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World War II is cause for much debate over the morals and ethics of wartime attack strategies. Many questionable methods were used to defeat the opposing sides in the war, such as the 3-day bombing of Dresden, which resulted in numerous deaths, mass destruction, and a huge devastation amongst the citizens in the city during the attack. Details about such things are left out of textbooks, and as a result, some people believe that WWII was a flawless victory, and a thing to be celebrated. However, such is not the case. WWII was not a good war for America, and was filled with many errors, wrongdoings, and hypocrisy. Neutrality in the early stages of the war prevented America from lending a hand. It basically allowed Germany to invade more land, …show more content…
They may say, for instance, that the atomic bomb was necessary to reclaim prisoners of war that were to be executed, and to end the war. But there was no promise that the prisoners would not be killed by the Japanese army either way, or even by the bomb itself, as there was no way to control the explosion to prevent it from harming the prisoners of war. The bomb was also not necessary to end the war because the secretary to the Japanese War Minister stated that, "If the Americans launched a second or third [landing] attack, first our food supply would run out, then our weapons. The Americans could have won without using the atomic bombs." These events prove that, despite what people are lead to believe, America is not perfect. The victory in World War II was flawed, and many drastic measures had been taken, despite how morally wrong they may have been. And consequentially, this war was good for no one. All sides in the war ended up with extreme damage and serious losses as a result of enemy attack. So while these actions may be perceived as necessary, they still resulted in the killing of human beings who had lives separate from the war, and families who were devastated by the loss of their loved
Michael C. C. Adams' book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II, attempts to dispel the numerous misconceptions of the Second World War. As the title suggests, Americans came out of the war with a positive view of the preceding five turbulent years. This myth was born from several factors. Due to the overseas setting of both theaters of the war, intense government propaganda, Hollywood's glamorization, and widespread economic prosperity, Americans were largely sheltered form the brutal truth of World War II. Even to this day, the generation of World War II is viewed as being superior in morality and unity. The popular illusion held that 'there were no ethnic or gender problems, families were happy and united, and children worked hard in school and read a great number of books.' (115)
Japan was depleted of resources by the time the atomic bombs struck(Tucker 2). If the war continued, Japan would completely run out of supplies leaving citizens to starve, and killing more innocents the longer the war continued. The first stage of the war in Japan would have lasted over a year(Walker 2), which could have caused hundreds of death in just the first stage of fighting. Japan’s citizens “were also being prepared to fight to the death”(Tucker 1) before the war ended. Therefore confirming the fact that the atomic bomb saved the Japanese from going through a long struggle of starvation and
World War II was one of the most important wars in history. It featured multiple countries at constant conflict with each other. There were several battles that occurred in this 12 year long war. An example of two of the battles would be the Battle of Britain in the European theater of war, and the Attack on Pearl Harbor in the Pacific theater of war. Only one of these wars saw victory, while the other caused great devastation to the American military.
The attack at Pearl Harbor was the event that caused the U.S. to decide to be involved in the war. After this incident, the U.S. was trying to find a way to retaliate and counterattack against Japan. Some thought that the only way to do so was by using atomic bombs. People like, General Dwight Eisenhower, Harry S Truman, and a group of scientists believed that the use of the bomb would do good, and finally end everything. Eisenhower believed that because the use of the atomic bomb was successful in New Mexico, it would also be successful in Japan as well. Harry S Truman thought that even the atomic bomb was the most destructive weapon in the history of the world, it could be made the most useful. He stated that, “it was ...
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 ...
In the United States the cold-blooded murder of one citizen to another is considered cruel, psychopathic, and illegal. The thought of murdering a fellow human being is, justifiably, discriminated against and shunned. Since murder is officially condemned wrong what causes one to believe that in the case of war, murder on a large scale, that this happening can be considered acceptable, at some points cheered on even. If murder is not justifiable, then war is not justifiable; but in the case when the lesser evil must dominate the greater evil in order to maintain peace, then this scenario of war may be considered more just than any alternative.
