...The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: History's Great Miscalculation On August 6, 1945, a new step in technological warfare was taken when the first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The impact of the bomb alone killed at least 66,000 people.1 This was an event that would not soon be forgotten in history. The Americans, who knew the devastating effects of their new weapon, still chose to use it rather than an alternative means to peace. Many people still argue whether or not it was necessary when Japanese surrender was considered to be a matter of time. Historians also dispute whether the campaign was a morally justified objective. This phrase alone brings up many interesting questions. Can killing thousands of innocent people ever be considered "justified"? Considering these circumstances, the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not militarily or morally justified. In 1939 Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States received a verysignificant letter from the famous physicist, Albert Einstein.2 Contained in this letter were details concerning the importance of nuclear research with regards to gaining the upper hand in the war. Roosevelt agreed and approved $6,000 in initial funding. Many scientists began realizing the importance of nuclear fission and in 1940 The National Defense Research Committee was formed. This group's purpose was to oversee research and provide more funding. Many of the world's best physicists...
Words: 2278 - Pages: 10
...The article Understanding the Decision to Drop the Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by Nathan Donohue concerns the intent to emphasize the complexity of the issue with regards to the decision made by American president Truman to throw an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities in order to end the World War II. Generally speaking, the paper discusses alternatives that existed at that time and makes an attempt to identify which outcomes this could have had. The atomic bomb is a weapon of destructive action, and the American government knew that. However, there still were reasons for the US to use this means. The bomb was thrown due the fact that “the top priority for President Truman was to end the war as quickly as possible with the fewest U.S. casualties”...
Words: 297 - Pages: 2
...The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941. An air attack led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, which consisted of 183 fighters and bombers, attacked Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. During the bombing many ships were destroyed, and many soldiers died. This event would bring the United States into World War II. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor because it was considered the height of America’s Naval supremacy. Another reason is that the Japanese knew the United States would primilary be using the navy to attack them. Since the Japanese were trying to take over China, they knew it would be a bit easier for them to do it because it would be harder for us to get to Japan and stop them if they destroyed the American Navy in Pearl Harbor. Despite how far Japan was from Pearl Harbor, it was still closer then the rest of the United States. The Japanese fleet had to sail over 4,000 miles to launch airplanes to attack Hawaii. The Japanese were able to attack Pearl Harbor because America's intelligence community failed to notice them. Some reasons why it was hard for the American intelligence community to notice the Japanese on their long naval journey, was the Japanese would only travel at night and would not use any radio communication. Any form of radio interception was impossible (Truman). The Manhattan Project started when Albert Einstein left Germany to come to the United States to escape Nazi prosecution. A month after Einstein had left Germany he...
Words: 2036 - Pages: 9
...On the 6th and 9th of August 1945, The United States of America dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both located in Japan. A conflict between The United States of America and Japan had been going on for years during the second World War. The President at the time, Harry S. Truman of America knew that an invasion over japan would lead to a High a amount of American Casualties and decided to use atomic bombs instead to bring the war to an end. During this time, many would have agreed to the use of the atomic bomb but today, not so much. I think the dropping of atomic bombs over Japan by America wasn’t necessary. America were desperate and wanted to end the war quickly but Nuclear warfare was not the only way they...
Words: 353 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 590 - Pages: 3
...from Okinawa, Japan and started its flight towards Hiroshima. The bombers mission was to drop an atomic bomb that had been developed by the United States. The name of the bomb that was dropped that day was called the “Little Boy”. When the bomb exploded, nearly seventy thousand people were killed and another estimated seventy thousand were injured. The bomb destroyed everything in the immediate vicinity and fires ravaged across another four miles of the outer area of the city. Three days later another bomber took off with another atomic bomb, its destination was Nagasaki. The bombing of Nagasaki was just as devastating as Hiroshima, thirty thousand people were killed and the city was destroyed. On August 10, 1945 Japan surrendered and the war came to an end. The Bombing of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary because of two reasons, the United States wanted to show its power to the Soviet Union and also prove that they had nuclear weapons and were willing to use them if deemed necessary to protect the United States. It was...
Words: 603 - Pages: 3
...On August 6, 1945, the U.S. President Harry S. Truman ordered the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and three days later ordered the same for Nagasaki, upon which Japan surrendered, ending World War II. Those very actions have been widely debated by many people since the order has been fulfilled. War is crazy, war is devastating, war is war and that which happens in war is always thought to be the best or right course to take by one leader or another, but the question people ask, from time to time, is: should the U.S. have dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? The hardest part of debating this topic is looking at the whole of the matter impersonally. No one goes into a war asking just how many lives will be lost and still be acceptable, because the ultimate answer to that is none. However, that isn’t a realistic idea, so the only reasonable thing to do then is to find a way to minimize the death toll for one’s side. Dropping the bombs seemed like a viable option that was selected at that time because of a study done for the Secretary of War Henry Stimson's staff by William Shockley that estimated that conquering the main land of Japan would cost from 1.7 to 4 million American casualties, including 400,000 to 800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million Japanese fatalities, both civilian and military; the key - and correct - assumption was that Japanese civilians were prepared to fight to the death rather than let their country be taken by the US (Operation...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...Father Kleinsorge During times of crisis survivors come together to help others in need, but sometimes there is no possible way to help. People either help or leave others depending on how they are affected emotionally, physically, economically, and socially. After the bombing in Hiroshima, Father Kleinsorge felt a heavy weight of guilt for leaving so many behind to die. In the film, many of the survivors were horribly disfigured and emotionally scarred after the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Survivors of the bombing were affected for the rest of their lives. The bombing of Hiroshima caused Father Kleinsorge to become emotionally and physically damaged. An example of an emotional effect is the guilt Kleinsorge felt from having less...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...was evident in the Battle of Okinawa: By the time it ended in June, Allied forces lost more than 14,000 soldiers and Japan's military suffered more than 77,000 deaths — plus the loss of an estimated 100,000 Japanese civilians. Against this backdrop, Allied forces drew up plans for Operation Downfall, a large-scale invasion of Japan. But with Allied casualties from an invasion estimated to reach 1 million deaths — plus another 10 million Japanese casualties, including civilians — Allied planners searched for another way to end the war, which they found in the Manhattan Project. Advertisement This is a mockup of "Little Boy," the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. This is a mockup of "Little Boy," the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. Credit: U.S. National Archives The Manhattan Project Concerned over reports that Nazi Germany was developing a new type of weapon using radioactive uranium, in 1939 U.S. government officials began to investigate the potential of uranium — particularly the uranium-235 isotope — for making a powerful bomb. Within a matter of months, a coalition of American, British and European scientists — many of whom were refugees from Germany, Italy and other fascist nations — began collaborating on a vast international project to develop a uranium-based bomb before any Axis powers beat them to it. Because one early component of the project was based...
