...Why America Dropped the Bomb Ronald Takaki Back Bay Books September 1, 1996 Joseph Marty Professor J. Cosco U.S. History Since 1865 November 27, 2011 Throughout the recent years of history, there has been an intense debate justifying the use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima as well as Nagasaki a few days after, but many others argue that it was unjust to use such a weapon of massive catastrophe on an almost defeated nation at the time during the end of World War II: Japan. Ronald Takaki, author of the book Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Bomb was an avid writer in the terms of Asian-America equality and morals based on his own experiences. In this book, he gave many thorough details explaining plausible reasons as to why Truman decided to launch the devastating attack on an already weak Japan. Takaki has used many sources including military reports, personal letters, and self recordings to further expand on this debate based approximately on facts more than moral opinions. When America had already won the war in Europe, there was still one more target left deemed as a threat to society according to the government. That target was Japan. The commander of the Pacific forces at the time was General Douglas Macarthur and he was never consulted about the use of the atomic bomb. Macarthur was only notified two days before the official use of the atomic bomb. The general was very depressed to hear about the use of the bomb because he knew thousands...
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...airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb had more power than 20,000 tons of TNT. It had more than two thousand times the blast power of the British "Grand Slam" which is the largest bomb ever yet used in the history of warfare.” This was vocalized by President Harry Truman in his famous speech where he declared the bombing on mainland Japan and, educated the American people of the capabilities their military had. Developed by a group of American scientists, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 10th 1945 respectively. These are the only two times that these bombs have ever been used to inflict damage on other countries but, physicists estimate that both bombs only used about 1/10th of 1% of their total capacity. From a moral standpoint, dropping the atomic bomb was the right thing to do because it ended up preventing millions of people from being killed by military warfare. Politically, it was also the right thing to do because it strategically helped end the war and, reminded the rest of the world of the supremacy of the United States as a Hegemon and militaristic power. If put in the position of President Truman, after careful analysis, I would choose to only drop one atomic bomb on Hiroshima. First, with the Japanese unwillingness to surrender, the United States was ready to commence with a top-secret mission titled Operation Downfall. This alternative to the nuclear bomb was the only other option...
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...The Second Great War was the war of Hitler and his allies against the world. In the timeline of the 1900’s in 1939 to 1945 is when the second world war initially started and concluded. Therefore the war crime caused a massive massacre ranging about to 50 - 80 million deaths of the world’s population, furthermore it included war-related disease and starvation. On August 6, 1945 is when the Japanese generals refused to accept defeat, so the US unleashed an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. By August 8, 1945, Russia declared war on Japan and seized Manchuria that was powered by the Japanese. August 9 is when the US released the atomic bomb named FAT MAN on the city of Nagasaki, following on when the projectile LITTLE BOY descended on the city...
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...The Atomic Bomb: A Necessity or a Desire Tanmay Bhanushali Year 10 Historical Paper “Great power imposes the obligation of exercising restraint” Leo Szilard - Hungarian-born Physicist and main scientist to oppose the atomic Bombings This was spoken in an interview titled “President Truman did not Understand”. This was between a US news reporter and Leo Szilard the key figure among the scientists opposing the use of the bomb. The interview was in August 15, 1960. Why was their so fierce Opposition? In what Way did Truman Not Understand? These answers lie in the depths of the controversy about the Atomic Bomb. Introduction The atomic bomb was a topic of major controversy but the main debate was about the necessity of the atomic bomb. Many say that the atomic bomb was dropped because it would save millions of American lives. However at that period the Japanese were also at the point of surrendering. Huge amounts of incendiary bombs were used in large-scale cities against japan. Many of the scientists in the Manhattan Project were disturbed about it. The incendiary bombs reduced much morale from the Japanese army and crippled the will power. However this small cripple made Japan even angrier because these incendiary bombs were used on innocent civilians and not the Japanese army. Many think that it was necessary to use the Atomic Bombs because Japan attacked America first and not the other way around. It is a fact that when Hitler attacked...
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...Hiroshima The bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th, 1945 was completely necessary. It efficiently ended the horrible World War II. Japan also needed to learn the error of their ways which started the whole Development of atomic weapons. It ended other conflicts with Japan. Dropping the bomb helped the Japans economy. Those are just some of the many reasons why it was right to bomb Japan. On August 9, 1945, President Harry Truman decided to drop and atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. A few days later, this resulted in Japan surrendering and World War II ending. So, the United States dropping the atomic bomb resulted in ending the war quickly and saving more lives. If we didn't drop those bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki an invasion would've been necessary and in result, more lives would've been lost. It was right for us to drop the bomb. The Japanese military was very powerful. Being that they rarely ever gave up. After Pearl Harbor, they had to be shown the mistake of their actions. After 2 atomic bombings, a bunch of conventional bomb droppings, and attacked by the Soviet Union, the government refused to surrender. The Japanese cabinet meet and agreed to surrender and World War II had finally ended. That shows that even through roughest t situation Japan has a really hard time giving up. The atomic bomb ended many conflicts with Japan. It also changed the technology of war making it more deadly. After we defeated Japan a democratic government was put there...
