Atomic Bomb

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In 1945, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Why did the Americans decide to carry out their attacks?

On August 6 and 9, 1945, the first atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The bomb named “Little Boy” had been dropped on the city of Hiroshima, and the second bomb, “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki. The bomb killed men, women, and children chaotically, killing both military men and civilians. The two bombs dropped on August 1945 had created unimaginable damage killing more than two hundred thousand people. The Japanese were already nearly defeated, but why did the Americans decide to do this?

President Harry Truman justified dropping the bombs for four main reasons, firstly, it would end the war successfully and at the earliest possible moment, secondly, it justified the effort and expense of building the atomic bombs, thirdly, it offered hope of achieving diplomatic gains in the growing rivalry with the Soviet Union and finally his fourth justification was because of America’s hatred of the Japanese and their desire for vengeance.

Truman wanted to end the war at the earliest possible moment. This was the reason that Truman had shared with the public, that he wanted to end the war quickly and save as many lives as possible. Through the bombing he had achieved personal gains. This means that no land invasion would have been necessary, which would have been extremely costly, not just in terms of American lives but also the Japanese dead. Though being one of the biggest providers of natural resources in the world, there would have been a lot of money wasted if the war had dragged on, making weaponry and vehicles rather than productive use in building things such as new buildings. A lot of food was also being used, with the Americans having to be rationed at the Home front. Also ending the war would mean soldiers can return to their families and live a normal life. Ending the war as quickly as possible would keep the morale of the American population high. But there were obvious signs that the Japanese were already nearly defeated. The Americans were already bombing Japanese cities and after the first American attack on Okinawa, which had killed about a hundred thousand people, the Japanese government discussed peace treaties. In addition, there was a naval blockade meaning the Japanese would not be able to trade, therefore being low on supplies, and thought the war would end by September. But some Americans didn’t believe Japan would surrender because they wouldn’t accept unconditional surrender and because they believed in Bushido, this was the belief passed down through centuries of Japanese history that a soldier should kill himself or die fighting rather than surrender. This led to the Americans believing that the Japanese would never surrender, which was true throughout the majority of the Pacific War. The dropping of the bomb justifies the effort and expense of building the weapons of mass destruction. With $2billion spent on the Manhattan project, the people of America needed to be presented with the money well spent. By dropping the bomb and ending the war, this would impress the American people and respect Truman as a good leader. This also meant Truman would avoid a Congressional inquiry to the misappropriation of $2billion. He also wanted another term of office. His chances of re-election would have been thin if the American public knew that he wasted money and American lives by not using a weapon that would have ended the war quickly.

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Russia wanted to split Europe in half, owning Western Europe, so countries like Poland and Germany. The USA was against this, and had a mutual view with the rest of Europe. The relationship between USA and USSR grew tense between February and July 1945, due to that event, later called the Iron Curtain. The Americans did not like the way Russians did things either. Truman wanted to drop the bomb because it offered hope of achieving diplomatic gains in the growing rivalry with the Soviet Union, later leading into the cold war. By dropping the atomic bomb, he would try ...

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