there is still controversy amongst the atomic bombs that were developed and dropped during World War Two. These atomic bombs would unleash a force of destruction that the world has never yet seen. The Manhattan Project developed these bombs under their distinct codenames, Little Boy and Fat Man. Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima August 6, 1945, resulting in approximately 140,000 Japanese casualties. Three days later after the event occurred, Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki, which resulted in approximately 70,000 casualties. Historians can argue that the atomic bombs were a necessity to win the war. Others can argue that the war was already over and dropping the bombs was completely unnecessary. Although there are many solid points to both arguments, the atomic bombs dropped on Japan was justified.
the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Japan during World War II, yet the controversy about the validity of this decision continues in scientific, political and general public circles. Most likely, due to the complexity of the issue and never knowing the outcome if the bombs were not dropped, it will remain unresolved. A lesson that is continually learned in the U.S.-once again in present times-is the importance of acting from facts and not from emotion. It is hoped that all pros and cons are very seriously weighed before any action is taken if and when such a serious decision must be made in the future.
Document 1 shows that President Truman knew the extensive damage the atomic bomb would cause and never once doubted the importance of using it. He stated the bomb was a “military weapon” that was essential to ending World War II. Supporters of the decision to drop the atomic bomb also argued that death is an “inevitable” outcome of war. In Document 3, for example, Henry Stimson called war “the face of death,” and states that although a hundred thousand lives were lost, it was the “least abhorrent alternative.” According to Stimson, if World War II didn’t end, the “fire raids” and the “strangling blockade” would have continued, resulting in more deaths than the atomic bomb caused.
As World War II was coming to an end during 1945, the creation of one of the most destructive weapons known to humanity occurred within the United States. This weapon, known as “the atomic bomb,” was used on the two Japanese cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in a death toll unprecedented by any military weapon used before and an immediate, unconditional surrender. Some historians believe President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb in order to intimidate the Soviet Union whereas others believe it was a strictly military measure designed to force Japan’s unconditional surrender. In the Report of a Scientific Panel of nuclear physicists, some scientific colleagues believed the atomic bomb was a “purely technical
Paul Fussell is a smart man with an abundance of experience. His essay “Thank God for the Atom Bomb” tells us why the United States needed to drop the atomic bomb and provides quotes from people with experience from the war to back up his claim. He does agree that the dropping of the bomb was horrific and not morally right, but the bombs were necessary. Along with Fussell, I would have to agree that the dropping of the atomic bomb was devastating but also necessary. The essay explains that the atomic bomb was needed because it ended the war quicker and saved many lives, leaving those in the war relieved. He also argues those opinions against the atomic bomb by saying they do not have firsthand experience.
Part of the city was virtually leveled by the time the dust had settled. Thousands more people died months and years after from injuries and radiation poisoning. The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan just 3 days later on August 9th, 1945. The original target for the second bomb, codenamed "fat man", was the city kokura but the target was obscured by clouds over it. This time, over 3.5 square miles of the city was destroyed and over 60,000 people were killed instantly. Also like last time, thousands more people died years after from injuries and radiation poisoning. These two bombs brought about the end of WW2, but they also brought the beginning of the nuclear arms race.
During World War II, President Harry S. Truman ordered for an atomic bomb to be dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6th ,1945. The second and last atomic bomb to ever be dropped was in the city of Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. Many Americans believed dropping the atomic bomb was necessary to end the war in a more timely manner, however, many others believed dropping the atomic bomb was too extreme of a measure to take against Japan. With the creation of the atomic bomb, the United States had a weapon of mass destruction that no one else yet had. Therefore, with the power the atomic bomb possessed, some people believed its use should only be used as a last resort. If Japan would not surrender during this war, then the United States would have a valid and necessary reason in using the power of an atomic bomb. For the other Americans that believed in the immediate drop of the atomic bomb, dropping it would end the war sooner, which would then decrease the amount American soldiers who would be killed during the war. Whether dropping the atomic bomb on Japan was the most ethical decision that President Truman could have ordered is still debated.
On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The U.S. feared the rise of communism and gave aid to any country against it. The U.S. also fought countries threatening the spread communism. One of these countries was Japan. We began a harsh and brutal war against Japan and against communism. This war was killing many soldiers and Japan was not backing down. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb when things were getting worse. The decision to use the atomic bomb was a difficult one and many people wonder if it was the right
With the start of World War II the race for the first atomic bomb started. With Germany under Hitler’s reign, the Nazis began separating uranium to form the first atomic bomb to control the world. The push for the United States build the first atomic bomb began with this knowledge. With the help of several scientists the United States succeeded in building the atomic bomb first. Two atomic bombs were used; a uranium bomb on Hiroshima and a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki. Along with the many deaths were six stages of A-bomb illness which includes acute stages, atomic bomb trauma, A-bomb radiation illness, radiation blood injury at lethal dosage, blood injuries, and secondary radiation illness. Seven unhealed scars were also an effect of the atomic bombs that includes keloids, A-bomb cataracts, leukemia, cancers, chromosome changes, exposure in utero and microcephaly, and genetic surveys. Regulations and guidance were set in place soon after the bombings to protect the people of the world based on the information that was gathered and it has changed over the years based on the new information that was learned. With the use of the atomic bombs in World War II, a lot of pain and suffering was caused, but a great deal of information was learned to help protect future generations from radiation.
“In 1957, with the arms race in full swing, the Department of Defense had decided it was just a matter of time before an airplane transporting an atomic bomb would crash on American soil, unleashing a radioactive disaster the likes of which the world had never seem.” On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, killing 20,000 soldiers and 70,000 – 126,000 civilians. On August 9, 1945, the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 39,000 – 80,000. A total of 129,000 – 226,000 people were killed in combining both bomb droppings. Dropping both atomic bombs on Japan was necessary to end the war because the military needed to end the war, the Japanese were given fair warnings
The first reason as to why dropping the atomic bomb was the right decision is because it would end the war. Ending the war would be a good idea because at this time in the war, the United States along with many other nations have lost too many lives. This war was the most catastrophic war in history because of the number of casualties. “The most destructive war in all of history, its exact cost in human lives is unknown, but casualties in World War II may have totaled 50 million service personnel and civilians killed.” (HistoryNet) Other nations suffered losses including the USSR (42,000,000), Germany (4,000,000) ,
President Truman as the head of the committee of scientists protesting the use of the atomic bomb, I advise you to not use the atomic bomb as a military weapon. The committee and I would prefer if there was a demonstration of the bomb showing the nations how much of a threat the United States is without taking the action of exposing others to this nuclear power. One of the reasons I believe you should not use the atomic bomb is that after dropping the atomic bomb an arms race could occur within other countries causing them to have a mass production of weapons to use against us. Another reason that the atomic bomb should not be used is that after deploying the bomb in warfare, how the bomb was constructed will no longer be a secret and in a