...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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...Dropping of the atomic bomb in Japan(WWII) America's use of the atomic bomb against Japan been justified? Was it used to end the war? It probably wasn't necessary, but without doubt , the atomic bomb was used to end the war and it saved American lives. but was it right to kill a hundred thousand of Japans? President Harry Truman had to options: One of them was to use the atomic bomb and end the war, and kill thousands of innocents. Or the second option which was a wage war in the air, land and sea approach and probably allowing another attack on the U.S and prolong the war. The utilitarian concerned solely with the American intrests would certainly agree with President Trumans decision to use the atomic bomb. It provided the best benefits to the number of Americans. Today's mankind should also agree with the American development and the use of the atomic bomb was the right choice, because it provided the best benefits for not only America but for the humans as well. The use of the atomic bomb prevented prolonged ware fare, and also prevented the future from using the atomic bomb.The presidents action of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan showed the world the consequences of nuclear ware fare and future envolvments of a future world war using atomic bombs, which would most likely result in total annihilation of humankind.The U.S cannot be blamed for the invention of nuclear weapons. The U.S developed the power first, and the development of the atomic bomb helped to develope...
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...“So far as I can see, the atomic bomb has deadened the finest feeling that has sustained mankind for ages. I regard the employment of the atom bomb for the wholesale destruction of men, women and children as the most diabolical use of science.”-Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian anti-war activist; giving his opinion about the United States’s atomic bombs drop on Hiroshima, Japan. The outcomes of World War I had repleted many countries with fears, therefore they tried to avoid wars with each other. However, World War II started and it lasted from 1939-1945. The global war involved two military alliances, which are the Allies and the Axis. The Allies alliances included the Soviet Union, United States, England, and Republic of China. While the Axis alliances...
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...Hawaii. The Japanese were able to attack Pearl Harbor because America's intelligence community failed to notice them. Some reasons why it was hard for the American intelligence community to notice the Japanese on their long naval journey, was the Japanese would only travel at night and would not use any radio communication. Any form of radio interception was impossible (Truman). The Manhattan Project started when Albert Einstein left Germany to come to the United States to escape Nazi prosecution. A month after Einstein had left Germany he wrote a letter to Franklin Delano Roosevelt to develop nuclear technology and an atom bomb. Einstein said that German scientists might have already been working on a nuclear bomb. Roosevelt acted on the letter from Einstein and the government developed a top street secret project called the ‘‘Manhattan project’’ to build an atom bomb (World Book, 590-591). The director of the Manhattan...
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...then write an editorial on Harry S Truman’s decision to order the dropping of the atom bomb. HARRY S TRUMAN & THE DECISION TO ORDER THE DROPPING OF THE ATOMIC BOMB Boom! Boom! Seventy thousands Japanese citizens were perished instantly after the first atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Japanese still refused to surrender to Allied forces. On August 9, 1945, with the dropping of the second atomic bomb in Nagasaki, where eighty thousands people were vaporized, Japanese surrendered unconditionally and the World War II ended (“The Decision to Drop the Bomb” 5-6). But was it a right decision of Harry S Truman to end the war with two atomic bombs? Becoming the president of the United States on April 12, 1945 upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S Truman faced with a decision of unprecedented gravity in his life: dropping the atomic bombs in Japan to end the World War II. It was just a matter of opinion whether his decision was right or wrong. But at the time the bombs were dropped, most Americans as wells as Allied forces accepted President Truman’s decision and agreed that the atomic bombs were necessary to end the war quickly before the disastrous invasion of the Japanese mainland could occur. But after that, many people started questioning about President Truman’s decision to order the dropping of the atomic bombs. They believed that dropping two atomic bombs to destroy two cities of Japan helped America generally and President Truman specifically...
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...Japan’s reaction to the atomic bombs, one the other hand, was anything but celebratory. Even after they found out about the horrific events at Hiroshima, the Japanese government censored reports about the atomic bomb, fervently repudiating its occurrence. The Japanese morning newspapers of August 8th revealed nothing more than how a “few enemy planes” had severely damaged Hiroshima with “a wholly new type of bomb” (Hando). Citizens were kept in the dark about the situation and were simply instructed to wear white clothing in case of another attack (Priddy). In addition, the Office of War Information ran off millions of leaflets calling Japan to give up or face nuclear attacks “again and again” until they ended the war at once (1945: Atom bomb hits Nagasaki). Current Japanese polls indicate that they disagree with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with only 14% saying it was...
