...Truman’s Decision - Was the bombing of Hiroshima justified or not? It was on the afternoon of 6th August 1945 that an event was believed to change and save the world forever. Harry Truman had made a life changing decision to drop an atomic bomb named “Little Boy” in Japan’s Hiroshima. The result of this weapon ended up in destroying more than 4 square miles of the city. The company who made the bomb was called Enola Gay. The motive behind the doing of this was to threaten Japan and make them surrender in World War 2. It is a fact that this was the first time in history that a nuclear weapon was used. This event is still one of the most important topics in history. It has been debated by an abundance of historians: Was it justified despite 129,000 innocent citizens died? There isn’t a definite answer to this but there were both sides to the story. Bombing was justified It is widely believed that the bombing was brutal and cruel. However, it was the reason that ended World War 2, and if America did not drop the bomb, the losses of soldiers would be even at a larger number than the amount of people who died in the drop of the bomb. It has also been said to save a lot of American’s lives and soldiers. This statement is backed up by the quotation “Fighting would be fierce and the losses heavy.” that was said by Harry S. Truman in 1955. This quote can tell us that during that time he believed that if the war was still going on, it was very likely that the upcoming invasions...
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...Dropping the atomic bomb over Japan lead to wiping out 146,000 innocent lives of the Japanese. Before the incident occurred a majority of groups already knew how much devastation it was going to cause. In 1938, the League of Nations Assembly predicted that the bombing would be an act of “needless suffering” and would cause many unnecessary casualties. They were completely right. Thousands of Japanese lives were sacrificed simply for the power politics between the U.S and the Soviet Union. Yet, the United States was determined to drop the atomic bomb believing it would give a definite and swift end to the war. Hiroshima, a well-known city in Japan, was the primary target of the first U.S. nuclear attack mission. Hiroshima was a place of considerable...
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...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....
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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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...America dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. For years, there have been feuds relating to the justification of the bombing. Was the U.S justified? The United States was justified due to the unprovoked attack and bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which occurred three years prior to the bombing of Hiroshima, it was necessary to stop the war because it saved thousands of American lives. Until then, the fight had never been on United States soil. Innocent men, women and children did not have to worry about being killed on their land until the infamous day: December 7, 1941, the attack of Pearl Harbor. On that day, the Japanese took to the skies with 423 planes, arriving in Pearl Harbor, killing a total of 2,403 and wounding 1178. Hitting 18 U.S ships, it crippled the U.S naval fleet in one day. Little known to the people, the bombing also destroyed 180 fighter jets used in the U.S Air Force. This was an unjustified, barbaric act and dropping the bomb on Hiroshima was justified. The United States was justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima due to the unwarned attack on civilians and docked naval ships at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. For example, the bomb displayed the power the U.S wielded when they dropped it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It showed other countries that the United States had weapons, and would use them. This especially threatened the Soviet Union, our current ally, and emerging enemy. The day after the Pearl Harbor bombing, the United States declared war...
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...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...
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...Justifiable Terrorism in Total Wars Molly Thomson 201311503 Political Science 1000-03 March 18th, 2014 The word ‘terrorism’ instantly makes people shudder; the negative connotations and controversies surrounding terrorism in modern society are enough to spark a discussion of whether it is justifiable or not. In order to determine whether or not terrorism can be justified, a clear definition must be decided upon. Decades before the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, the definition of the word terrorism was hard to define. Political figures around the globe argued and disagreed on what they thought should have determined the act of terrorism. Now, there are multiple different definitions originating from distinct cultures and societies, suggesting that terrorism is in the eye of the victim. One definition of terrorism is “any violent or criminal act planned for a political or ideological purpose”; while another claims that terrorism is understood to be a direct attack on innocents. Since both of these definitions have important components to them, it can be assumed that both traits are essential to defining terrorism. For the purpose of this paper, the definition of terrorism will be understood as ‘a violent attack on innocents for the purpose of political change’. It can be hard for most people to understand the act of injuring and/or killing hundreds, or maybe even tens of thousands of people, as justifiable. However, if the innocents are...
