The Atomic Bomb
When asked what the singular most important event in United States, a lot of different suggestions come to mind, raging from the invention of the iPhone to the Civil War. I believe that the most important event was the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The dropping of the bombs saved over a million American lives, introduced America as a world power, and, if not most importantly, was the first steps into the Cold War.
If the bombs had not been dropped, many American lives would have been lost, and the war could have dragged on for many more years. If “Operation Downfall”, the massive land invasion of Japan had occurred, the US predicted they would lose a million men in the process. President Truman decided that he did not …show more content…
The dropping of the atomic bombs showed the world that the United States was a force to be reckoned with, and established it as a commanding force. The US had not been a part of the League of Nations, and had less global participation and influence in years past. At the end of World War Two, President Roosevelt took charge and was a major part in the drafting of the United Nations Charter. This caused the US to have a greater influence in global decision-making and established it as a central power. However, the most important event that followed as a result of the bomb was the Cold War.
At the end of WWII, the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union were rocky at best. The US did not trust Stalin, and the Soviets blamed the US for the loss of millions of its civilians. President Truman believed dropping the bomb could offer some sort of diplomatic advantage to the US. However, the Soviets quickly developed their own atomic bomb by 1949, and so, the nuclear arms race began. This would lead into the Cold War, a major part of American history that would lead to events such as the moon landing. In retrospect, the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan can be seen as the first shot at the Soviet in the Cold War.
Though the dropping of the bombs may be considered a war crime, it is also true that it saved many American lives, brought forth the end of World
The dropping of the bombs saved over a million American lives, introduced America as a world power, and, if not most importantly, was the first steps into the Cold War.
If the bombs had not been dropped, many American lives would have been lost, and the war could have dragged on for many more years. If “Operation Downfall”, the massive land invasion of Japan had occurred, the US predicted they would lose a million men in the process. President Truman decided that he did not …show more content…
The dropping of the atomic bombs showed the world that the United States was a force to be reckoned with, and established it as a commanding force. The US had not been a part of the League of Nations, and had less global participation and influence in years past. At the end of World War Two, President Roosevelt took charge and was a major part in the drafting of the United Nations Charter. This caused the US to have a greater influence in global decision-making and established it as a central power. However, the most important event that followed as a result of the bomb was the Cold War.
At the end of WWII, the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union were rocky at best. The US did not trust Stalin, and the Soviets blamed the US for the loss of millions of its civilians. President Truman believed dropping the bomb could offer some sort of diplomatic advantage to the US. However, the Soviets quickly developed their own atomic bomb by 1949, and so, the nuclear arms race began. This would lead into the Cold War, a major part of American history that would lead to events such as the moon landing. In retrospect, the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan can be seen as the first shot at the Soviet in the Cold War.
Though the dropping of the bombs may be considered a war crime, it is also true that it saved many American lives, brought forth the end of World