The Necessity of Dropping the Atomic Bombs in the Pacific Theatre of WWII

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20th century warfare revealed many changes such as the first tanks and machine guns in WWI to the guided missiles and drones of the modern era of warfare. The Second World War implemented a major change in warfare, the first atomic bombs. There was nothing in existence like the atomic bombs that the US dropped on Japan to make them surrender instead of extending the war. The US went ahead and dropped both bombs, one on Hiroshima and the other on Nagasaki. Was it necessary to drop any of them at all? Were the atomic bombs the only solution to stop the war? Could there have been other solutions? Both atomic bombs were necessary to stop any further possibility of hostilities. These hostilities came in the form of landings on the Japanese islands, a possible Anglo-Soviet War over Far East interests. Its main purpose was to prevent Japan from fighting back by implementing their plan to defend the home islands. The fear caused from the sheer power of these bombs defused any further usage of these weapons after the war. First, a defense of the Japanese islands would have been extremely costly for both the Americans and the Japanese because the number of civilians that would be caught in between the two colliding forces on the main island were massive, noting that the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto were prime targets for the allies. Also, what would have made the Japanese Defense Plan more costly was the Japanese soldiers, roughly two million in strength were desperate and fanatic to defend their home at all costs. All of these factors made the atomic bomb the legitimate solution to bringing the Japanese to the table to sign to the terms set forth by the Western allies' Unconditional Surrender. Another reason which made the atomic bomb the ... ... middle of paper ... ...orth the cost which saved the lives of countless others that could have died from any further hostilities. Work Cited: 1. "The Decision to Drop the Bomb." The Decision to Drop the Bomb [ushistory.org]. Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. . 2. Leckie, Robert. "131. Hiroshima." Delivered from Evil: The Saga of World War II. New York: Harper & Row, 1987. 938-42. Print. 3. Leckie, Robert. "132. Nagasaki and the Surrender of Japan." Delivered from Evil: The Saga of World War II. New York: Harper & Row, 1987. 942-946. Print. 4. Shalett, S.. N.p.. Web. 24 Nov 2013. . 5. Weinberg, Gerhard L. "Plans For The Defeat-And Defense-Of Japan." A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge [England: Cambridge UP, 1994. 871. Print.

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