Dropping The Atomic Bombs

Gravity (n): extreme or alarming importance; seriousness. As people grow and mature, they encounter experiences that force them to make decisions full of great gravity. These decisions cause them to be extremely careful when choosing their own paths in life. In August of 1945, atomic bombs descended upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing over 40,000 casualties. As America decided to drop the atomic bombs, a massive controversy was created within the country. Most officials attempted to hide the fact of the atomic bombs, hoping that secrecy would prevent problems. As well, many feared the consequences, such as death, and extended war, would arise due to the effect of these bombs. Finally, many believed that releasing the bombs aided in the ending

Thousands of lives were lost due to the war. Many argue that the end of the war could have been achieved without the use of the atomic bomb, while others believe that the use of this weapon created more opportunities for the United States, including more scientific knowledge. However, the deaths resulting from the weapons used is still quite unbelievable, knowing that lives could have been saved if the bombs were never used or produced. In 70 scientists’ “Petition to the President of the United States,” sentence three, paragraph seven it states, “Thus a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the responsibility of opening the door to an era of devastation on an unimaginable scale.”(“Petition to the President”, 29). This quote explains how many believed that the use of this weapon was the beginning of a journey towards destruction, otherwise known as the cold war. The effect of these weapons did result in different views explaining how the bombs destroyed the beginning to a great generation, while others believed that this is where it all began. The drop of the atomic bomb did provide a new perspective to science and technology. Without the atomic bomb, humanity would not be as

Without the use of the bombs, the war may never had come to a close. In Robert Oppenheimer’s “Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,” paragraph five states “... without atomic weapons it might be very difficult, it might be an impossible, it might be an incredibly long thing to win the war.” (“Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,” 23). This quote shows that the atomic bomb used to end the war was an excellent choice because without the atomic bomb the war would continue and could have escalated to a level of world destruction, but because of the use of the bomb the war was ended. Most obviously, the atomic bombs made it extremely easy to quickly end the war. Also, as stated in 70 scientists’ “Petition to the President of the United States,” “The war has to be brought speedily to a successful conclusion and attacks by atomic bombs may very well be an effective method of warfare.” (“Petition to the President of the United States,” 29). Not only was the bomb the easiest way to end the war, but it was also one of the most effective weapons. Certainly, the bombs were able to stop the country from going deeper into war and helped to save many lives by bringing a rapid end to the entire war. In www.ushistory.org’s “The Decision to Drop the Bomb,” it says, “Normandy-type amphibious landing would have cost an estimated million casualties. Truman believed that the bombs saved Japanese lives as well. Prolonging the war was not an