The Decision to Drop the Bomb
War is a conflict that involves different countries or different groups of people. War is not necessary, although, at times, it becomes inevitable. Often, war becomes the only solution to some problems; hence it can be justified. However, there is hope that one day people can live in peace without going to war. This is because most people have understood the severe consequences of war. The US President, Truman, decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima city in Japan. He agreed to do so to conclude the war as early as possible because otherwise, it would have increased the number of causalities in America. Morally, there’s no excuse for what he wanted to do. However, as the country’s president, he took a strategic decision that at the time was better suited. The dropping of the bomb was not necessary. It showed excessive use of power by the United States Forces. The bomb was given the nickname “Fat Man.” These two bombs devastated those cities massively and took many people’s lives. The atomic bombing on Japan took an estimated 200,000 lives. The fighting had gone on for more than four years before the atomic bombing occurred. Many citizens detested using the atomic bombs because it was claimed that the mass execution of civilians was an inhumane act. This essay will analyze how and why the dropping of the bomb was not necessary.
The decision to drop the bomb was made following several activities. First, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (History.com, 2009). Pearl Harbor was a US Navy base located in Hawaii. The U.S military was not prepared; hence the attack was devastating. This triggered the course of World War II. Japan thought they had succeeded since they hit eight American battleships. Besides, more than 300 aircraft were destroyed, and 2400 people who were at the harbour were killed. The death of President Roosevelt was a big blow to the Americans (History.com, 2009). However, Harry Truman had to continue with all the plans and lead the war. This was done to ensure that all that the former president was fighting for was achieved.
Many believed that Japan would surrender only to something as devastating as the atomic bomb. Similarly, these supporters argue that a conventional military occupation of Japan would have caused more casualties than those of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Bomb dropping also restricted any further intervention by other countries contemplating such a military operation as the Soviet Union.
The Japanese were known to be ruthless and heartless. Bushido, according to the Japanese, was a collective word for many codes that dictated how the warriors’ lived. They used the Samurai code, which means the way of the warrior. The samurai code ensured that they lived an honest life. Their culture dictated that they treat their emperor, who was their king and leader, as a god. They respected and honoured him (Pew Research Centre, 2015). According to them, no one was supposed to surrender. Also, the Japanese military was very harsh and brutal. They killed, raped, and even tortured people. They also mixed civilians with military targets. This, therefore, shows that they killed many innocent people
One of the reasons that led to the war was the loss suffered by Japan against Europe. They were told to surrender, and they hesitated. Instead, they gave a condition that they would only surrender if their emperor was handed to them. However, the US military refused hence the bombing. The US also wanted the war to end quickly. They also wanted to intimidate the Soviet Union so that they could gain the upper hand in the Eastern part of Europe. Besides, the US wanted to keep Moscow out of the war.
The US military should have warned the Japanese before the bombing, by warning the Japanese to withdraw or they face a major bombing. This would have given the Japanese more time to decide if they wanted to surrender. They did not do the testing of the bomb since they knew that its content would destroy the Americans. One of the effects is radiation, which is the leading cause of cancer. Also, the fact that they bombed twice shows that they wanted to show the power and intimidate others. Besides, the fact that the Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps shows that there was a lot of racism. Though Japan had not yet given a public sign that it planned to surrender, insiders knew it was imminent that the country could not proceed with the war and surrender. This revelation is found in intelligence reports showing that Truman was secretly told that Japan had abandoned its goal of victory and was preparing to align its national pride with the defeat of the war instead. With this sort of knowledge, it is clear that America had no reason whatsoever for using the bombs because it was only a matter of time before the Japanese accepted defeat.
The bombing should never have happened since the effects were too bad. The radiation causes health problems. There was severe destruction of property, which was beyond repair. Many people, including women and children, were killed during the bombing. The war also led to the tension between the USA and the Soviet Union. Up to date, many people fear that nuclear war can erupt at any time hence causing the end of the world. Although many American lives were saved by the dropping of the bomb, most Japanese lost their lives, and the after-effects were so severe.
Birth defects developed after the bombs were dropped. Because of the atomic bombs dropping on Hiroshima and Nagasaki it was not just the young generation that suffered a negative effect. There was a rise in birth defects, which also happened in the years following the incident. Anyone with 0.2Gy or greater exposure faced an increased risk of this risk. After the war, the total number of miscarriages, stillbirths and other issues related to child health were never recorded in Japan, so exact statistics are not known.
Works Cited
AUGUST 4, 2015. Pew Research Centre. 4 8 2015. print. 13 4 2020. <https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/08/04/70-years-after-hiroshima-opinions-have-shifted-on-use-of-atomic-bomb/>.
editors, History.com. FDR dies. 16 11 2009. 13 4 2020. <https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-dies>.
—. Pearl Harbor. 29 10 2009. 13 4 2020. <https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor>.
Ushistory.org. U.S History. n.d. 13 4 2020. <https://www.ushistory.org/us/51.asp>.