A Necessary Evil

1341 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hiroshima and morality

In all of Earth’s wars and conflicts, waged for thousands of years, our most terrible weapon has only been unleashed once. The atom bomb, is a device capable of unfathomable destruction, first created in 1945. World War II had been undergoing since 1939, the Germans had surrendered in May 1945, but months later the threat of the Japanese remained. The allied powers were growing sick and tired of this war, and a costly invasion of japan loomed overhead. The existence of the atom bomb was known by very few, and these men had to make a terrible decision. The decision to use these bombs against the Japanese. Despite the terrible consequences this would entail, and science’s best efforts to find a practical replacement it was the best option morally, financially, and militaristically to unleash this terrible new force against our enemies. A number of options were on the table as alternatives to using atomic weapons agains Japan, the most prevalent of these were: A massive land-invasion of mainland Japan, and a demonstration of the Atom Bomb for the Japanese to witness its power. When looking into the details of these options you find that the the best option is to use the Atom Bombs against Japan. A detailed plan to invade mainland Japan was laid out by the United States before the atomic bomb was ready to be used or widely know of. “Operation Downfall” was a planned invasion of Japan, it consisted of two parts, Olympic and Coronet. Olympic was to occur in october 1945 and its objective was for the united states’ 6th army to capture the southern third of Kyushu, the southernmost island of the Japanese mainland. If Olympic was successful Coronet was to follow, most likely in the spring of 1946 where the 1st, 8th, and 10th United State... ... middle of paper ... ...urselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why I ordered the Imperial Government to accept the Joint Declaration.” proving that the Atomic Bombings achieved their purpose. As unfortunate as it may seem the allies really had no choice when presented with the option to use the Atom Bomb against Japan, it was a superior option to the others placed on the table in every way, other then it being a nuclear weapon. The bombings may have nearly caused the end of the world many years down the road, but the people at the time did the right thing, and we should commend them for it. The United States president at the time, Harry S. Truman reminisced on the decision to use the bombs a few years down the road. "I knew what I was doing when I stopped the war ... I have no regrets and, under the same circumstances, I would do it again.”

Show More
Related

  • Argumentative Essay On The Atomic Age

    1593 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Atomic Age represents the most epic era and composed of diverse controversial issues in the human history. In the late 1945, President Harry Truman informed to drop two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two bombs quickly yielded the surrender of Japan and the end the World War 2. However, the impact of it led us to debate whether this decision was actually right or so. First off, it would be hard to imagine how Japan would have been surrendered without the atomic bomb. Therefore to save many American lives, President Truman believed that it was his duty to end the war as soon as possible. But the bombs took away innocent lives and killed civilians indiscriminately. “Atomic Age America” written by Martin

    Read More

  • The Usefulness of the Atomic Bomb in World War II

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    With America and Britain’s supplies and money quickly becoming exhausted towards the end of World War II, the war with Japan had to cease. Even though the US had significantly weakened their numbers, the US needed a strong military win to get Japan to surrender. Without the use of the atomic bomb the war between Japan and America could’ve persisted for a few more years, but with the bombing or Hiroshima and Nagasaki the war was ended swiftly and with fewer casualties than if the war had continued. For these reasons, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a military necessity and a scientific experiment.

    Read More

  • Harry Truman: The Atomic Bomb

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration the atomic bomb was being developed. After Roosevelt died, his vice president Harry Truman was appointed President of the United States. Truman was never informed about the bombs development until an emergency cabinet meeting (Kuznick 9). Truman had to make the fatal decision on whether the bomb was to be dropped on Japan. With the idea of going to war, Truman had to think about the lives of the thousand American soldiers. The American soldiers had begun using the method of island hopping, because the bomb was not available. The idea of dropping a bomb was that the war itself could possibly end in its earliest points. The dropping of the atomic bomb could also justify the money spent on the Manhattan Project (Donohue 1). With a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt “This will be a day that will live in infamy”, Pearl Harbor was a tragic day for Americans. The United States had lost many soldiers, which they had claimed that they will eventually get revenge. The alternates of dropping the bomb was also discussed at the Interim Committee. The American government was trying to get an invitation response from the Japanese government. If the United States did not drop the bomb and ‘Operation Downfall’ ha...

