Why did the USA drop the A-Bomb on Japan in 1945?

Cameron Sinclair

When examining the USA’s reasons for its use of nuclear weapons to effectively end World War 2, it is important that one also examines the USA’s reasons for being involved with the war. The USA was effectively forced into the second world war on December 7, 1941 when Japanese carrier based aircraft launched a surprise attack upon Pearl Harbour, America’s largest naval base in the South Pacific. During America’s Pacific campaign, they came up against an extremely formidable enemy, whose greatest weapon was their soldier’s determination and loyalty.

After the attack on Pearl Harbour, Japanese forces began an invasion of South East Asia. By 1942, Japan had conquered much of the region, and showed no signs of holding back. The battle of Midway on the 4-7 June 1942 brought a turn to the Pacific war, when the US Navy won a lucky battle over the tiny mid-Pacific island of Midway. Prior to this action, Japan possessed general naval superiority over the United States and could usually choose where and when to attack. After Midway, the two opposing fleets were essentially equals, and the United States soon took the offensive. This victory allowed the USA to commence an island-hopping campaign throughout the Pacific, and slowly beat the Japanese back. Each occupied island presented a tough battle for the Americans, and the devoted Japanese soldiers defended their positions with great bravery and valor. By Late October 1944, Okinawa, situated close enough to Japan to allow for Allied bombing missions over Japanese home territory, was targeted for invasion by US land forces. The battle for Okinawa proved to be an extremely tough one for both sides, as the unwavering Japanese defense refused to surrender; in fact many chose to jump off Okinawa’s steep cliffs into the sea, rather than fall into American hands. The battle for Okinawa eventually cost 49,000 American lives, and 110,000 Japanese casualties. Having lost most forward air bases and aircraft carriers, the Japanese high command planned to emphasize kamikaze, suicide-piloted aircraft attacks on Allied ships. It was now time for the United States to make their decision regarded the final defeat of Japan.

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On the 16th of April, 1945, President Truman proclaimed a warning to Japan from the Potsdam conference; either surrender unconditionally, or suffer a fast and total destruction. In order to effectively follow up this threat, a decision was required to be made by Truman and his ministers regarding a course of action. The Americans considered a number of devised plans and scenarios which would force Japan into submission. The most prominent of these was the proposition of launching a full scale land invasion of the Japanese home islands. Estimates show that the operations Olympic (landing at Kyushu island) and Coronet (landing at Honshu island) would cost about 1 million American lives, with 2 million wounded. The operations would pit 6 million Allied soldiers against an estimated 4 million Japanese servicemen, and even more civilians, of whom the casualties would be greater than those of the Americans. This option would be an extremely painstaking and bloody undertaking for both sides. Another choice for the US leaders was the destruction of the coming year’s rice harvest in Japan by the use of napalm, in conjunction with a naval blockade of Japan’s ports in order to starve the Japanese into submission. This plan would have been very time consuming and resource intensive for the US, as well as being an inhumane decision. Another alternative, suggested by the creators of the bomb, was to detonate the bomb in a demonstration to the world on a deserted Pacific island. It was hoped that Japan would realise that if they didn’t surrender, they would be the victims of nuclear weapons. This method was risky because Japan probably wouldn’t surrender at a simple demonstration, and if the relatively unpredictable bomb failed, the morale of American soldiers preparing to invade Japan would be dented. Truman considered his options, he wanted to finish the war as soon as possible, yet he wanted to minimise casualties on both sides; he believed that unless he used the atomic bomb, an invasion of Japan would be necessary and that the casualties would be enormous.

On July the 24th, 1945, President Truman informed the Soviet dictator Stalin that the U.S. "had a new weapon of unusual destructive force.” Eye witnesses at the Potsdam conference, where Truman told Stalin this news stated that they didn’t think he truly understood the importance of the American’s breakthrough. The US leaders realized that it was important to end the World War as soon as possible, due to the fact that if it went on for too much longer, the USSR would be allowed to take a great deal of land in the far east. This would be a problem, because once the war finally did finish, the Soviet Empire would be a massive super power which could be a serious threat to the West in the future. Stalin was an untrustworthy character to the Western leaders, and they felt it in their best interests to limit the amount of power he could gain. In fact, it was stated by the chief of the Manhattan Project that "The real purpose of building the bomb was to subdue the Soviets." This alone shows how weary the Americans were of the Russians, and it helps to set up the scenario immediately after World War 2, known as the Cold War.

Opposition to the use of the Atomic bomb against Japan was relatively limited, due to the secrecy of the Manhattan project and the fact that not many people at all even knew such a weapon existed. There was, however a certain amount of protest to the possibility that the weapon may be used on

Civilian targets. The people involved in this opposition were mainly scientific personnel working on the Manhattan project, who felt they had a moral responsibility to stop what they belied to be a barbaric and irresponsible action, in using nuclear weapons. They compared it to the people of Nazi Germany who didn’t speak up when their leaders committed the atrocities against the Jews, only in this case they were not in danger of suppression by a fascist state. They thought it their moral duty to make their opinions heard by the President of the USA, and to do what they could to stop the use of such an awesome weapon against civilian targets. As the first beholders of nuclear weapons, some of the Manhattan Project personnel believed America should set an example for the future, for if they were to ‘nuke’ a city, it may send a message to the rest of the world that this sort of action is allowable, and the US itself may one day become the victims of Atomic weapons. Truman stated in his diary: “This weapon is to be used against Japan between now and August 10th. I have told the Sec. of War, Mr. Stimson, to use it so that military objectives and soldiers and sailors are the target and not women and children. Even if the Japs are savages, ruthless, merciless and fanatic, we as the leader of the world for the common welfare cannot drop that terrible bomb on the old capital or the new.” Hiroshima and Nagasaki were deemed by the US leaders to be Japanese military installations, although hind sight shows us that massive civilian casualties were suffered. It may not have been Truman’s intention to use the A-bomb on civilians, however being such a powerful weapon, it was impossible to eradicate collateral damage with its use.

At 8:16am on Monday the 6th of August, 1945, a single B-29 bomber, nick-named Enola Gay, dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It carried with it the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT. The initial explosion killed around 80,000 and injured 70,000, while everything within 4 square miles was desolated. The Japanese cabinet was thrown into disarray, as one half demanded Japan’s surrender and the other half opposed it. The Soviet Union, seeing an opportunity for easy pickings with limited risk, declared war on Japan, August 8 and invaded Manchuria on that same day. The next day, at 11:02am on the 9th of August, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40,000. On August 14, President Truman announced that hostilities between the Allies and Japan had ended, after Japan agreed to submit to the Joint Declaration of the Powers, made at the Potsdam conference. On September 2nd MacArthur accepted Japan’s formal surrender, aboard the battleship USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay.

Truman’s decision to drop the A-bombs on Japan was probably the best decision made by any of the world leaders in 1945. If he had decided to launch a land invasion of Japan, starve the Japanese, or demonstrate America’s nuclear capabilities, it is generally agreed that the war against Japan would have been far longer and more costly than it turned out to be. The atomic bomb did not win the war, however. Japan had already been defeated by the land, sea and air campaign that went before. It can also be argued that the use of atomic weapons against Japan may have averted a third world war between the super powers USA and the USSR. The ensuing tension of the cold war allowed the overwhelming threat of nuclear war to precent this from ever happening.

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