The Bomb was used to bring World War II to a quick end. This almost goes hand-in-hand with saving lives. The Japanese surrender came just eight days after the bombing of Hiroshima and five days after the bombing of Nagasaki. United States military officials had previously stated that they wanted to end the war in the Pacific no more than a year after Germany surrendered. The reason behind this is that they felt there was only so much that could asked of soldiers and the American public before support and motivation dwindled (Barnes, “Arguments Supporting The Bomb”). The truth is, back in the United States, the American public and the top leaders were growing tired of the war. The nation’s leaders could no longer justify prolonging a war that
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Japan either surrendered or the United States was going to seek total destruction. The purpose of the Potsdam Declaration was to “spare the Japanese people from utter destruction” according to a press release by Truman on August 6, 1945. Japan refused. The U.S. was not going to accept terrorist threats and barbaric actions anymore. In war, one typically does not want their enemy to know their plans. However, the United States clearly laid out their goal to Japan. They were going to win the war. Japan would either surrender or die. Either way, the war would come to an end. Again, this factors in to the number of lives saved, but it also tells about the warnings Japan’s leaders were given. Japan chose to ignore those warnings and chose the alternative; that was destruction.
The decision to drop the bomb was made by a committee of Truman’s cabinet members and other officials. As Commander-in-Chief, the final decision ultimately rested on President Truman. After the bombings, Truman knew the seriousness that came along with using a weapon like this. He said to Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr. on August 9, 1945: “My object is to save as many American lives as possible but I also have a human feeling for the women and children of Japan” (McCullough 458). This, undoubtedly, was a difficult decision for Truman and everyone involved in the …show more content…
The evidence is clear. Dropping the atomic bombs on Japan simply saved the lives of millions of American and Japanese people and successfully brought a quick end to World War II. If Truman and his administration had not made this decision, the war could have dragged on for many more months, which would have caused numerous more fatalities on both sides. Based on the number of lives saved alone, President Truman was justified in his decision to use the atomic bomb. However, Truman went beyond just saving lives. He sought to quickly end the war in order to ensure victory for the United States and to bring exhausted soldiers home after years of fighting. Truman also gave a warning of what would happen if Japan did not surrender. This is something one does not typically do during wartime. After those warnings were ignored, then President Truman decided to use the bomb. The decision to use atomic warfare was a hard, but ultimately justifiable
Japan either surrendered or the United States was going to seek total destruction. The purpose of the Potsdam Declaration was to “spare the Japanese people from utter destruction” according to a press release by Truman on August 6, 1945. Japan refused. The U.S. was not going to accept terrorist threats and barbaric actions anymore. In war, one typically does not want their enemy to know their plans. However, the United States clearly laid out their goal to Japan. They were going to win the war. Japan would either surrender or die. Either way, the war would come to an end. Again, this factors in to the number of lives saved, but it also tells about the warnings Japan’s leaders were given. Japan chose to ignore those warnings and chose the alternative; that was destruction.
The decision to drop the bomb was made by a committee of Truman’s cabinet members and other officials. As Commander-in-Chief, the final decision ultimately rested on President Truman. After the bombings, Truman knew the seriousness that came along with using a weapon like this. He said to Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr. on August 9, 1945: “My object is to save as many American lives as possible but I also have a human feeling for the women and children of Japan” (McCullough 458). This, undoubtedly, was a difficult decision for Truman and everyone involved in the …show more content…
The evidence is clear. Dropping the atomic bombs on Japan simply saved the lives of millions of American and Japanese people and successfully brought a quick end to World War II. If Truman and his administration had not made this decision, the war could have dragged on for many more months, which would have caused numerous more fatalities on both sides. Based on the number of lives saved alone, President Truman was justified in his decision to use the atomic bomb. However, Truman went beyond just saving lives. He sought to quickly end the war in order to ensure victory for the United States and to bring exhausted soldiers home after years of fighting. Truman also gave a warning of what would happen if Japan did not surrender. This is something one does not typically do during wartime. After those warnings were ignored, then President Truman decided to use the bomb. The decision to use atomic warfare was a hard, but ultimately justifiable