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...Technology in WWII: The Atomic Bomb The most significant way that technology changed in WWII, was with the invention of the atomic bomb. A scientific advancement in the 1930’s made the atomic bomb production possible. The discovery of nuclear fission; the process in which an atom is split, and the realization that the power from this could be controlled to produce mass amounts of energy were elements of what fuelled this development. Once the bombs were made and tested the decision on whether or not they should be used was given to the US president at the time, Harry Truman. Two Japan cities ended up being the main targets for the bombings and suffered great fatalities as a result. The affects of the decision to drop the bombs are still being seen today and it is still debated whether or not Truman made the right decision. Whether it was a justified decision or not, this breakthrough in technology was, and remains to be, a significant turning point in warfare. Looking closer at the decision Truman was faced with we can get a better look at why he decided to drop the bombs. The Allies were still at war with Japan, so the main idea was to drop the bombs on Japan, and weaken them enough so that they would surrender. This was seen as a better solution than the other way that the situation would have been handled – troops forcefully taking over Tokyo – because it wouldn’t be at the cost of countless numbers of soldier’s lives. Also, the bombs could inflict much more damage...
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...The Finishers The use of the two atomic bombs in early August of 1945 was among the huge turning points that lead to the end of World War Two. The organization responsible for the research and development of these nuclear weapons was known as the Manhattan project. The development of this bomb changed the way scientists, as well as the rest of the world, looked at nuclear energy. It also help in bringing along one of the biggest arms races in history, the cold war. So why was this atomic bomb produced? It all started with the discovery of nuclear fission by German chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in 1938. This is what made the idea of creating an atomic bomb a very possible theory. The Manhattan project was created in 1942 “During its four years of existence the Manhattan Project mobilized over 120,000 people—including most of the United States' physicists, chemists, engineers, doctors, and technicians, along with a small group of outstanding German/Austrian refugee scientists—into 37 top-secret installations.” (Avery, 383) This made the Manhattan project as big as the auto industry at the time. Basically, the creation of the atomic bomb was inspired by the fear that Germany would make one first, which is what they were on track of doing. On August 6, 1946, a Boeing B-29 Bomber named the Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets, and dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan. “Little Boy” exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima in a blast equal to 15 kilotons of TNT,...
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...Technology in WWII: The Atomic Bomb The most significant way that technology changed in WWII, was with the invention of the atomic bomb. A scientific advancement in the 1930’s made the atomic bomb production possible. The discovery of nuclear fission; the process in which an atom is split, and the realization that the power from this could be controlled to produce mass amounts of energy were elements of what fueled this development. Once the bombs were made and tested the decision on whether or not they should be used was given to the US president at the time, Harry Truman. Two Japan cities ended up being the main targets for the bombings and suffered great fatalities as a result. The affects of the decision to drop the bombs are still being seen today and it is still debated whether or not Truman made the right decision. Whether it was a justified decision or not, this breakthrough in technology was, and remains to be, a significant turning point in warfare. Looking closer at the decision Truman was faced with we can get a better look at why he decided to drop the bombs. The Allies were still at war with Japan, so the main idea was to drop the bombs on Japan, and weaken them enough so that they would surrender. This was seen as a better solution than the other way that the situation would have been handled – troops forcefully taking over Tokyo – because it wouldn’t be at the cost of countless numbers of soldier’s lives. Also, the bombs could inflict much more damage...
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...Project was a top secret project during World War II conducted by the United States, Great Britain, and Canada to develop the first nuclear weapon (the atomic bomb). Once President Truman was informed of the Manhattan Project, he formed a committee to research and discuss the most effective way to use the bomb to shock Japan into surrendering. Based upon the massive loss of lives suffered by both the United States and Japan on Iwo Jima and Okinawa, President Truman knew that it was unlikely that Japan would surrender unconditionally as demanded by the Potsdam Declaration without an invasion of Japan itself. After conferring with advisers, President Truman considered, but ultimately rejected several alternatives to using the bomb....
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...TERRORISM, WAR, PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS FACULTY GUIDEBAC 445 FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY OPTIONS BACHELOR OF ARTS IN CONTEMPORARY STUDIES COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will explore ethical, theoretical, and practical questions relating to terrorism, the engagement of war, cultural and ethnic conflicts. This course will explore why we wage war, the development of terrorism and its impact on societies, society’s quest for peace and the methods attempted to achieve peace. This course will also explore the concept of human rights and how terrorism and war impact these rights. © Copyright Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO, January 2007. COURSE OVERVIEW TOPICS • Historic and philosophical positions on war • Contemporary moral foundations on war • Human rights • Terrorism • Humanitarian intervention and preemptive war • Religious positions on war • Toward a theory of just peace COURSE OVERVIEW INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO FACULTY The subjects of war, peace, terrorism and human rights are daily fare in the media. While people form strong opinions on these matters and tend to regard them as right or wrong, many do not have the skills to analyze and clearly articulate a rationale for their positions. The purpose of this course is thus twofold: to equip students with the ethical theories needed to make a judgment...
