Question

Was the United States justified in using the atomic bomb against the Japanese? Use at least one quote from the Truman statement to support your argument. What were the long and short term effects of the use of the bomb?

Answer 1

The US dropped the bomb because Truman knew it would destroy an entire city and it would save American lives because they would not have to go fight to take over the city. The Japanese had shown their firm resolve to not surrender so this was a last attempt to force their hand.

No, according to me US was not justified in using the atomic bomb against the Japanese. For centuries there have been generally agreed principles on when a war is just and how that war can be fought. But use of atomic bombs violated these principles. Use of excessive force to defeat enemy, targeting civilian and non military installations, unlimited damaged caused to environment by radiation pollution - all of these violated the war principles. Truman used a term " Unconditional Surrender" in justification of dropping the bomb. This means that enemy has to surrender at any cost and the United States was accustomed to winning wars and dictating the peace. But  the Soviet Union’s declaration of war against Japan and its invasion of Japanese-controlled territory on Aug. 8, 1945 was the main reason that Japan surrendered. This is a myth that use of atomic bomb ended the war in the Pacific in 1945.

Other reasons for not to use Bomb were:

• It would set a precedent for the world. Because of Americas example, other countries would conclude that it is acceptable to use atomic bombs as weapons, making nuclear proliferation and nuclear war in the future more likely.
• It might have been possible to demonstrate the bomb to the Japanese before dropping it on cities.
• Some people would consider Americans to have committed an atrocity and it would hurt the reputation of the United States.
• US power was greater than needed to defeat the Japanese.

Short Term Effects :

Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945):

• About two-thirds of Hiroshima was destroyed immediately; between 45,000-90,000 people were killed almost immediately.
• About half of Nagasaki was destroyed immediately; around 40,000 people were killed almost immediately.

Long Term Effects:

• By the end of 1945, approximately 60,000 people in Hiroshima and 30,000 people in Nagasaki who survived the initial explosions had died from injuries, burns, or radiation poisoning.
• Women exposed to the bombings while they were pregnant experienced higher rates of miscarriage and deaths among their infants.
• Children exposed to radiation in their mother's womb were more likely to have intellectual disabilities and impaired growth, as well as increased risk of developing cancer.