Words: 1491 - Pages: 6
...Ethical Dilemma In this essay I will discuss the ethical formalism is a theory which defines moral judgments in the most logical form. Ethical formalism does not focus around human well being, or feelings. No personal interest is involved when dealing with ethical formalism. In the movie, Sophie’s Choice, a mother is forced to choose one of her children to go into the gas chamber. This is an awful situation to be in, however, if she does not choose, then both of her children would end up being killed. This result is unimaginable. Ethical formalism and a utilitarianism approach would solve the issue two different ways. Ethical formalism would suggest that the mother does not choose between her children. It is not right to make a mother choose between her children. Ethical formalism would say the right thing to do is save both children. The mother could have lied and said the children were old enough to work, and therefore, they could have a more promising chance at being saved, rather than facing the gas chambers. On the other hand, utilitarianism focuses around the greatest good results with happiness for the greatest number of people. For example, this approach would lead the mother to choose between her children, and put one of them through the gas chamber. This approach would save one life, rather than destroying two. The mother would still have one of her children, and the other would take its chances. The benefit to this approach would be that one of her children is...
Words: 756 - Pages: 4
...Atomic Bomb on Japan! Which event or decision in World War 2 do you think had a major effect on what happened in the war or on how the war ended? How did this event or decision make a difference in the the larger picture?The event that had a major effect on World War 2 was when The United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. On August 6 1945 Hiroshima was destroyed by an American B-29 called the Enolia Gay droppped the first nuclear bomb,which was not tested at all from the United States called "Little Boy" that killed over 85,000 people and almost leveling the entire city. it destroyed more than 3 miles of the city. The impact of the first bomb was so strong that it left imprint...
Words: 405 - Pages: 2
...When people hear the words “atomic bomb”, the first thing that most likely comes to mind is the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. This was a crucial part of World War Two, as this was the breaking point for Japan. There is much discussion about if Japan should have surrendered right after the bombings, or if discussing it and surrendering a few weeks later as they did was the best plan. As there is much discussion about this aspect of the bombings, there is also much discussion about if the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary for Japan to surrender. There is evidence to prove that the Japanese government believed that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary for Japan’s quick surrender, however, Japanese citizens and the United States believed it was unnecessary. Once the war had finally come to an...
Words: 1497 - Pages: 6
...of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened four years after the watershed moment or when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The A-bomb or atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945. World War II was the tragic of all wars, it had the most death and higher amounts of ammunition and weapons used. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a surprise attack on Japan, was a devastating moment in history, it even ended the second world war, it caused both short term and long terms effects. The atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the second world war. The second world war started as soon as...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...Hiroshima: The Bombing that Blasted Away the Truth For the United States, World War II was a very costly war that seemed as if it would not end. For the United States to end their assault on Japan during World War II, a nuclear bomb was dropped in Japan to force them to surrender. On August 6th, 1945, the U.S. military dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima killing over 150,000 people and (along with the later bombing of Nagasaki) effectively caused the Japanese to surrender. This tactic is highly polarized in the international community; on one side, it is considered to be justified and the only action for the United States to take, and on the other side, it is considered to be a barbaric act of terrorism perpetrated by the U.S. military. In the essay, Hiroshima by John Berger, the author correctly argues that the bombings were terroristic acts that are fundamentally evil; however, he is incorrect that they are unjustifiable. To diagnose whether the bombings were acts of terrorism, one must be able to understand the definition and criteria of one such act. A commonly accepted definition of terrorism is an act that includes the premeditated use of violence by an organized group against non-combatants to achieve political ends. Berger’s argument includes all the criteria in that definition so the bombing must be terrorist acts. Berger begins his argument by describing all the violence caused by the bombs. Throughout the essay, he quotes passages from Unforgettable...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...During ww11 the Japan bomb pearl harbor in a sneak attack and in retaliation the US ended the war by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki was to get revenge on japan for causing so many casualties. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were partially justified because Japan would not have surrendered without the use of nuclear weapons, however, the goal was to prevent casualties, but it actually caused more casualties, and little was known about the effects of radiation. Citizen1 believes that the bombing was justified to shorten the war and save lives.because there was so much war and many lives were taken. yes he was right that it shorten the war, but in the end it killed more people. There was 135,000 people died in japan it was a war crime because most of the people who die was civilians.the source was trying to get there was 418,000 lives were lost but most of them were in the military and the only civilian lives were lost when japan attacked pearl harbor.so the bomb was not justified because they cause more casualties so in the end the bombing of hiroshima and nagasaki....
Words: 534 - Pages: 3
