Justification of Utilizing The Atomic Bombs in WW2

Imagine an entire city like NYC full of people one-minute shopping, dining, laughing just having a great time and then in a matter of a second, a blink of an eye they are all gone. This is precisely what happened in Japan, once the United States set to place a fast finish to WWII by using two Atomic Bombs. Within minutes of the bombs dropping, an estimated one hundred and thirty-five thousand folks disintegrated into the air without a chance in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. And to feature injury to the pain an estimated Fifty thousand Japanese citizens suffered a similar fate within the city of Nagasaki simply a couple of days later. Despite the depravity surrounding the event, America’s call to drop the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II has been deemed as even. Although it’s an awfully arguable topic, as a result of, to some it absolutely was an unethical immoral maneuver employed by the government to merely finish WW2 fast and on a winning stance, and to others it absolutely was a call that had to be created to safeguard the lives of soldiers.

Rationale for the Use of Atomic Bombs in World War II

Utilizing the Atomic Bombs was not the first option explored. The U.S. government had given Japan numerous opportunities to surrender. President Truman, before the bombing, spoke out in a press conference after the Bombing of Hiroshima, stating this statement in reference to the use of a new weapon and promising the following, “If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen and with the fighting skill of which they are already well aware.” (Truman, 1945). The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would push Japan toward their surrender with no conditions, ending WW2 and demonstrating our power and position to the rest of the world politically and in an exceedingly military sense. Hypothetically, if the U.S. did not use the weapon of mass destruction, we could have continued to be among the war and not be one among the few superpowers of the world.

According to Bartleby Research (2023), “Another reason or ideology in why the creation of the atomic bomb was necessary, was to be able to end the war quickly if another nation, such as Germany developed one.” Although Atomic Bombs had never played into any war before, they were the most powerful weapons of that time. After word had spread that Germany was looking into or might have already begun building a bomb, the United States refused to lose that arms race. The United States invested roughly two billion into the atomic bomb production and research, it took six years to build and even after all the work, there was still fear and doubt about its capabilities. One of the inventors advised President Truman not to use the bomb but was then followed with a response that it had to be done for the safety and liberty of our great country. To be fair, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation (n.d.), “In August 1945, leaflets were dropped on several Japanese cities (including, supposedly, Hiroshima and Nagasaki). The first round, known as the 'LeMay leaflets,' were distributed before the bombing of Hiroshima. These leaflets did not directly reference the atomic bomb, and it is unclear whether they were used to warn citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki specifically.” An American-controlled radio station was airing similar messages to the leaflets to the Japanese people every 15 minutes stating that they advised them to petition their government and stop the war or consequences will follow. Five days after the fliers were distributed, Hiroshima was destroyed by the “Little Boy” atomic device. Following the first attack, the U.S. air force dropped even more leaflets advising the Japanese citizens to take immediate heed to petition the emperor again. America distributing the notices along with the radio broadcast technically shows that they were concerned about civilian death, but were also serious about demonstrating their power and the necessity to end the war.

Strategic Execution

America executing the plan to bomb Japan was purely strategical in all manners. The targeted locations were not just chosen at random. The United States chose Hiroshima and Nagasaki to destroy a very important military base to Japan and to take out major Japanese infrastructure manufacturing hubs. The devastation of these areas was intended to cripple Japan's ability to continue the war effort, effectively forcing their hand in surrendering. This strategic move was seen as necessary to prevent further prolonged conflict and loss of life on both sides.