Was It Necessary For The Unite Essay

, Research Paper

Was it Necessary for the United States to Drop Atomic Bombs

on Japan to End World War II

The twelvemonth was 1945. World War II was about over. Germany had been defeated and the allied forces were certain to win the war. The lone diffident thing was how many lives would be lost in get the better ofing Japan. The United States decided to drop the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. On that twenty-four hours the Enola Gay dropped & # 8220 ; Little Boy & # 8221 ; on Hiroshima. Three yearss subsequently the United States dropped & # 8220 ; Fat Boy & # 8221 ; on Nagasaki. 240,000 civilians, largely adult females and kids, lost there lives on these two yearss. On August 14, 1945 Japan surrendered unconditionally. Be it necessary? I believe that the U.S. could hold used other agencies to convey about the terminal of the war. This paper will observe a few grounds for dropping the bomb, followed by a treatment of several options to it & # 8217 ; s the usage.

There were a few grounds why the United States dropped the bombs. As Phillip Goodman points out, President Truman was under enormous force per unit area from several beginnings. One beginning of force per unit area was his military advisers, who thought that an invasion of Japan would be excessively dearly-won. A 2nd beginning of force per unit area was domestic in nature. In peculiar, President Truman was under enormous force per unit area to delight the populace because he was up for re-election. In add-on to this force per unit area, there was a hatred for the Nipponese, political jobs that the U.S. had with Russia, ( Doug Long ) , and the retaliation that Americans wanted for the Nipponese bombardment of Pearl Harbor.

Having said this, it does non look to be obvious that the U.S. chose the right response. Admiral William D. Leaky, Chief of Staff to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, said that & # 8220 ; It is my sentiment that the usage of this brutal arm at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material aid in our war against Japan. & # 8221 ; With all the options that were at our disposal, I believe Admiral Leaky was right. Harmonizing to Phillip Goodman, there were five major options to dropping the bomb: utilizing the atomic bomb in a non-combat presentation, modifying the U.S. demand for unconditioned resignation, leting the entryway of the Soviets into the war, go oning conventional warfare, and prosecuting & # 8220 ; Nipponese peace feelers. & # 8221 ;

One option was to showcase the power of the atomic bomb in a non-combat presentation. The dropping of the atomic bomb on an unpeopled country of Japan with international perceivers would hold shown Japan the power of the bomb and they would likely hold surrendered. If more casualties were sought by the Americans, a similar presentation of detonating an atomic bomb in Tokyo Harbor could hold achieved such consequences and might hold pushed the Japanese to the threshold of resignation ( wso.williams.edu & # 8230 ; ) . Such presentations would hold saved the lives of 1000s. Killing needlessly was a concern for some American functionaries. Herbert Hoover wrote to army and navy diary publishing house Colonel John Callan O & # 8217 ; Laughlin, & # 8220 ; The usage of the atomic bomb, with its indiscriminate violent death of adult females and kids, rebellions my soul. & # 8221 ;

A 2nd option was to modify the U.S. demand for unconditioned resignation. The Japanese did non desire to give up because they thought the emperor would be taken off from them. The Nipponese believed that the emperor was a God, a belief that had the unfortunate consequence of keeping the peace cabals in Japan. The U.S. could hold told the Japanese that if they surrendered they would be allowed to maintain the emperor. This option was non used because it was thought that it would do the Nipponese battle for better footings. Curiously adequate, after the war the Japanese were allowed to maintain the emperor.

Another option was for the U.S. to wait for the Soviets to come in the war. This would hold put a enormous strain on Japan & # 8217 ; s military machine, thereby taking to a

n early resignation. I believe that this was one of the best options to utilizing the atomic bomb and should hold been used.

A 4th option was the continuation of conventional warfare. The United States could hold continued the naval encirclement of Japan. This would hold easy caused Japan to run out of nutrient, ammo, and other necessities and forced them to give up. Furthermore, as Bill Dietrich has noted, the U.S. could hold continued the conventional bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which had already destroyed 60 of Japan & # 8217 ; s metropoliss.

Last, the U.S. could hold pursued Nipponese peace antennas. The U.S. could hold tried to derive support of the Japanese who wanted peace. Those people could hold helped to acquire the populace to desire peace. I do non believe that this option was every bit good as the others because it would hold taken much longer than the others and might hold failed.

Not merely were the options a strong plenty ground non to utilize the bomb but the effects of utilizing the atomic bomb should hold played a portion in the decision-making to drop the bomb. Harmonizing to Douglas P. Lackey, the usage of atomic arms had a negative consequence on international dealingss. Political and military leaders wanted to posses atomic arms so that they would hold more power. Lewis Strauss, particular helper to the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, said & # 8220 ; It seemed to me that such a arm was non necessary to convey the war to a successful decision, that one time used it would happen its manner into the armaments of the universe & # 8230 ; . & # 8221 ; The usage of the atomic bombs finally brought about the Cold War. If even a few more atomic bombs were dropped, I believe this would hold led to an unmanageable impulse to utilize the bomb, which would hold led to adult male & # 8217 ; s devastation. Joseph Grew said in a missive to Henry Stimson, & # 8220 ; If resignation could hold been brought about in May, 1945, or even in June or July, before the entryway of Soviet Russia into the [ Pacific ] war and the usage of the atomic bomb, the universe would hold been the gainer. & # 8221 ; Furthermore, atomic arms produce radioactive radioactive dust ( dust contaminated with radioactive atoms, floating through the stratosphere ) , which affects the environment every bit good as people who have no engagement in the struggle. It besides affects worlds and animate beings for many future coevalss.

It is my belief that the usage of the atomic bomb to convey about the terminal of World War II was non necessary. With the many options that were at the United State & # 8217 ; s disposal and all of the effects that the usage of such arms can hold on both environment and people, the U.S. had no ground to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dwight D. Eisenhower said in a meeting with Henry Stimson, Secretary of War during WW II, & # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; the Japanese were ready to give up and it was non necessary to hit them with that atrocious thing. & # 8221 ; After reading all of these quotation marks from outstanding figures I am puzzled as to why the United States made the determination to drop the atomic bomb. The usage of the atomic bomb killed 1000s of lives that did non necessitate to be killed and was the biggest mistake the U.S. has of all time made.

Bibliography

Lackey, Douglas P.. The Ethics of War and Peace. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:

Prentice- Hall, Inc. , 1989.

Goodman, Philip. & # 8220 ; Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb. & # 8221 ; [ hypertext transfer protocol: //users.erols.com/goodmank/ ] .

Dietrich, Bill. & # 8220 ; Pro and Con on Droping the Bomb. & # 8221 ; New York Times,

1995.

& # 8220 ; Was the Bomb Needed? & # 8221 ; [ hypertext transfer protocol: //wso.williams.edu/ globe/necessary.htm ] .

Long, Doug. & # 8220 ; Hiroshima: Was it Necessary? & # 8221 ; [ hypertext transfer protocol: //mercury.he.net/ dlong/Hiroshima.htm ] . 1995-2000.

Kirkpatrick, Kaylee. Cerveny, Melissa. Wisecup, Andy. Retzer, Susan. & # 8220 ; The Decision to Drop the Bomb. & # 8221 ; [ www.uis.edu/ trammell/lsctimeline/Desicion.html ] . 1998.