Advantages Of The Atomic Bomb History Essay

First, the war was brought to a quick end by using the atomic bomb on Japan. “A feeling of vindication and a desire to end the war strengthened the resolve of the United States to quickly and decisively conclude it.” (Atomic Bomb-Truman Press Release-August 6, 1945) The bombing of Pearl Harbor was still fresh in many American minds. Many Americans wanted to end the war. The Japanese resolve to fight was not very high during these following months. Their losses at Iwo Jima and Okinawa were extraordinary. Their navy and air force had been destroyed by America’s B-29s. This was part of the America’s air campaign to make bombing runs on military targets in Japan. Therefore, United States Pacific theater military leaders authorized the bombing of major cities. Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe were all bombed. Hundreds of thousands of civilians died from these air strikes. The Japanese did keep their resolve even though many innocent people were dying. “Yet, Japanese resolve stayed strong and the idea of a bloody “house to house” invasion of the Japanese mainland would produce thousands more American and Allied casualties.” (Atomic Bomb-Truman Press Release-August 6, 1945) They thought their casualties would be much less than Americas and the ally’s casualties if they were to invade. Japan was relying more on numbers than the actual battle performance of a regular soldier. Japan believed they can use large amounts of civilians against well trained American and allied soldiers. In Potsdam of July 1945, the allies declared that Japanese must unconditionally surrender. Japan leaders rejected the declaration because they did not want to surrender by these terms. The President authorized the use of the atomic bomb after August 3, 1945. The President Truman rather have a country shell shock than have it being defiant. He wanted to end the war by destroying Japan’s cities and causing fear. Normal bombs can’t achieve a quicker victory than atomic bombs because atomic bombs have a wider blast radius and power. He considered the atomic bomb as a weapon and he had no doubts that it should be used. Therefore, Hiroshima was bombed because it was the headquarters of the Fifth Division and the 2nd General Army. Hiroshima was a communication center, an assembly area for troops, a storage point, and had several military factories. 90 percent of the city’s buildings were damaged by the atomic bomb. Later, Nagasaki was bombed because the city was known to produce ordnance, ships, military equipment, and other war material. A faction called, “one condition” was lead by Togo who seized the bombing as a justification to surrender. Hisatsune Sakomizo, the chief cabinet secretary in 1945, called the bombing “a golden opportunity given by heaven to end the war.” (Debate: Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki) No amount of courage, skill, and fearless combat could help Japan overpower the atomic bomb. The emperor was looking for peace and need a good reason do so because some of his generals wanted to continue this war. The threat of the Soviet Union joining the war was not enough to convince the generals, but the atomic bomb was. On August 14, the Japanese government accepted the American terms for surrender. The atomic bombs quickly persuaded Japan to surrender because of the overwhelming power and fear.

Secondly, the dropping of the atomic bombs saved many lives in the process. An alternate solution in ending the war was to have a massive invasion of Japan. When the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima it killed about 90,000 people. 40,000 were injured, but most of them died from radiation poisoning. When the second atomic bomb hit Nagasaki about 37,000 people were killed and 43,000 were injured. Invading Japan would have resulted in higher casualties. Truman was advised that American casualties can range from 250,000 to 1,000,000 men. There was also an order given by the Japanese War Ministry on August 1, 1944, ordering the execution of all Allied prisoners of war, over 100,000 troops, if an invasion of the Japanese mainland took place.

“Was Truman right to drop it? I have no doubt he was. However I look at it, I cannot see other than that the bomb saved millions of lives, Allied and Japanese. All British combatants in the second world war that I have ever spoken to, including my parents, described the same reaction when they heard of the Hiroshima bomb: tremendous relief. A foreman, Tommy, at a factory I worked at in Lancashire in 1980, told me that in July 1945 he was in the Pacific doing exercises for the invasion of Japan. He expected to die. He thanked the bomb that he became a grandfather.” (Giving thanks for Hiroshima: sixty years later, Andrew Kenny says that the atomic bomb saved millions of lives)

The atomic bomb did save many more lives in the process. For example, the grandfather in this quote was training to invade Japan. His chances are really low of survival. He knew he was going to die because Japan had so many people in their disposal. The atomic bomb saved time and lives from the invasion plan. This soldier was able to live a full life to be able to see his grandchildren. The atomic bomb gave a lot of relief to the ones who are going to invade and their family and friends back home. Millions of civilians of Japan were trained to resist the American soldiers by attacking with bamboo spears and strapping themselves with explosives and throwing themselves under enemy tanks. “28 million more people will need to serve the Japanese army. “The invasion of Japan itself would probably have been the bloodiest episode in human combat.” (Giving thanks for Hiroshima: sixty years later, Andrew Kenny says that the atomic bomb saved millions of lives) This would be the bloodiest war in history because most people in Japan are going to fight because there was going to be a draft. Japan has more numbers than the Americans and Allies combined. Japanese soldiers will never surrender even if their commander is dead. When the Americans invaded the outlying islands in the pacific the casualties for the Americans were significantly high because the Japanese soldiers did not want to surrender. The invasion of the Japanese mainland would result in higher casualty rates for all sides.

Finally, the dropping of the atomic bomb saved money. The Manhattan project was established in 1942 to make the atomic bomb. The United States government spends two billion dollars on this project. If the United States do not drop the bomb than the explanation of what happen to the two billion dollars will be unanswered. “After all the general attitude of Americans at the time was that they should drop the bomb in some ways as revenge for the surprise and unprovoked attack of Pearl Harbor and for all the youth they had lost in other battles.” (The dropping of the atomic bombs on japan right or wrong) The public would be angry if the government did not use a weapon that they spend so much money on. The cost of World War II was more than all the wars combined that the United States fought. It cost about 300 billion dollars to fight in this war. To stay in it would have depleted all of U.S. money and resources. Metal, gasoline, and other natural would have been depleted and United States might have lost the war against Japan. The national debt would have been much higher if the war would still continue. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war which ended the spending money on this war. The cost of making an atomic bomb is much lower than the manufacturing of 4000 B-29s. The dropping of the atomic bombs saved money for war costs.

President Truman is justified in dropping the atomic bombs. The war ended quickly with the use of the atomic bombs. Secondly, the use of the atomic bombs saved lives on both sides. Finally, cost of war should not have been as much as the cost if the war would have continued without the use of the atomic bombs. Although the invasion was planned, the monumental decision made by President Truman to use the atomic bombs brought a quick end to the war while saving lives and money.