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...At peak strength, the American military included nearly twelve and a half million soldiers, while the Japanese maintained slightly over six million during World War II. By the second half of 1945, nearly six years after the start of the war, both the American and Japanese militaries had suffered tremendous losses. America had lost approximately 417,000, or 3%, of its soldiers, while Japan had lost roughly 2.12 million, or 35%, of theirs. These numbers do not even include the number of civilian deaths and the number wounded. Although America lost a significantly smaller number of people than Japan, it was still devastating for the country. It was time for President Harry S. Truman to take action and end the war as quickly as possible with the least amount of added deaths. On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and three days later another was dropped on Nagasaki. Truman was right to use atomic force to get Japan to surrender and end the war. If the option was present to sacrifice thousands of lives in order...
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...Hiroshima and Nagasaki Takesha McCaleb Mr. Spitler Was the Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary to end the war? As I did my research on this topic I found out that some found it necessary while others didn’t. During the course of this research paper I will be discussing why the atomic bomb was dropped. The effects right after the bomb was dropped for the Japanese and Americans also the after effects such as genetic effects. I will also touch on how Americans feel about the bomb more than fifty years later and what lessons were learned throughout all of this. Hiroshima was founded in 1589, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, and became a major urban centre during the Meiji period. The city is located on the broad, flat delta of the Ota River, which has 7 channel outlets dividing the city into six islands which project into Hiroshima Bay. The city is almost entirely flat and only slightly above sea level; to the northwest and northeast of the city, some hills rise to 700 feet. Hiroshima was founded by Mori Motonari as his capital. About a half century later, after the Battle of Sekigahara, his grandson and the leader of the West Army Mori Terumoto lost the battle. Finally Asano was appointed the daimyo of this area and Hiroshima served as the capital of Hiroshima Han during the Edo period. After the Han was abolished the city became the capital of Hiroshima prefecture. During the First Sino-Japanese War, Hiroshima emerged as a major supply and...
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...I am supporting the United States on dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki because they had every right to drop the bomb on them because the Japanese dropped the bomb on Pearl Harbor which made the United States get into the war in the first place. The United States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th 1945 and Nagasaki got the bomb dropped on them on August 9th 1945 which killed over 129,000 people when World War 2 was about to end in 1945. After the bombings were all done the Japanese had finally issued its surrender to the allies which was a good thing because if the Japanese would not have surrendered to the allies there probably would have been more bombings on the cities of Japan so it is a good thing that the Japanese surrendered to the...
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...Associate Program Material Appendix C World War II and the Atom Bomb Complete the charts in Parts 1 and 2 by providing the requested information. An example is provided in Part 1. Answer the questions in Part 3. Part 1: Western Front Campaign Dates Allied objective Major turning point Outcome EXAMPLE: North Africa October 1942 to May 1943 Attack Germans from the southern side; expose the vulnerability of the Nazi empire Battle at El Alamein: German forces driven out of Egypt The American offensive finally drove the Germans from Africa, allowing the Allies to move toward Italy Italy July 10 1943 Aug 17 1943 Attack Germans and Italian and open the Mediterranean sea lanes Taking Sicily from the Germans and Italians by over throwing the Mussolini Over throwing the Mussolini Normandy June 6 1944 June 8 1944 To conquer the Germans and gain a second front within Europe. Breaking through the Atlantic wall and had pushed inland. Allies gaining control of a 50 mile stretch on the coast of France, allowing the allies to move toward Paris. Liberation of Paris August 19 1944 August 25 1944 To get the Germans out and to gain control of Paris. The capture of Aachen city German garrison surrendered Part 2: The Pacific Campaign, Battle, or Major Event Dates Allied objective or role Major turning point Outcome Battle of the Coral Sea May 4 1942 May 8 1942 To stop the Japanese from...
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...“It was certainly sui generis—it was the first thing of just that kind.” J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the scientists of the Manhattan Project, described the scientific importance of the discovery of the atomic bomb. Immediately after the droppings of the atomic bombs on Japan until the present day, there were many debates on whether the Manhattan Project was justified or if nuclear weapons are even ethical. Seeing the destruction of the “Little Man” and “Fat Boy” bombs in the moment arose great fear and discontent. However, looking at the Manhattan Project in retrospect shows that the advantages gained through the years greatly outweigh the consequences of the nuclear weapons. The Manhattan Project was a pivotal endeavor in America’s history...