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...you going to get that juicy bit of news? How are you going to find out what is going on in the world around you? Sure, you can ask a neighbor or somebody else passing by, but that can only get you so far. The written word is here to benefit us all. Things we may not have thought of are out there somewhere written down to be shared with everyone. How could you not want to know what’s out there; what else lies beyond this sad little bubble that may encompass one sad illiterate, uneducated soul. Just the teensy tiny bit of curiosity can help you embark on a never ending wealth of knowledge. Question is, what will you do with this newly acquired knowledge? Will you read up on the atom bomb and find a way to make one and then threaten the world with it? Or maybe you’ll read about the atom bomb and protest its use and other nuclear devices, lobby for all of the world’s nuclear devices be dismantled and deactivated. How will you use this information? Reading can provide so much knowledge. Is there such a thing as too much knowledge? There are bound to be conflicting views on every topic out there. Pro-choice, pro-life, gun control, is the grass really greener on the other side? How do you know which side to choose? You may have had a predisposition on a particular topic and upon doing some research, it may confirm your position and your passion on the topic, or it may throw you for a loop and you may now find yourself sitting on the other side of the argument and possibly...
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...SL History Internal Assessment Japanese-Canadian Internment Camps To What Extent did the Pearl Harbor Attacks affect Political Discrimination Against People of Japanese Descent in Canada? Mihir Thakkar Candidate Number: 000881-0043 May 2014 Word Count: 1,703 A. Plan of Investigation This investigation will measure to extent to which the Pearl Harbor attacks affected the political discrimination against people of Japanese descent in Canada, including the internment of Japanese-Canadians during World War II. This investigation will be carried out through analysis of various documents about the Japanese-Canadian internment. A variety of sources will be used, from books by victims of the internment to scholarly sources about the war between Canada and Japan. Two of the documents will then be thoroughly assessed, which will provide evidence to properly and reasonably answer the question. This date range of this study is from 1887 until the official government redress, which took place in the 1970s. The question will be answered through factual evidence of the internment, as well as narrative evidence describing other forms of political discrimination. B. Summary of Evidence Racism before Pearl Harbor • • Manzo Nagano, the first immigrant from Japan moved to Canada in 1877.1 In the 1920s, the Canadian Government limited the number of fishing licenses allowed for Japanese citizens.2 • In the Great Depression, the government of British Columbia denied logging...
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...WAR is a human Nature War: is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, social disruption, and economic destruction. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of political violence or intervention. The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war is usually called peace. Etymology: The English word war derives from the late Old English (c.1050) words wyrre and werre; the Old North French werre; the Frankish werra; and the Proto-Germanic werso. The denotation of war derives from the Old Saxon werran, Old High German werran, and the German verwirren: “to confuse”, “to perplex”, and “to bring into confusion”.Another posited derivation is from the Ancient Greek barbaros, the Old Persian varhara, and the Sanskrit varvar and barbara. In German, the equivalent is Krieg; the equivalent Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian words for "war" is guerra, derived from the Germanic werra (“fight”, “tumult”).Etymologic legend has it that the Romanic peoples adopted a foreign, Germanic word for "war", to avoid using the Latin bellum, because, when sounded, it tended to merge with the...
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...‘A cold war between East and West was inevitable after 1945.’ Do you agree? Up until May 7th 1945 Germany had been Europe’s main defence against Russian hegemony. Once the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany was complete, this defence no longer existed and the USSR held onto the territorial gains it had made during its monumental war effort. Germany’s fate had not yet been decided but in the meantime it had been divided into four areas by the former Allies. The tension between the remaining post war Superpowers, the United States and The Soviet Union were ever increasing. Britain became economically and militarily dependant on the US as its empire floundered. British rhetoric and ‘scaremongering was born of Britain’s desire to keep America involved in Europe.’ Stalin began to consolidate the Soviet area and the anti-Western language of the Soviet regime became just as scathing as Churchill’s. The ‘Iron Curtain’ was now in place and America, Britain and Russia were coming to realise that their respective ideologies were for the most part irreconcilable. Although it is often said that nothing is inevitable, there are times when the consequences of decisions and policies gather momentum and become an unstoppable force. By considering their differences and how the individual iron willed leaders involved expressed their intentions and shaped their stances against each other it will become apparent that the consequences and the forces that the East and the West put in motion made the Cold...
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