|
|
|
August 6th, 1945, 70,0000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United
States had dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Today many argue
whether or not the U.S. should have taken such a drastic measure. Was it
entirely necessary that we drop such a devastating weapon? To answer that first
we must look at was going on in the world at the time of the conflict. The U.S.
had been fighting a massive war since 1941. Moral was most likely low, and
resources were at the same level as moral. Still both sides continued to fight
and both were determined to win. Obviously the best thing that could have
possibly happened would have been to bring the war to a quick end with a
minimum of allied casualties. Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb
was entirely warranted and was in the best interest of Americans and the world.
Three factors should be considered to fully realize this. First, what would
have happened should we have not dropped the bomb? Would WWII have ended
shortly afterwards without nuclear arms-not likely. Secondly we must consider
the Japanese people’s extreme dedication to their country and emperor, willing
to give up their own lives without thinking to stop the enemy. Lastly the
morality of nuclear bombing must be explored. While many may argue against the
use of such a seemingly cruel form of attack was unnecessary, it is obvious
that the atomic bomb was the only means to an end of WWII.
What would have happened had the A-bomb not been used? The most obvious answer
is that he war would have continued. U.S. forces therefore would have had to
invade the home island of Japan. It is hard to imagine the number of additional
casualties we would have incurred had a Japanese land war been necessary. Also,
our forces would not only have to fend off the Japanese military, but they
would also be defending themselves against the civilian peoples of Japan as
well. Like the Vietnamese that would come years later, the Japanese government
was equipping citizens with any kind of weapon available from guns and knives
to spears. Also public support was strongly behind Truman and the allied
forces. In the following quote taken from a radio address of the time Harry S.
Truman explains what has happened and his motives behind the decision –
“The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. We
have won the race of discovery against the Germans. We have used it in order to
shorten the agony of war in order to save the lives of thousands and thousands
of young Americans. We shall continue to use it until we completely destroy
Japan’s power to make war.”
This quote embodies the spirit of the American people of the time. The public
was eager for a quick end to the war and American casualties. Also Truman
threatens to utilize the A-bomb’s power again until we are victorious. In
hindsight it is clear the correct decision was made.
How can anyone be certain that Japan would have continued to fight? It is
possible that they were preparing for surrender, no one can say for certain
exactly what would have happened but by examining evidence of Japanese culture
and warfare it is obvious that would not have been the case. At the time of
WWII systematic and organized education made efficient
\"brainwashing\" possible. In public schools, students were taught to
die for the emperor. By late 1944, a slogan of Jusshi Reisho meaning,
\"Sacrifice life,\" was taught. In addition to civilian’s dedication
to their country, there was a group of military pilots called the Kamikaze.
Kamikaze were “suicide” pilots. They would load up an airplane and try to nose
dive it into an enemy target. Think about what must be on that pilot’s mind.
Imagine the undying love for his country. He would fight to the bitter end for
his emperor. The most frightening part of this is that the entire Japanese
military thought this way. The fact that the enemy is willing to die so long as
you die with him is not something a soldier wants to think about before going
into battle. A quote from Japanese emperor Hirohito embodies the spirit of the
Japanese people- “We have resolved to endure the unendurable and suffer the
insufferable.” The emperor’s sentiments held true for all of his people who
gave their lives for him. A Japanese army slogan of the time was “To die for
the emperor is to live forever.” It was not considered a sacrifice to die for
your country; it was considered an honor and your duty.
A longer war meant more death. That is the simple fact behind our decision to
drop the bomb. Also it appeared that a longer war is exactly what Japan had in
mind. Most opponents of the bomb say that it was immoral to drop the bomb on
such targets as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it cannot be denied that the major
manufacturing of war products was being conducted there. Also leaflets and
warnings had been issued to the peoples of those cities warning them of attack.
Some say that the U.S. should have warned what kind of attack was coming, but
this seems ridiculous. It shouldn’t matter what kind of warning is given, a
threat under such conditions should be taken seriously, and civilians should
have been evacuated.
The moral issue of dropping the bomb is very controversial. Especially since
radiation is a major side effect of the weapon itself. On the other hand
though, fire bombings of other Japanese cities had left other civilians equally
scarred. If one wanted to argue the issue of radiation as a side effect of
atomic bombing, they would have to find a way to argue the side effects of
bombing altogether. Is it immoral to use a bomb? No; these are the kinds of
things that happen in war, however unfortunate they may be. In this quote Harry
Truman again defends and simplistically explains his decision to bomb Hiroshima
and Nagasaki- “The atom bomb was no ‘great decision’..It was merely another
powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness.” Truman and the American public
rightly stood behind the use of the atom bomb.
By examining the climate of the world at the time of war, and given all other
alternatives, the United States had no choice but to drop the bomb. If we had
not, many thousands more American lives would have been lost, most likely on
the shores of Japan during the inevitable land invasion. Once on Japanese soil
our boys would have had to face off with arguably the most dedicated and
fiercest warriors the world has known, willing to sacrifice their lives and
those of their families for their emperor and country. While there are still
many who would argue the cruelty of nuclear weapons, it is apparent that Harry
S. Truman was acting in the best interest of America and the world when he
authorized the use of the most devastating weapon mankind has ever created.
The Atomic Bomb…Was it Necessary?