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...of America made history by dropping the world’s first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima (Truman, Reilly, 992). To this day this is only one of two incidents in history where an A-bomb has been used. The other was three days later by the United States on the city of Nagasaki, also located in Japan. This event was a very controversial act by the United States and shocked those around the world, but President Truman made sure to let all of the people of America know what they were doing when it came to atomic energy. It is very important to understand the effects of the A-bomb, and it is described in a recollection from Akihiro Takahashi. Therefore, informing people of the shocking incidents in...
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...William Evans HIS 202 Instructor Griffin December 4, 2013 Five Most Important Historical Events from Reconstruction to the Present History 202 at York Technical College covers historical events in America from Reconstruction to the present time. During this span of time, there were many wars and conflicts, as well as political, economic, and social changes that impacted the United States. While all events in history have some impact, not all are equally as important. I feel the five most important topics discussed in this class were the Industrial Revolution, the assembly line, the New Deal, the atomic bomb, and the Civil Rights Act. The Industrial Revolution was one of the most important events in United States history. The Industrial Revolution changed the way of life for Americans as many moved from an agrarian society in rural towns to an urban society in big cities where factories were located. Industrialization led to improvements in transportation and the railroad system which allowed factories to more efficiently transport raw materials. Additionally, the expansion of the railroad system led to the expansion of the United States bringing more remote parts of the country into the national market (“Rise”). The factory system led to increased production and created more jobs, but the working conditions were less than desirable with low wages, long hours, and unsafe conditions. These conditions led to the rise of labor unions and strikes demanding better pay and safer...
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...History of the A-Bomb In early August 1945 atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two bombs quickly yielded the surrender of Japan and the end of American involvement in World War II. By 1946 the two bombs caused the death of perhaps as many as 240,000 Japanese citizens1. The popular, or traditional, view that dominated the 1950s and 60s – put forth by President Harry Truman and Secretary of War Henry Stimson – was that the dropping of the bomb was a diplomatic maneuver aimed at intimating and gaining the upper hand in relations with Russia. Today, fifty-four years after the two bombings, with the advantage of historical hindsight and the advantage of new evidence, a third view, free of obscuring bias and passion, can be presented. First, the dropping of the bomb was born out of complex infinite military, domestic and diplomatic pressures and concerns. Second, many potentially viable alternatives to dropping the bombs were not explored by Truman and other men in power, as they probably should have been. Lastly, because these alternatives were never explored, we can only conjecture over whether or not Truman’s decision was a morally just one, and if indeed it was necessary to use atomic energy to win the war. The war in Asia had its roots in the early 1930s. Japan had expansionist aims in Eastern Asia and the Western Pacific, especially in Indochina2. In July of 1940 the United States placed an embargo on materials exported to...
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...A BOOK REVIEW OF THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WOMEN WHO HELPED WIN WORLD WAR II BY DENISE KIERNAN Stacey Warden Mr. Day’s History 202 Northeast Alabama Community College July 21, 2015 Kiernan, Denise. The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story Of The Women Who Helped Win World War II. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2013. Secrets. There have always been secrets when it comes to the military and government. In her book, The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story Of The Women Who Helped Win World War II, Denis Kiernan tells the story of one of the biggest, most important secret of American history. The Atomic Bomb. And how it was brought to life in a secret city by the young men and mostly women that came to a town created from scratch in 1942, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Denise Kiernan started out as a journalist. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Ms. Magazine, Discover, and many other national publications. Her previous history titles include Signing Their Lives Away and Signing Their Rights Away. (Kiernan, 373). In writing this book Denise Kiernan did significant research for a total of 9 years. According to Kiernan, “a number of texts, original documents, and audio and video resources were consulted during the researching and writing of this book.” (Kiernan, 317). Kiernan interviewed the women of Atomic City from 2009 to 2012, making several trips to Oak Ridge, Tn. Denise Kiernan writes...
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...famous scientist Albert Einstein. I am pretty sure many of you, if not all, has heard of this formula at one point of your lives. Because I have a passion for both science and physics, I have been studying Einstein’s theories and his life for the last couple of years. Today, I am going to talk about early years of Einstein’s life and some of his discoveries which changed the way we look at the world. Body: 1) Einstein was born in Germany and his passion for science started at a young age. A. Einstein was born in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg in the German Empire on March 14th 1879. B. In Einstein’s early ages, his father showed him a pocket compass; Einstein realized that there must be something causing the needle to move. This event sparked the passion inside Einstein for science and later on he began to build mechanical devices for fun. C. Unlike a general thought, he never struggled to pass the exams or talk. It was just his family who thought he had a learning disability. D. Even though being remarkably good at physics and mathematics, he was not as successful in other subjects such as foreign language and social sciences. This is due to fact that he always had a passion to follow what he liked, not for what school wanted to teach him. He kept criticizing the disciplinary system of the schools and said that school were destroying the passion inside students. According to book “Einstein: His Life and Times” by Phillip Frank, he said “Education is...
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