...Truman’s Decision - Was the bombing of Hiroshima justified or not? It was on the afternoon of 6th August 1945 that an event was believed to change and save the world forever. Harry Truman had made a life changing decision to drop an atomic bomb named “Little Boy” in Japan’s Hiroshima. The result of this weapon ended up in destroying more than 4 square miles of the city. The company who made the bomb was called Enola Gay. The motive behind the doing of this was to threaten Japan and make them surrender in World War 2. It is a fact that this was the first time in history that a nuclear weapon was used. This event is still one of the most important topics in history. It has been debated by an abundance of historians: Was it justified despite 129,000 innocent citizens died? There isn’t a definite answer to this but there were both sides to the story. Bombing was justified It is widely believed that the bombing was brutal and cruel. However, it was the reason that ended World War 2, and if America did not drop the bomb, the losses of soldiers would be even at a larger number than the amount of people who died in the drop of the bomb. It has also been said to save a lot of American’s lives and soldiers. This statement is backed up by the quotation “Fighting would be fierce and the losses heavy.” that was said by Harry S. Truman in 1955. This quote can tell us that during that time he believed that if the war was still going on, it was very likely that the upcoming invasions...
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...America dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. For years, there have been feuds relating to the justification of the bombing. Was the U.S justified? The United States was justified due to the unprovoked attack and bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which occurred three years prior to the bombing of Hiroshima, it was necessary to stop the war because it saved thousands of American lives. Until then, the fight had never been on United States soil. Innocent men, women and children did not have to worry about being killed on their land until the infamous day: December 7, 1941, the attack of Pearl Harbor. On that day, the Japanese took to the skies with 423 planes, arriving in Pearl Harbor, killing a total of 2,403 and wounding 1178. Hitting 18 U.S ships, it crippled the U.S naval fleet in one day. Little known to the people, the bombing also destroyed 180 fighter jets used in the U.S Air Force. This was an unjustified, barbaric act and dropping the bomb on Hiroshima was justified. The United States was justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima due to the unwarned attack on civilians and docked naval ships at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. For example, the bomb displayed the power the U.S wielded when they dropped it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It showed other countries that the United States had weapons, and would use them. This especially threatened the Soviet Union, our current ally, and emerging enemy. The day after the Pearl Harbor bombing, the United States declared war...
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...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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...Justifiable Terrorism in Total Wars Molly Thomson 201311503 Political Science 1000-03 March 18th, 2014 The word ‘terrorism’ instantly makes people shudder; the negative connotations and controversies surrounding terrorism in modern society are enough to spark a discussion of whether it is justifiable or not. In order to determine whether or not terrorism can be justified, a clear definition must be decided upon. Decades before the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, the definition of the word terrorism was hard to define. Political figures around the globe argued and disagreed on what they thought should have determined the act of terrorism. Now, there are multiple different definitions originating from distinct cultures and societies, suggesting that terrorism is in the eye of the victim. One definition of terrorism is “any violent or criminal act planned for a political or ideological purpose”; while another claims that terrorism is understood to be a direct attack on innocents. Since both of these definitions have important components to them, it can be assumed that both traits are essential to defining terrorism. For the purpose of this paper, the definition of terrorism will be understood as ‘a violent attack on innocents for the purpose of political change’. It can be hard for most people to understand the act of injuring and/or killing hundreds, or maybe even tens of thousands of people, as justifiable. However, if the innocents are...
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...World War II, The United States and Japan were in constant battle with each other due to the Attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. The United States during the time was developing a nuclear weapon, and since the U.S just wanted to stop the war, the U.S bombed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in hopes of Japanese surrender. The U.S had finally succeeded in winning the war and in accomplishing Japanese surrender. Following the use of atomic bombs, many argue whether the use of atomic bombs was justified. Although the atomic bombings during World War II caused geographical devastation and suffering, the use of atomic bombs brought a quick and easy end to World War II and helped in future developments of nuclear weapons. The atomic bombings on Japan during World War I caused great geographical devastation and suffering. Many people after the bombings found their homes collapsed, schools broken, and families torn...
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...detonation. Approaching towards the end of World War 2, the United States of America dropped two bombs named “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” on two Japanese cities named “Hiroshima” and “Nagasaki”. The bombs were dropped at the command of Harry Truman the president of the United States at the time. The purpose for the United States to drop this bomb was to force Japan into an unconditional surrender. “Little Boy” was dropped...
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...Justified or Not? When Harry Truman learned of the success of the Manhattan Project, he knew he would be faced with a tough controversial decision. The ability to end the war with Japan was in his hands, but it would involve unleashing the worst weapon ever known to man. American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, and the Japanese military was refusing to give up their fight. The atomic bomb was key to ending the war, without too many Allied and Japanese casualties. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and were intensely firebombing Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million strong stationed in the home islands guarding against invasion. For Truman, the choice whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life. First, an Allied demand for an unconditional surrender was made to the leadership in Japan. The Japanese military command rejected the request for unconditional surrender. So on August 6, 1945, a plane named the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. 70,000 Japanese citizens were vaporized. In the time that followed, an additional 100,000 died from burns and radiation sickness. On August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where 80,000 Japanese people died. On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered. Critics have charged that Truman's decision was “a barbaric act that brought negative long-term consequences to the United States”. Some military analysts insist that...
