Harry Truman: The Atomic Bomb

To this day there is still controversy that if that atomic bomb was actually necessary to end the war, because of the number of innocent casualties suffered from the Japanese. The aim of this investigation is to answer the question: To what extent was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary to end the war with Japan? To answer this question, the investigation will need to determine if there was justification for this type of action led by the U.S. government as well as the cons. The tactics of F.D.R., Truman, citizens and historians will be evaluated. Books and speeches about Pearl Harbor and speeches of the Presidents will be provided to answer the investigation.

Whether or not to drop the atomic bomb was president Truman’s decision, faced with this decision Truman researched and asked advisors to share their ideas about the bomb and then made the best decision for the American and Japanese people. “ In an invasion of Japan,the fighting would have been more savage, and the number of lives lost on both sides would of been tragic.”(O’Neal 35) The Atomic bomb was essential in helping to put and end to the war and saving lives. The decision to drop the atomic bomb was made by President Truman . In his decision he states, “ The only thing that was the right thing to do for the American and Japanese people was to end the war through the use of the atomic bomb.” ( O’Neal 36) Why all the controversy over the bomb? Historians and people today continue to ask this question along with others.

Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Rosenberg). 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.

This made the decision to drop the atom bomb on Hiroshima all the more important. Not only would those who ordered the bombing be responsible for the destruction, but the entire country would also be responsible for the actions of its leaders. The road that led to the bombing of Hiroshima was a long and covert one. In fact, the research and development of the atomic bomb was so secretive that when Vice President Harry S. Truman entered the Presidency following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, he had no knowledge of it. Yet he would be the central figure in making the decision to use the bomb.

Rhodes 19). Many of the world’s physicists came to the same conclusion; this reaction could be used to develop an atomic weapon. According to Rhodes, this discovery made the development of atomic weaponry seem essential to many countries because the only way to defend themselves against atomic weapons was to have similar weapons of their own. In 1940 two physicists, Otto Frisch and Rudolf Peirels, sent a warning to the British government stating, “Germany is, or will be, in the possession of this weapon, it must be realized that no shelters are ava... ... middle of paper ... ...ilm Criticism 27.3 (2003): 40-52. Academic Search Premier.

2011: 13. eLibrary. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. "The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Hiroshima & Nagasaki Atom Bombs.

President Truman, learned the success of the Manhattan project, and understood that he must make a choice to whether drop the atomic bomb or not; turned out to be the most difficult decision make on his life. They came up with decision to make Japan “unconditional surrender” (59) but they afraid the Japan would not step down and refused to give up their fight. There was a debated on the use of atomic bomb or waited for the Soviet to stepped in the Pacific. Thus the Allied finally commanded the “unconditional surrender” to the leadership in Japan, turned out to what the Allied expected. The Japan emperor rejected the request, but there was a point where the Japan could conditional surrender as

Did the atomic bomb have to be used in World War II on Japan? There were multiple reasons why the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary. One of which is to reduce the chance of Allied casualties if the war continued. Another reason was to prohibit the possibility that an Axis country such as Nazi Germany, could create an atomic weapon. A third reason or is whether or not the use of atomic weapons on innocent people was worth the media backlash.

"America's Reaction to the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. .

Works Cited "AtomicBombMuseum.org - After the Bomb." AtomicBombMuseum.org - After the Bomb.7 Feb 2014.< http://www.atomicbombmuseum.org/4_ruins.shtml> "Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki". World War II Database. Dec 2013.7 Feb 2014. "Nobelprize.org".