Was America justified in dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945?

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Was America justified in dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945? The Atomic bomb was dropped on 6th August 1945 on Hiroshima and on 9th August on Nagasaki, Japan by the order president of America, Harry S. Truman. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in history up to date. In most of Europe war had ended, but in Asia, Japan were still resisting. With the recent surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), America was thinking on launching a full scale invasion. However it was said that there would be too many casualties on both sides Was America justified in using the atomic bomb? In my opinion America was justified because America had only attempted to end the war and they gave Japan a chance to surrender before they dropped the Atom bombs known as The Potsdam Declaration.The Potsdam Declaration, issued in July, demanded that Japan surrender by August third or face “prompt and utter destruction.” The Japanese did not surrender, and destruction came in the form of the atom bomb. Much of Hiroshima was destroyed by the "Little Boy," with perhaps as many as
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90,000 deaths almost instantaneously and estimates of additional deaths by the end of the year from injury, burns, and radiation poison 100,000. The Japanese still did not surrender, even after the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on August 8 and on August 9 the A-bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. The following quotation is an excerpt from a public statement by President Truman given reasons for using the atomic bomb on Japan: “The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, ...

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This is a well balanced essay and the author reaches a clear and concise conclusion. An effort is made to engage with both primary and secondary evidence, although quotations could be analysed more fully. Logical points are made throughout but the geopolitical reasons behind the dropping of the bomb are not considered, such as the American desire to end the war before the Soviet Union deployed troops and the need for a show of strength to Stalin. 3 out of 5 stars.