Dropping the Atomic Bombs: The Complicated End of World War 2
After Germany surrendered Japan kept on fighting. They refused to surrender but the United States had been developing a secret weapon for many years -- the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was able to completely destroy entire cities. We would eventually, on August 6, 1945, drop the first nuclear weapon in history on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later we would drop a second on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. The attacks killed approximately 250,000 people. Japan would surrender a few days later on August 15th, 1945. The war was over.
There are people who agree with our decision and people who disagree. There are many reasons for and against dropping the bombs. To find out why we did it we have to look at the situation during World War 2.
The war in the Pacific theater of World War 2 was messy. Allied soldiers had to "island hop" toward Japan. On each island we faced Japanese troops who fought to the death. Casualties were extremely high and the fighting was very difficult. We decided that if we had to invade the island of Japan itself it could cost over one million Allied soldiers' lives plus countless more Japanese soldiers and civilians. Dropping the bomb would put an end to the war immediately.
Another reason people say we dropped the bombs is to intimidate our ally the Soviet Union by testing out our nuclear weapons. Even though we were working together to defeat the Axis Powers the Soviet Union and United States did not trust one another. We wanted to show off our power to the Soviet Union so they would not try to do anything aggressive after the war was over.
Some people say we simply did it as revenge for Pearl Harbor and the Bataan death march. The American people were very bitter over having been surprise attacked a few years earlier. We had read news reports of our soldiers who surrendered to the Japanese being treated very poorly. We heard news reports about how difficult the fighting was in the Pacific. The American people wanted to punish Japan.
All in all the United States dropped the bomb because they wanted to end the war early, save American and Japanese lives, intimidate the Soviet Union, and punish Japan for its atrocities. Despite these reasons some people feel that the decision to drop the bombs was wrong.
Some people say that the United States was racist against the Japanese. They claim that the United States would have never dropped nuclear weapons on Germany. Many people point to the numerous offensives images and portrayals of Japanese people in wartime propaganda.
Others say that there were alternatives: Couldn't we have just continued our usual bombing raids against Japan? Couldn't we have showed them we had nuclear weapons and given them a deadline? Why did we have to drop two nuclear weapons? Couldn't we have just dropped one?
Most people agree that the bombs were terrible and inhumane. Even if people did not die right away they could suffer horrible burns and die years later. Whether or not you agree with the use of the atomic bombs during World War 2 they were a tragic reminder of mankind's terrifying ability to use technology to wreak devastation. Sometimes our technological ability advances faster than our mindfulness of how to use it.
There are people who agree with our decision and people who disagree. There are many reasons for and against dropping the bombs. To find out why we did it we have to look at the situation during World War 2.
The war in the Pacific theater of World War 2 was messy. Allied soldiers had to "island hop" toward Japan. On each island we faced Japanese troops who fought to the death. Casualties were extremely high and the fighting was very difficult. We decided that if we had to invade the island of Japan itself it could cost over one million Allied soldiers' lives plus countless more Japanese soldiers and civilians. Dropping the bomb would put an end to the war immediately.
Another reason people say we dropped the bombs is to intimidate our ally the Soviet Union by testing out our nuclear weapons. Even though we were working together to defeat the Axis Powers the Soviet Union and United States did not trust one another. We wanted to show off our power to the Soviet Union so they would not try to do anything aggressive after the war was over.
Some people say we simply did it as revenge for Pearl Harbor and the Bataan death march. The American people were very bitter over having been surprise attacked a few years earlier. We had read news reports of our soldiers who surrendered to the Japanese being treated very poorly. We heard news reports about how difficult the fighting was in the Pacific. The American people wanted to punish Japan.
All in all the United States dropped the bomb because they wanted to end the war early, save American and Japanese lives, intimidate the Soviet Union, and punish Japan for its atrocities. Despite these reasons some people feel that the decision to drop the bombs was wrong.
Some people say that the United States was racist against the Japanese. They claim that the United States would have never dropped nuclear weapons on Germany. Many people point to the numerous offensives images and portrayals of Japanese people in wartime propaganda.
Others say that there were alternatives: Couldn't we have just continued our usual bombing raids against Japan? Couldn't we have showed them we had nuclear weapons and given them a deadline? Why did we have to drop two nuclear weapons? Couldn't we have just dropped one?
Most people agree that the bombs were terrible and inhumane. Even if people did not die right away they could suffer horrible burns and die years later. Whether or not you agree with the use of the atomic bombs during World War 2 they were a tragic reminder of mankind's terrifying ability to use technology to wreak devastation. Sometimes our technological ability advances faster than our mindfulness of how to use it.