The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb

President Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the direct cause for the end of World War II in the Pacific. The United States felt it was necessary to drop the atomic bombs on these two cities or it would suffer more casualties. Not only could the lives of many soldiers have been taken, but possibly the lives of many innocent Americans. The United States will always try to avoid the loss of American civilians at all costs, even if that means taking lives of another countries innocent civilians.

A huge proponent to the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9 of 1945 was President Harry Truman. Although they value the ideas and contributions out in by the committee they choose, the president ultimately has the last say on war time decisions. It just so happens that President Truman wanted to drop the bomb. President Truman believed that Japan’s leaders would not surrender to the terms outlined in Potsdam meeting. He saw it fit to drop the bombs and end all doubt.

Another man that backed the use of the atomic bombs was James Byrnes. Secretary of State, Byrnes was, in essence, Truman’s right hand man. He did not want the Russians to get involved in the war in Asia and felt that the atomic bomb would keep them away.

One of the main opponents to the atomic bomb was William Leahy. Chief of Staffs to the president, Leahy saw the bombings as barbaric and unnecessary as he believed the war against the Japanese was already won. He believed war should not be won by killing women and children.

General Douglas MacArthur also believed that the dropping of the atomic bombs were militarily unjustified. He thought the war could have need ended without the use of them.

2) The first use of the atomic bomb by the United States has its pros and cons. However, when you look at it in perspective, it was a wise decision in diplomatic and political terms, but not so much in ethical terms.

The main argument anyone can make in opposition to the use of the atomic bombs is: why did the United States have to kill so many innocent people. In a diplomatic sense, the U.S, needed to drop those bombs to end the war according to the

president at that time, Harry Truman. This was necessary to stop any plans the Japanese had about bringing the war to United States soil.

In a political manner, the use of the atomic bomb put an end to the Japanese military dictatorship and put in place a constitutional monarchy, similar to the United Kingdom’s. Even though they still have an emperor, the power rests in the hands of politicians. This helped stop the spread of communism here.

However, it is difficult to make a case for the ethics in the use of the atomic bombing of Japan. Although it may have been needed to end the war, war, in any manner, is never ethical and all those innocent people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki should not have died.

3) Although