atomic bombing

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The U.S. was the first country to use an atomic bomb on another country, and the U.S. is still the only country to have ever used an atomic bomb. The U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 and dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. 70,000 died instantly in Hiroshima and 80,000 died instantly in Nagasaki. Even though the U.S. destroyed many Japanese lives the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was the right decision. However dropping the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki was probably not necessary to get Japan surrender. The decision of using the atomic bomb was tough, but it saved many American lives, but the U.S. used the second atomic bomb way too quickly, with absolutely no thought to how much more destruction was done to the Japanese people. As in a commander in chief of the armed forces Truman felt it was a military decision that he had to make. Truman’s committee of top men recommended using the bomb as soon as possible. Truman assigned these men so therefore he had to trust their ideas of dropping the bomb. His committee told him that the U.S. would have to risk half a million American lives to have Japan surrender. On August 6, 1945 the decision was made to drop the atomic bomb or “Little Boy” on Hiroshima instantly killing 70,000 Japanese citizens. The scientific advisors on the committee had stressed that a demonstration bomb would not work. It had to be used on real people. The reason for this was because a demonstration was not realistic enough to show what a real atomic bomb would do. There was always the danger that the demonstration might fail and that it was impossible to show the effects of the bomb on people. To Truman it seemed to be the quickest way to end war even though it brought many consequences. 2
The use of the atomic bomb brought a speedy end to the war. Truman believed that if we had to invade Japan there would be a million casualties. This would mean that both American soldiers and Japanese soldiers would have died. It had also saved the lives of the Kamikaze pilots who were scheduled to fly in September and October. The atomic bomb had also saved the live of the G.I.’s in Europe who were to be shipped in the pacific had the atomic bomb not been used. G.I’s like Lester Bernstein viewed the bomb as a “sunburst of deliverance.” (Doc 5) Lester was living in fear of being shipped to the pacific, but seeing the atomic bomb drop on Hiroshima was a total sigh of relief.
Although the bomb was responsible for the terrible destruction and many painful deaths it was still the best decision. Secretary of war Henry Stimson admitted that the bomb was horrible, but it stopped the fire raids and the blockade ended the war. Photographs of the victims in document seven reveal the horrible radiation burns. However this was war and war always means death. The unanswered question is whether or not we need to use the second bomb. According to Admiral Leahy “The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender.” (Doc 2) If this was true then a second atomic bomb on Japan was definitely not necessary.
The atomic bomb was necessary to have Japan surrender, but it was not needed to send an atomic bomb at Nagasaki two days later. This topic connects to what could happen to the U.S.A. with either Iran or North Korea sending an atomic bomb at the U.S.A. The use of the atomic bomb saved many American lives giving much more less potential of suffering from the effects of WWII.