    Read More

  • The Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    A huge proponent to the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9 of 1945 was President Harry Truman. Although they value the ideas and contributions out in by the committee they choose, the president ultimately has the last say on war time decisions. It just so happens that President Truman wanted to drop the bomb. President Truman believed that Japan's leaders would not surrender to the terms outlined in Potsdam meeting. He saw it fit to drop the bombs and end all doubt.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The Atomic Bomb

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The atomic bomb certainly is the most powerful of all weapons, but it is conclusively powerful and effective only in the hands of the nation which controls the sky” (Johnson 1). Throughout World War II, the war was in pieces. The Germans were almost at world domination along with their allies, the Italians and Japanese. The Japanese and United states had remained at combat with each other since the bombarding of the Pearl Harbor ("U.S. Drops Atomic Bomb on Japan "1). There was abundant controversy as to whether the United States should have used the atomic bombs or not. There were many factors as to the argument relating to the atomic bombs leading to the United States final decision. Many people had arguments for the bombing and others had arguments against the bombings but it is still not determined if the United States made the right decision.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Pearl Harbor

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    In my personal opinion, after gather as much information as possible, I think that the use of the atomic bomb is impracticable and a waste of time, money, and lives. If I were President of the United States I could have made the decision to not use the Atomic bomb on Japan. Using this weapon would only open the door to more destruction. After dropping this bomb, I don’t think it would have ended the war. It probably would have ended World War II, but I think that it would have created more wars to come. People, most likely Japan, would have wanted revenge and find a way to counterattack. They would try to create a more dangerous destruction weapon that would allow them to retaliate and destroy. I, as President, would have wanted to prevent that. And in the best interest of my country I would have made the decision to keep this nuclear weapon out of war.

    Read More

  • Atomic Bomb Morality

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan were ethical decisions made by President Harry Truman and the United States government. By the time of the atom bomb was ready, the U.S. had been engaged in military conflict for over four years and lost over 400,000 soldiers. Truman claimed, "We would have the opportunity to bring the world into a pattern in which the peace of the world and our civilization can be saved" (Winkler 18). The bomb was aimed at ending the war immediately and avoiding prolonged battle in the Pacific Theater and the inevitable invasion of Japan. President Truman hoped that by showing the Japanese the devastating weapon the U.S. possessed, that the war could be brought ...

    Read More

  • Ethical Decisions: The Bombing Of The Atomic Bomb

    1978 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1945, Germany had surrendered, but the war in the Pacific raged on. The allies were becoming desperate to end the war before it was necessary to carry out a full scale invasion. New developments in science had made it possible for the United States to weaponize the atom, and the consequent bomb created was dropped on Hiroshima and later Nagasaki at the approval of President Harry S. Truman and his advisors. In years to come, Truman would have to face questions over the merit of his actions. Although some may believe the atomic bomb was needed because it ended WWII, it was unnecessary to drop the nuclear bomb because of the alternatives that existed, the effect it had on the Japanese people, and because of the unethical reasons for dropping it.

    Read More

  • The Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki

    1721 Words  | 4 Pages

    “My God, what have we done?” were the words that the co-pilot of Enola Gay wrote in his logbook after helping drop two bombs, one in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki, that killed an estimated two-hundred thousand individuals. The bombings were completely unnecessary. Japan was already defeated because they lacked the necessary materials to continue a world war. The Japanese were prepared to surrender. There was no military necessity to drop the atomic bombs nor is there any factual information stating that the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were dropped to “save the lives of one million American soldiers.” The United States bombed Japan in August of 1945. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were uncalled for and could have been avoided.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Dropping The Bomb

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dropping the atomic bomb was a decision that no man would want to take on. Truman went with all the facts and his gut feeling. There was Great loss for Japan but even some of the Japanese soldiers were happy that the United States dropped the bomb. For it most likely saved their lives the emperor was willing to sacrifice everyone so he wouldn’t have to surrender. Whether you decide to agree with the bomb dropping or not it wasn’t about the bomb it was about ending the war. The atomic bomb is what ended the war quicker than any other options the United States had making it the best choice.

