The war in the Pacific started on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base, Pearl Harbor. The war continued on until V-J Day on September 2, 1945, when the Japanese surrendered. One of the key factors of the Japanese surrender was the dropping of the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. If the United States did not drop the atomic bomb, the war would have lasted for much longer. The atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki quickened the ending of the war, ultimately saving more lives than if the Japanese mainland was invaded. 1. The War in the Pacific For the United States, the war in the Pacific started with the attack of Pearl Harbor. The war in the Pacific Theater would last for over three years, resulting in millions of deaths on both sides. There were battles fought on both sea and land for both strategic locations and resources. Influential battles include the Battles of Midway, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Towards the end of the war, the United States was blockading Japan with submarines and bombing cities with B-29s to try and get the Japanese to surrender (The Defeat of Japan). This took a heavy toll on Japan’s citizens, but it was not enough to get them to surrender. 2. Ending the War Towards the end of the war, the United States had pushed the Japanese out of the non-Japanese territories, such as the Philippines, and back into their own land. The United States was looking to end the war in the Pacific and had a few options to choose from. The first option was to invade the Japanese mainland. The United states had taken key islands and “by early 1945, American forces were then in position to attack Japan itself” (UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. Histo... ... middle of paper ... ... and nationalism would have lead the Japanese to fight to the death, resulting in huge casualties for both the Americans and Japanese. Although the atomic bombings were an extremely effective tool for ending the war, they started an era of extreme tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union would acquire nuclear technology through spying which would lead to over four decades of uncertainty and a never ending arms race. This era would be known as the Cold War and would strike paranoia into a generation. If you ask Katherine Philips, she would say that the atomic bomb was a great invention. If you ask someone of the Cold War era, they would tell you that it would be the cause of an unnecessary standoff between two superpowers. So was dropping the bomb really the right thing to do? Maybe it just depends on which generation you are asking.
Japan announced its new policy and invaded Manchuria and Japan. The U.S. was concerned about Japan’s behavior but did not take war actions so they stopped trading with them. President Franklin moved U.S. Navy from California to Pearl Harbor with the Congress agreement. The United States became a major threat to Japan. Many people believe the Japanese were successful in their attack. But, the result of the attack did not enable Japan to expand in the Pacific. It did not result in the acquisition of more natural resources. And, the restrictions were not lifted as a result of the
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most atrocious attacks to have ever happened on American soil, starting with disagreement on the Potsdam declaration. Japan’s greed for more land and industrial materials led the Japanese to make a plan to keep the United States out of the war, which consisted the use of kamikaze pilots and bombs to destroy our aircraft carriers and boats in an attempt to control the Pacific. While leaving the drowning, and dead bodies of thousands of American seamen and battleships at the bottom of the sea, seemed to be a good idea to the Japanese; America joined World War II and introduced the first nuclear weapons as reprisal for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Had the Japanese agreed to an unconditional surrender and end to militarism during the agreement on the Potsdam declaration, the introduction to nuclear weapons and the death count wouldn’t have been so high and devastating on both the American and Japanese sides.
The United States was justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for many reasons. First of all, just to start out, the bombings had nothing to do with Japan, it was about the Cold War and the real reason America used these weapons was to show Russia that the US possessed them. Second, the war in the Pacific had been raging for almost four years. The two battles immediately preceding the bomb decision were Iwo Jima and Okinawa, two battles where the Japanese fought to the death and the cost in American casualties was horrific. It was predicted that the invasion of the Japanese mainland at the Island of Kyushu -- scheduled for November of 1945 -- would be even worse. The entire Japanese military and civilian population would fight to the death. American casualties -- just for that initial invasion to get a foothold on the island of Japan would have taken up to an estimated two months and would have resulted in up to 75,000 to 100,000 casualties. And that was just the beginning. Once the island of Kyushu was captured by U.S. troops, the remainder of Japan would follow. You can just imagine the cost in injuries and lives this would take. Also It is not beyond the possibility that a million or more Americans could have been killed had we landed. The Japanese had correctly guessed where we intended to land, and were ready and waiting for us. The casualties would have been high. Another reason the atomic bomb was justified is the bomb was dropped with a desire to save lives. It is a matter of math. How many Americans lost their lives fighting how many Japanese at Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa. The mathematical formula showed the closer we got to Japan the more we lost.
The Pacific war started with striking Japanese victories. The Japanese arrived in Manila by January 1942. The American forces held out up to early May, after ...
Should We Have Dropped the Atomic Bomb? The atomic bomb killed many innocent people, but it was necessary to end World War II. After World War II began in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the neutrality of the United States. Many people in the United States think that their country should stay out of the war. The people wanted the Allied Forces to have the victory.
...s who would do anything to win their war so a powerful weapon was needed to weaken their will. The bomb?s intense impact saved more soldiers? and civilians? lives involved in the war than it destroyed. The damage the atomic bombs produced was miniscule compared to the massacres the Japanese militarists created. The bomb clearly improved American foreign relations, especially with the Soviet Union. The choice to use the atomic bomb was justified because it coerced a Japanese surrender, saved countless lives, served as retribution for the sufferings of many people, and acted as an anti-Soviet deterrent.
Ultimately the Pacific Theater, and WWII ended on August 15th 1945 after two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, however, The Battle of Midway, the turning point of the Theater would not have been won had it not been for the various technological advantages and desires for revenge of pearl harbor.
The dropping of the atomic bombs on August sixth and ninth of 1945 was the correct decision for American in order to effectively and efficiently end World War Two. America should have dropped the bomb because it saved American lives, there was a lack of incentives not to use the bomb, and dropping the bombs was the quickest way to end the war. First of all, the Atomic Bomb saved American lives.
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.
The atomic bomb was effective and brought an end to the war. It likely saved millions of American and Japanese lives and prevented a potential conflict between America and Russia. Determining whether the bomb was essential to ending the war is a complex issue.
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 ...
My first point to support that the atomic bombings were unneeded is that there was no military necessity. All of the United States Corps knew that Japan was defenseless by the middle of 1945. “Japan was already defeated and dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary.”(Freeman, 2006) You may think that those words came out of the mouth of
The United States entered WW II immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The U.S. entry was a major turning point in the war because it brought the strongest industrial strength to the Allied side. The Americans helped the Allies to win the war in Europe with the surrender of Germany on May 7, 1945. However, the war in the Pacific continued. The war with Japan at this point consisted primarily of strategic bombings. America had recently completed an atomic bomb and was considering using this weapon of mass destruction for the first time. The goal was to force the “unconditional surrender” of the Japanese. Roosevelt had used the term “unconditional surrender” in a press conference in 1943 and it had since become a central war aim. Truman and his staff (still feeling bound by FDR’s words) demanded unconditional surrender from the Japanese. Consequently on July 26, 1945 Truman issued an ultimatum to Japan. This ultimatum stated that Japan must accept “unconditional surrender” or suffer “utter devastation of the Japanese Homeland”. This surrender included abdication of the throne by their emperor. Japan was not willing to surrender their dynasty and ignored the ultimatum. On August 6th and August 9th, atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively.
...ecessary. With that being said, dropping the bombs did stop Soviet intervention and involvement in Japan. Therefore, if you think ahead they are fulfilling their commitment to containment. Regardless, in terms of a way to end World War II the atomic bomb was not necessary.
On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The U.S. feared the rise of communism and gave aid to any country against it. The U.S. also fought countries threatening the spread communism. One of these countries was Japan. We began a harsh and brutal war against Japan and against communism. This war was killing many soldiers and Japan was not backing down. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb when things were getting worse. The decision to use the atomic bomb was a difficult one and many people wonder if it was the right choice.