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...The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was destined to make history. Killing over 200,000 people, the bombs dropped in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed anything and everything around it. The destruction came, but the war was finally over. But was it worth it? Did Truman make the right decision in dropping these bombs on Japan? Truman was justified in dropping the bomb because it was strategically, morally, and politically correct. The bombing was definitely strategically correct. In the battle of Hiroshima, 100,000 lives were quickly lost within minutes. After Nagasaki, the total death count was over 200,000. This led the Japanese to surrender, and the war was over. The Japanese believe that surrendering is not an option; when you...
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...World War II, The United States and Japan were in constant battle with each other due to the Attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. The United States during the time was developing a nuclear weapon, and since the U.S just wanted to stop the war, the U.S bombed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in hopes of Japanese surrender. The U.S had finally succeeded in winning the war and in accomplishing Japanese surrender. Following the use of atomic bombs, many argue whether the use of atomic bombs was justified. Although the atomic bombings during World War II caused geographical devastation and suffering, the use of atomic bombs brought a quick and easy end to World War II and helped in future developments of nuclear weapons. The atomic bombings on Japan during World War I caused great geographical devastation and suffering. Many people after the bombings found their homes collapsed, schools broken, and families torn...
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...Justified or Not? When Harry Truman learned of the success of the Manhattan Project, he knew he would be faced with a tough controversial decision. The ability to end the war with Japan was in his hands, but it would involve unleashing the worst weapon ever known to man. American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, and the Japanese military was refusing to give up their fight. The atomic bomb was key to ending the war, without too many Allied and Japanese casualties. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and were intensely firebombing Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million strong stationed in the home islands guarding against invasion. For Truman, the choice whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life. First, an Allied demand for an unconditional surrender was made to the leadership in Japan. The Japanese military command rejected the request for unconditional surrender. So on August 6, 1945, a plane named the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. 70,000 Japanese citizens were vaporized. In the time that followed, an additional 100,000 died from burns and radiation sickness. On August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where 80,000 Japanese people died. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered. Critics have charged that Truman's decision was “a barbaric act that brought negative long-term consequences to the United States”. Some military analysts insist that...
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...detonation. Approaching towards the end of World War 2, the United States of America dropped two bombs named “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” on two Japanese cities named “Hiroshima” and “Nagasaki”. The bombs were dropped at the command of Harry Truman the president of the United States at the time. The purpose for the United States to drop this bomb was to force Japan into an unconditional surrender. “Little Boy” was dropped...
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...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...
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...Even though it killed millions of people, the U.S. did the correct thing by dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, if the bombs hadn’t been dropped the war would’ve lasted longer and an Invasion of Japan would’ve caused more casualties on both sides that could’ve overreached the total at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I believe the dropping the bombs was the right thing to do. One of the main reasons dropping the bomb was necessary was it ended the war faster. It was obvious Japan wasn’t going to surrender and the U.S. wanted the war over with. It was only after the second bomb was dropped that Japan ultimately agreed to surrender. An Invasion was scheduled for November 1st if the bombing had been cancelled or if they hadn’t succeeded...
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...took off 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...
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...catastrophic threat, imminent danger, no other alternative and against a greater evil to a community. These are the 4 conditions of supreme emergency that can be used to justify the Hiroshima bombings if it was an act of supreme emergency or just an act of terrorism. A State is the organization which has the monopoly of the use of violence. There are two major forms of this. One is against other states, which we call war. The other is the organized violence against its citizens practiced by almost all States. There is the symbolic kind, the fascist architecture, thought control through propaganda, giant parades and nationalist music. There is also the development of penal and legal institutions which often divides up the population into the free and the imprisoned (Macfarlane 2007). The Hiroshima bombings would come under violence as war, where the U.S. bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan with the acute effects killing 90,000–166,000 people (Rezelman 2000) the reason for the bombings was to end the war the only way they knew could work and after the bombings which was not only Hiroshima the Japanese did surrender where today people would agree that if the bombings didn’t take place many more innocent causalities would have been the outcome. Killing thousands to save millions was a justifiable reason for state violence on Japan, do you...
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