Lily Q. 3.11.12
The dropping of the atomic bomb over two major Japanese cities was and is a highly controversial topic. Some didn’t approve because it would mean the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. Others fully supported it because they felt it was a necessary factor in getting Japan to surrender. This essay will strive to find and uncover both these areas.
The author provides many good reasons why the atomic bombs were justified. He starts by defending Roosevelt’s bloodthirstiness. Many years ago, Roosevelt objected to the killing of civilians, believing it to be immoral and inhuman. But after the attack at Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt “succumbed to the passions of war”. This change of heart was “inevitable” because people started to consider the civilian as a part of the war effort, thus making them a legitimate and rightful target. The reasons behind Roosevelt’s decision are correct and make sense. While not specifically concerning the atomic bombs, this chunk justifies Roosevelt’s opinions on bombing the common people. Also, the author mentions that the high estimates for casualties were “challenged as far too pessimistic, but not by anyone who had been in combat against the Japanese”. The ruthlessness of the Japanese had already been brought up before so this statement is correct and justifies for the proposed high number of casualties. The honor code is also brought up, with the author saying that “surrender was not a problem of calculations of men and resources but of honor and dishonor. The Japanese’s severe loyalty to their emperor prevented them from surrendering early on.
Was It Necessary to Drop the Atomic Bomb to End World War II? Research Essay
On the eve of World War II, scientists in Germany succeeded in splitting the nucleus of a uranium atom, releasing a huge amount of energy. Albert Einstein wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt and warned him that Nazi Germany might be working to develop atomic weapons. FDR responded by giving his approval for an American program, later code-named the Manhattan Project, to develop the ultimate ...
In order to get them to surrender, the Americans would’ve needed a way that would annihilate hundreds of them, giving the emperor no option but to surrender. The atomic bomb was that way. If the bomb wasn’t used, the war would’ve dragged on for much longer, resulting in many more deaths on both sides. The bomb was used to save the eventual deaths of more people. Another reason for using the bomb also would result in sparing civilians. General Henry Arnold had a plan for Japan that was “a conventional bombing campaign…the likes of which the world had never seen”. Another Arnold, General Hap Arnold, started a thousand-bomber raid on Japan and would’ve continued if it weren’t for Truman’s announcement. If the bomb hadn’t been used, more people could’ve been killed by the continuation of the air raids. The “thousand-bomber raids were more deadly” and the great contribution of the atomic bomb was “to give the people who were running Japan, the military, an excuse to quit”.
Even though many of the points the author brings up are valid reasons why the atomic bomb should be used, there are also points that attempt to but don’t fully support the decision. One of these points revolves around a planning paper that Colonel Goodpastor wrote and later forgot about. When a Japanese television crew came across this, questioned Goodpastor, and heard an explanation, it is said that one crew member thanked him, along with the rest of the American people, for using the atomic bomb rather than the proposed plan. This is supposed to justify the use of the atomic bomb and while it looks like it does, it does not represent the entirety of the Japanese people. This man might be able to accurately speak for the rest of the television crew but his opinions certainly cannot embody the opinion of the rest of Japan. A second mistake can be found in the last couple of paragraphs, where the author says that the results of the war were so bloody that Americans agreed the Japanese were punished enough. It was this agreement that led Americans to quickly start helping the Japanese and bring the two sides together. This is another faulty assumption. If the war was never fought in the first place, people from both sides wouldn’t have died and relations still wouldn’t be so tense. In addition, even if the war was raged, it’s not necessary for so many people to die in order to make good relations. So the Americans thought that Germany wasn’t punished enough and didn’t start helping out until later. The point is that eventually, relations were fixed. Was it truly needed to suffer so much bloodshed in order for relations to be good right away? It doesn’t seem like a good exchange and as a result, shouldn’t have been included as a valid reason for the atomic bomb.
The Essay on Japanese American internment of 1942
The Japanese American internment which took place during the second world war referred to the relocation and confinement of over 100,000 people who were Japanese Americans or nationals of Japan. These people were taken to housing facilities which were commonly known as the war relocation camps. This internment was carried out selectively in the United States with most of those who were interned ...
So is usage of the atomic bomb truly justified? Most of the reasons given in the reading are legitimate and do end up proving the author’s thesis. However, some of his points seem to be invalid and the documentary about the atomic bomb shows the horrifying aftereffects of the bomb and how it devastated a large portion of the Japanese people. Those suggest that the atomic bomb wasn’t as problem-solving as it seems to be. In conclusion, there isn’t really a correct answer to the question. Look at the facts, read the arguments, make your conclusions and judge for yourself whether or not the dropping of the atomic bombs was justified.