Were the Atomic Bombs Used in World War II Justified?
Amanda
Professor Dotseth
English 291
5 May 2014
Were the Atomic Bombs Used in World War II Justified? The research of the atomic bomb was brought up to President Roosevelt during World War II by Albert Einstein who had fled from Germany and Enrico Fermi, who also fled Italy. They both knew how about the atomic technology being researched by the Axis powers and both agreed that the President of the United States should know about it. This information is what started the effort and design of the atomic bomb known as, the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was very secretive, only a few select people knew of what was going on, to keep the Axis powers unaware of their progress (“The Manhattan Project”). When the bomb was complete they tested it on July 16, 1945 and decided it would be a useful weapon in the war. On August 6, 1945 the United States became the first in the world to use nuclear weapons against another country. They used two atomic bombs to attempt to end the war, first on Hiroshima, and three days later on Nagasaki. The bombing of these two cities was not justified because there were other tactical options, thousands of innocent civilians were killed, and the bomb left the two cities with many deadly long-term effects. Dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not the only option that the United States could have pursued in the war. There were other tactical options such as, negotiating, using a naval blockade, or continuing to fighting. Negotiations could have happened in the ceasefire that took place in 1945, but Harry Truman never pursued it. Douglas MacArthur who was the chief of staff of the United States Army, advised against the use of the bomb because he felt it would harm the Unites States’ reputation, and he felt that it was not necessary to end the war (“Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”). The Japanese sent peace offers in January of 1945 stating, “1. Full surrender of the Japanese forces, air, land, and sea at home and
Professor Dotseth
English 291
5 May 2014
Were the Atomic Bombs Used in World War II Justified? The research of the atomic bomb was brought up to President Roosevelt during World War II by Albert Einstein who had fled from Germany and Enrico Fermi, who also fled Italy. They both knew how about the atomic technology being researched by the Axis powers and both agreed that the President of the United States should know about it. This information is what started the effort and design of the atomic bomb known as, the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was very secretive, only a few select people knew of what was going on, to keep the Axis powers unaware of their progress (“The Manhattan Project”). When the bomb was complete they tested it on July 16, 1945 and decided it would be a useful weapon in the war. On August 6, 1945 the United States became the first in the world to use nuclear weapons against another country. They used two atomic bombs to attempt to end the war, first on Hiroshima, and three days later on Nagasaki. The bombing of these two cities was not justified because there were other tactical options, thousands of innocent civilians were killed, and the bomb left the two cities with many deadly long-term effects. Dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not the only option that the United States could have pursued in the war. There were other tactical options such as, negotiating, using a naval blockade, or continuing to fighting. Negotiations could have happened in the ceasefire that took place in 1945, but Harry Truman never pursued it. Douglas MacArthur who was the chief of staff of the United States Army, advised against the use of the bomb because he felt it would harm the Unites States’ reputation, and he felt that it was not necessary to end the war (“Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”). The Japanese sent peace offers in January of 1945 stating, “1. Full surrender of the Japanese forces, air, land, and sea at home and
Cited: History.com Staff. “Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” History.com. A+E Networks. 2009. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. K1Team. “Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Long Term Health Effects.” K1 Criticality Project (2013). Web. 26 April 2017. Lifton, Robert Jay. “Psychological Effects of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima: The Theme of Death.” Daedalus 92.3 (1963): 462-497. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. “The Manhattan Project.” Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. McLaughlin, John J. “The Bomb Was Not Necessary.” History News Network (2010). Database. Web. 25 April 2014. Saigaishi, Genbaku, and Iinkai, Henshu. Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings. Trans. Eisei Ishikawa and David Swain. New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc., 1981. Print. Sherwin, Martin. A World Destroyed. New York, NY: Random House Inc., 1975. Print.