Atomic Bomb

As World War 2, came to a close, The United States unleashed a secret atomic weapon upon the enemy nation of Japan that was quickly recognized as the most powerful wartime weapon in human history. They completely destroyed the entire Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and essentially vaporized countless innocent Japanese lives. Some historians believe that it was a foolish, brutal decision to use the atomic bomb on a weakened Japan, and that the civilians of the country did not deserve that kind of mass-annihilation. On the opposite side, other historians assert that dropping the bomb saved countless American and Japanese lives by ending the war faster than a regular invasion would have. What is undisputed is that this sad event dramatically changed the course of human history.

It was April of 1945 and Harry Truman had been sworn into office following the death of a beloved president, Franklin Roosevelt. President Roosevelt left Truman with the hardest and still most controversial decision of all time, whether or not to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. This decision would determine whether or not the outcome of World War II would be quick or prolonged. The Manhattan project for developing the bomb began with the fear of Germany inventing a type of nuclear weapon. The Allies had just defeated Germany and now, the United States focus was ending war with Japan. America had been in war for four years accumulating 1 million casualties in the process. The United States wanted Japan to surrender unconditionally, as the Germans had done, to the Potsdam Declaration. Japan refused; talk of a land invasion on Japan transpired. A land invasion would result in heavy casualties against on either side. The United States would be facing a different type of enemy as well. The only choice was to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. While some may argue moral and ethical beliefs, they cease to think about who the real victim was and how many lives it saved on either side.

Nuclear war was brought about through the invention of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was first thought of in 1939. The Manhattan Project was devoted to researching and constructing the bomb (Serendipity: Manhattan Project para.1). Six years and 2 billion dollars later the Manhattan Project produced the first atomic bomb in history (Serendipity: Manhattan Project para.5). The bomb was tested in northern New Mexico on July 16th, 1945. The creators of the bomb watched the first detonation. One creator quoted from the Bhavad Gita saying, “ I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.” The testing of the bomb in New Mexico was the first detonation, however it was not the last (Serendipity: Manhattan Project para.10). The atomic bomb was again set off in Hiroshima on August 4th, 1945. This time the bomb was used in warfare (Serendipity: Detonation para.1). Two aspects of these bombings were the injuries to the people caused by the bomb and the long-term effect the bombing had on the culture.

The Atomic Bomb “The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on

On August 7, 1945 the headline of the front page of the New York Times read: First Atomic Bomb Dropped on Japan; Missile is Equal to 20,000 Tons of TNT: Truman Warns Foe of a “Rain of Ruin.”1 Now the debate between historians on the question of whether Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb was correct or not had begun.

Truman’s decision to use atomic weapons has long been a controversial subject throughout the decades after he used it. Many scholars and people who surrounded the president at the time published memoirs and books about the decision to use the weapon. As years went, more works of writing and information were released which added more information to the vast knowledge we have of the decision to drop the bomb and of what the Japanese faced after the event took place. J. Samuel Walker wrote a book called Prompt & utter destruction which uses new knowledge gained about the bomb and new information the Japanese released, which Walker said, “has greatly enriched our understanding of the agonizing deliberations in Tokyo over ending the war” (ix).Walker did not take any sides in the book, however, he uses what material from the first book and new sources of information to evaluate why President Truman made his decision. The main focus of Walker’s book is to answer why President Truman used atomic bombs against Japan and open more discussion to the question “was the bomb militarily necessary or was it used primarily for political/diplomatic reasons that had more to do with impressing the Soviets than winning the war against Japan?” (xii), which Walker said the question “divided specialists” (xii).

“In an instant 130,000 people—helpless men, women, and children—were incinerated. Human beings were literally vaporized. Skin hung from unrecognizable bodies like strands of dark seaweed. Some victims lived on for a time as their burning bodies turned carbon black” (Walter 1). This is just a brief eye-witness account of the horrific aftermath of the decision, headed by President Harry Truman, to drop an atomic bomb first on Hiroshima, Japan, and four days later on Nagasaki, Japan. The morality of this decision has been both questioned and defended ever since the event occurred, since both sides of the debate carry some validity to a certain degree. This decision, however, was an unnecessary war-crime and a morally deplorable action, that instead of benefiting a tactical war effort, simply murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

Upon reading “Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan” by J. Samuel Walker, a reader will have a clear understanding of both sides of the controversy surrounding Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The controversy remains of whether or not atomic bombs should have been used during the war. After studying this text, it is clear that the first atomic bomb, which was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, was a necessary military tactic on ending the war. The second bomb, which was dropped on Nagasaki, however, was an unnecessary measure in ensuring a surrender from the Japanese, and was only used to seek revenge.

Atomic Bomb In 1945, two bombs were dropped on Japan, on in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki. Theses bombs marked the end to the world’s largest armed conflict. Despite the ghastly effects of such a weapon, it offered the best choice for a quick and easy defeat of Japan. President Truman, who authorized the use of the atomic bomb, made a wise decision under the circumstances of the war.

The Atomic Bomb On July 16, 1945, the United States of America ushered the world into a new era with the successful detonation of an atomic bomb in New Mexico. That era was the nuclear age. Less than a month later, on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan; the first use of a nuclear weapon against an enemy nation. Most of us know of these basic events, but many do not know of the complicated decisions and scientific breakthroughs that paved the way towards that fateful day in Hiroshima. Every day we are closer to having nuclear arms fall in the hands of someone who wishes to do harm with those weapons.