Why Was America Justified In Dropping The Atomic Bomb On Hiroshima And Nagasaki?

The atomic bomb was a major weapon used by the United states nearing the end of WWII. It made a major dent on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It helped the Americans avoid many casualties and avoid post war conflicts. The argument though is whether or not the decision was right. America was justified in its use of the atomic bomb because it showed other countries that they could not be messed with, and they avoided lots of war conflict.

One reason that the Americans were justified in using the atomic bomb is because it showed other countries that they could not be intimidated and were not willing to back down. Truman has talked about many reasons why the atomic bomb was the best option and ultimately the right choice. For one, he said that this put us ahead of the Japanese and showed other countries not to mess with us. This set an example for the rest of the world that there would be lasting consequences for those who attack us.  On August 6th 1945 Truman stated “Let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan’s power to make war.” This statement implies that the U.S has more power over the Japanese now as a result of their use of atomic power. Additionally, this also provided a huge morale boost and uplifted Americans moods during this time of war. The use of the atomic bomb put the U.S in a less vulnerable position after the war ended which placed them in a good position to avoid future conflict. Truman wasn’t the only political figure who was in favor of the use of the atomic bomb as many others thought the bomb would deter aggression from other world leaders. During WWII, a politician named Jame F. Brynes also thought that it would be a good idea for America to drop the atomic bomb while anticipating Russia's war behavior. He thought that it would be a good strategy and he said “Russian troops had moved into Hungary and Romania, and Byrnes thought it would be very difficult to persuade Russia to withdraw her troops from these countries, that Russia might be more manageable if impressed by American military might/strength, and that a demonstration of the bomb might impress Russia.” Evidently, Byrnes was trying to find a way to be strategic and further help the U.S against Russia. He felt that the United States needed to prove to Russia that it was powerful, and that the atomic bomb would impress them.

Another reason and perhaps more important reason the US was justified in its use of the atom bomb was that it helped America avoid mass casualties and additional war. Harry S. Truman responded to an article about the” What if’s” of the atomic bomb which states “General MacArthur's staff anticipated about 50,000 American casualties and several times that number of Japanese casualties in the November 1 operation to establish the initial beachheads on Kyushu.” Truman is suggesting that the atomic bomb helped to avoid casualties. In this estimate it was predicted that the U.S would suffer a lot more than Japan, so dropping the atomic bomb seemed like the only feasible option. As a result of this, it would be safer, and as a whole, the conflict between the U.S and Japan would be a lower headcount in terms of the amount of deaths. 

Some say that America wasn’t justified in its use of the atomic bomb, because it was unnecessary to do so. The commander of Army Air wing pacific said” The effect upon Japan’s war production and civilian populations has been dramatic.  It is estimated that nearly 400,000 non-combatants (civilians) have already been killed or wounded thus far.(source e) This quote is used to argue by saying that enough damage had already been done. In short, the evidence supports the other view point by showing how this would be a morally wrong act, and that there was no point in continuing combat or using explosive weapons against the Japanese. I see where these people are coming from, but I believe that it was necessary, and a major factor in Japan's surrender. In an article about what would've happened in the atomic bomb the information was put down that….

”If the invasion plans had proceeded as scheduled, October, 1945, would have seen Okinawa covered with airplanes and its harbors crowded with landing craft poised for the attack. The typhoon which struck Okinawa in that month would have wrecked the invasion plans with a military disaster comparable to Pearl Harbor.”(the atlantic) This disproves the other viewpoint by saying that not dropping the atomic bomb would have gone against us and put us in a worse position. We could've had another horrible disaster just like pearl harbor which would not have been good for us as a whole. So although it didn’t seem like there was a point to dropping the bomb, we would've been much worse off, so it was really the smart and just decision.

In summary, America was justified in their use of the atomic bomb because it showed that they could not be pushed around and it would save many lives avoiding more war. This topic matters because it is a controversial argument that has been going on for a long time. People wonder, was this mass destruction really worth the trouble? Was it necessary? What the alternate outcome could've been?. Many questions have been circulated and formed around this argument and American citizens remain divided on it. This does not only affect America though, people in Japan and many areas of Europe also question this decision and form their viewpoints around it.