The Hiroshima bombing in 1945 was a devastating infamy, leaving hundreds of thousands of people critically injured or dead. The American government concluded that this was the most effective course of action to force Japan to surrender, which also helped in bringing the second world war to its end. This tragic event was undoubtedly a morally unacceptable choice of action in war, therefore the United States is ethically responsible for the war crime of nuclear bombing the Japanese city, Hiroshima. Through an analysis of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima using the Jus in Bello and Jus Ad Bellum Just War Principles, this essay will demonstrate why the United States bears moral responsibility for a war crime. In “Contemporary Moral Problems” by James E. White,
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The Hiroshima bombing falls short in this regard, as the nuclear weapon caused approximately 140 000 deaths in 1945, and it would continue to affect survivors for decades (“Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings”). About five years after the bombings, substantially increased rates of lukemia were identified among survivors, and up to one decade following the bombing survivors were found to be developing thyroid, breast, and lung cancers at far greater rates than other citizens. No city has the response capacity to endure the devastating aftermath of a nuclear weapon attack as it is nearly impossible to provide help under such dire conditions, in addition to the considerable state of panic among the public. According to an article by ICAN on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings, when Hiroshima was attacked the immense scale of damage impacted 90 percent of doctors and nurses, who were either dead or wounded, and 90 percent of hospitals in the city, which were completely demolished. (“Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Hiroshima bombing falls short in this regard, as the nuclear weapon caused approximately 140 000 deaths in 1945, and it would continue to affect survivors for decades (“Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings”). About five years after the bombings, substantially increased rates of lukemia were identified among survivors, and up to one decade following the bombing survivors were found to be developing thyroid, breast, and lung cancers at far greater rates than other citizens. No city has the response capacity to endure the devastating aftermath of a nuclear weapon attack as it is nearly impossible to provide help under such dire conditions, in addition to the considerable state of panic among the public. According to an article by ICAN on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings, when Hiroshima was attacked the immense scale of damage impacted 90 percent of doctors and nurses, who were either dead or wounded, and 90 percent of hospitals in the city, which were completely demolished. (“Hiroshima and Nagasaki