The idea of bombing with the quick “one-two” punch strategy for the maximum shock value to demoralize the Japanese struggle and end the war with less loss of US lives. The question remains that was the bombings were needed with Japan’s ability to fight on dwindling. The US Interim Committee debated that the bombs were the only option left to end the fighting spirit of the Japanese, but Japan was in communications with Soviet Union in hopes of possible negotiation’s or mediations to help end the war. The Committee dismiss the communications as a ploy or false information and continue on with plans to bomb after Japan’s rejection for unconditional surrender and US control within Japan. Logically, the bombing can be seen as war crimes because of the sheer numbers of death and destruction caused by the bombs when Japan was seeking clarification on the status of keeping their Emperor after surrendering and the communications with Soviet Union. The US could have seen the communications with the Soviet Union as Stalin gaining more power than the US as the country that would help end the war. And that the US want to demonstrate their weapon as a determinate to the Soviet Union, but this power of the A-bomb increased the US’s ability to be flexible in negotiations and being less willing to compromise causing increased tension during the Cold War. The
War is what keeps a nation from dying, it is the backbone of a country. This is the shown throughout the course of World War I, also known as “the war to end all wars.” World War I started in the summer of 1914. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, from the Austro – Hungarian Empire was visiting Bosnia. He was shot, along with his wife, Sofia, by a young man from the Black Hand, Gavrillo Princip. What were the three main factors that started World War I? There were three main underlying causes that started World War I: greed, nationalism, and militarism.
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.
Marc Forster brings the viewer, World War Z, an action-packed, thrilling and zombie-filled adventure movie with Brad Pitt taking the lead role as Gerry Lane. The movie originated from the book, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, which was published back in 2006 by Max Brook. World War Z is cleverly thought out to keep the viewers on the edge of their seat always while the movie is roughly two hours long. World War Z is about the life of a former United Nations investigator, Gerry Lane, and his family. Suddenly, the world overran by a mysterious infection, which turns once innocent people into undead killing machines. After barely escaping the chaos at the beginning, Lane is then persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this
... as long as it did because the addition of the United States to the Ally powers could only be of disadvantage to the Germans. The United States, however, benefited the most from their decision to remain neutral because they were able to avoid a long and brutal war. Their economy and industry was also boosted at the beginning of the war when they were able to trade peacefully with both sides. By remaining neutral, the U.S. was able to delay entering such a controversial war.
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. They used woman and children as soldiers to surprise bomb the enemy. They made lethal weapons and were taught to sacr...
World War II, which took place from 1939 until 1945, is the most destructive war in terms of destruction and lives lost in all history. At the end of World War II, America made the decision to drop two atomic bombs on Japan to end the war quickly, and this has been a very controversial issue ever since. After the fact, many questioned the decision made by American military leaders, wondering if they had well enough considered the Nuclear Era they would bring about by dropping the atomic bombs. In discussions of dropping the atomic bombs to end World War II, one controversial issue has been whether the United States was morally justified, and there are two basic schools of thoughts in this debate. On the one hand, some argue that dropping the bombs on cities, therefore targeting civilians, makes the bombs morally wrong. On the other hand, some contend that dropping the bombs to end the war quickly saved hundreds of thousands of American lives and therefore was morally justified. My own view is that dropping the bombs was the best decision for America to make with the information that they had at that time and the enormous number of lives that were saved.
Some would consider war to be inevitable, others think it an excuse for resources and power, while the remaining think it to be pointless, and a waste of human lives. War is a dreadful thing, the trauma that victims endure, and the effects that it brings on the warring nation is horrendous. I have chosen this topic because I want to shed light on the devastation and pain that war brings, and what some preach in the name of peace. Specifically, I will be focusing on the aspects of government intervention, decisions and agendas on war. Generally, when we think of war, the first thing that comes to mind is the all powerful USA. Be it in the name of national defense, ally assistance or personal agenda, we can all agree that the armed forces of the USA is one of, if not the most, world renowned asset of the country. The purpose behind each war is as unique as each person, one with distinctive features and goals to achieve. The results of war however, are as alike as any war; destruction, pain, suffering, leading to years and years of historical scarring, it’s an experience unlike any other, be it to the country or its people.
World War II Throughout the history of the world, countless battles have been raged at in an attempt to change the course of history. Some of these conflicts were merely a bump in the massive timeline of recorded history. However, some have been so massive and influential that repercussions are still experienced today. Among these conflicts is World War II, the deadliest war to ever befall upon the surface of the planet. In the early 1930s, the country of Germany had developed a strong sense of nationalism that would soon become a critical factor for the future of the country.