Atomic Bomb Dbq

In early December in 1941, Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese, resulting in the deaths of over 2,400 American soldiers. This infuriated the U.S and caused them to officially join the war. Four years later, on August 6, 1945, a US B-29 bomber had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima instantly killing about 70,000 people. Three days later, a second bomb had been dropped on Nagasaki which caused the deaths of 40,000 more people. The United States’ decision to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union. If the U.S did not defeat Japan soon, then they would have to rely on the Soviet Union to help them out. At the Potsdam Conference, the British Prime Minister Churchill had …show more content…
He said, "Mr. Byrnes did not argue that it was necessary to use the bomb against the cities of Japan in order to win the war." They had all known, even the government, that Japan would be defeated soon and that the bombs were not necessary. All that they were concerned about was that Russia could enter the war and spread Russian influence throughout Europe. They had used the bombs to show Russia that the U.S was strong and that they could handle things on their own. Mr. Byrnes also went on to say, "Our possessing and demonstrating the bomb would make Russia more manageable in Europe." On the other hand, the United States’ decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a military measure to ensure that Japan would fully surrender. In Document H titled, Radio Address, Harry S Truman, President Truman stated, “We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war, in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.” He stated that the U.S had used the atomic bombs to end the war quickly and to save more American lives. However, as said by General HH Arnold, the Japanese were already on the verge of collapse.” This meant that even if the bombs weren’t used, then Japan still would have