    Read More

  • Truman’s Horrible Mistake to Use the Atomic Bomb

    2960 Words  | 6 Pages

    The war was coming to a victorious conclusion for the Allies. Germany had fallen, and it was only a matter of time until Japan would fall as well. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson was at the forefront of the American war effort, and saw atomic weaponry as a way out of the most monumental war ever. As discussed in Cabell Phillips’ book, The Truman Presidency: The History of a Triumphant Succession, Stimson was once quoted as saying that the atomic bomb has “more effect on human affairs than the theory of Copernicus and the Law of Gravity” (55). Stimson, a defendant of dropping the bomb on Japan, felt that the world would never be the same. If the world would change after using atomic weapons, could it possibly have changed for the better? One would think not. However, that person might be weary of the biased opinion of White House personnel. He or she should care more for the in depth analytical studies done by experts who know best as to why America should or should not have dropped the atomic bomb. As more and more evidence has been presented to researchers, expert opinion on whether or not the United States should have dropped the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has also changed. More and more researchers seem to feel that the atomic bomb should never have been used (Alperovitz 16). Despite several officials’ claims to enormous death estimations, an invasion of Japan would have cost fewer total lives. In addition, post atomic bomb repercussions that occurred, such as the Arms Race, were far too great a price to pay for the two atomic drops. However, possibly the most compelling argument is that Japan would have surrendered with or without the United States using the atomic bomb. In defiance of top...

    Read More

  • Impact of the Manhattan Project

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although nuclear technology can be used for good, it can also be used for destruction. One example of this was the bombing of 2 Japanese cities using the a...

    Read More

  • Prompt and Utter Destruction

    1090 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1945, the United States was facing severe causalities in the war in the Pacific. Over 12,000 soldiers had already lost their lives, including 7,000 Army and Marine soldiers and 5,000 sailors (32). The United States was eager to end the war against Japan, and to prevent more American causalities (92). An invasion of Japan could result in hundreds of thousands killed, wounded and missing soldiers, and there was still no clear path to an unconditional surrender. President Truman sought advice from his cabinet members over how to approach the war in the Pacific. Although there were alternatives to the use of atomic weapons, the evidence, or lack thereof, shows that the bombs were created for the purpose of use in the war against Japan. Both the political members, such as Henry L. Stimson and James F. Byrnes, and military advisors George C. Marshall and George F. Kennan showed little objection to completely wiping out these Japanese cities with atomic weapons (92-97). The alternatives to this tactic included invading Japanese c...

    Read More

  • Ronald Takakis Hiroshima

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although WW II ended over 50 years ago there is still much discussion as to the events which ended the War in the Pacific. The primary event which historians attribute to this end are the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although the bombing of these cities did force the Japanese to surrender, many people today ask “Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?” and more importantly “Why was the decision to use the bomb made?” Ronald Takaki examines these questions in his book Hiroshima.

    Read More

  • Was The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Justified?

    2763 Words  | 6 Pages

    There are many people who oppose the use of the atomic bombs; though there are some that believe it was a necessity in ending the war. President Truman realized the tragic significance of the atomic bomb and made his decision to use it to shorten the agony of young Americans (“Was the Atomic Bombing”). The president knew of the way the Japanese fought. They fought to the death and they were brutal to prisoners of war. They used woman and children as soldiers to surprise bomb the enemy. They made lethal weapons and were taught to sacr...

    Read More

More about A Necessary Evil

Open Document