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...Hiroshima: The Bombing that Blasted Away the Truth For the United States, World War II was a very costly war that seemed as if it would not end. For the United States to end their assault on Japan during World War II, a nuclear bomb was dropped in Japan to force them to surrender. On August 6th, 1945, the U.S. military dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima killing over 150,000 people and (along with the later bombing of Nagasaki) effectively caused the Japanese to surrender. This tactic is highly polarized in the international community; on one side, it is considered to be justified and the only action for the United States to take, and on the other side, it is considered to be a barbaric act of terrorism perpetrated by the U.S. military. In the essay, Hiroshima by John Berger, the author correctly argues that the bombings were terroristic acts that are fundamentally evil; however, he is incorrect that they are unjustifiable. To diagnose whether the bombings were acts of terrorism, one must be able to understand the definition and criteria of one such act. A commonly accepted definition of terrorism is an act that includes the premeditated use of violence by an organized group against non-combatants to achieve political ends. Berger’s argument includes all the criteria in that definition so the bombing must be terrorist acts. Berger begins his argument by describing all the violence caused by the bombs. Throughout the essay, he quotes passages from Unforgettable...
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...Even though it killed millions of people, the U.S. did the correct thing by dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, if the bombs hadn’t been dropped the war would’ve lasted longer and an Invasion of Japan would’ve caused more casualties on both sides that could’ve overreached the total at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I believe the dropping the bombs was the right thing to do. One of the main reasons dropping the bomb was necessary was it ended the war faster. It was obvious Japan wasn’t going to surrender and the U.S. wanted the war over with. It was only after the second bomb was dropped that Japan ultimately agreed to surrender. An Invasion was scheduled for November 1st if the bombing had been cancelled or if they hadn’t succeeded...
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...took off from Okinawa, Japan and started its flight towards Hiroshima. The bombers mission was to drop an atomic bomb that had been developed by the United States. The name of the bomb that was dropped that day was called the “Little Boy”. When the bomb exploded, nearly seventy thousand people were killed and another estimated seventy thousand were injured. The bomb destroyed everything in the immediate vicinity and fires ravaged across another four miles of the outer area of the city. Three days later another bomber took off with another atomic bomb, its destination was Nagasaki. The bombing of Nagasaki was just as devastating as Hiroshima, thirty thousand people were killed and the city was destroyed. On August 10, 1945 Japan surrendered and the war came to an end. The Bombing of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki was necessary because of two reasons, the United States wanted to show its power to the Soviet Union and also prove that they had nuclear weapons and were willing to use them if deemed necessary to protect the United States. It was...
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...catastrophic threat, imminent danger, no other alternative and against a greater evil to a community. These are the 4 conditions of supreme emergency that can be used to justify the Hiroshima bombings if it was an act of supreme emergency or just an act of terrorism. A State is the organization which has the monopoly of the use of violence. There are two major forms of this. One is against other states, which we call war. The other is the organized violence against its citizens practiced by almost all States. There is the symbolic kind, the fascist architecture, thought control through propaganda, giant parades and nationalist music. There is also the development of penal and legal institutions which often divides up the population into the free and the imprisoned (Macfarlane 2007). The Hiroshima bombings would come under violence as war, where the U.S. bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan with the acute effects killing 90,000–166,000 people (Rezelman 2000) the reason for the bombings was to end the war the only way they knew could work and after the bombings which was not only Hiroshima the Japanese did surrender where today people would agree that if the bombings didn’t take place many more innocent causalities would have been the outcome. Killing thousands to save millions was a justifiable reason for state violence on Japan, do you...
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...The Boy in The Striped Pajamas Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is the son of a Nazi officer. When his father receives a promotion, the young boy must move with his family away from his friends and his comfortable home in Berlin. He quickly becomes bored in his new surroundings in the countryside where he has no one to play with. From his bedroom window he can see a neighboring “farm” where all of the occupants wear “pajamas.” Hoping to play with the kids there, he can’t wait to go pay them a visit. Though his mother repeatedly warns him not to venture far from the house, his curiosity gets the best of him and he sneaks off to go exploring. It is on one of these adventures through the woods that he stumbles upon the barbed wire fence that encircles the neighboring concentration camp. Behind it he finds Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a Jewish boy who is the same age as him. They quickly develop a friendship, interacting as much as they can while separated by the fence. Though they are both somewhat oblivious to the horrors taking place around them, they will both ultimately be affected by the events of the war. This film is very well done, yet difficult to watch. While there is no graphic violence depicted on the screen, the film is none the less heartbreaking. Because the story is told through the eyes of an 8-year-old boy, much of what we see seems mostly benign. Bruno simply doesn’t understand the things that he sees. Unfortunately for us, as adults, we do. All of the actors...
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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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...The Atomic Bomb: Ordinary Morals Versus Wartime Morals The War in Germany was over, and fighting continued only throughout the Pacific Islands, where American troops were “island hopping” frenziedly in an effort to finally vanquish the Japanese. Japanese tactics were simple; they did not cease fighting until they won, and their Kamikazes, the original suicide bombers, sunk hundreds of American ships. The United States, tired of incessant violence, issued the Potsdam Declaration, which outlined the consequences that the Japan faced should they refuse to surrender, which was ignored. Meanwhile, just months after the European theater of the war ended, the infamous atomic weapons had been completed and were ready for use. So, in August of 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Total destruction ensued, and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, though Japan did ultimately surrender. A thorough analysis of multiple historical viewpoints indicates a valid point of contention as to whether the United States was justified in dropping both bombs, one bomb, or whether the act was entirely unnecessary and overly aggressive. David Woods, in his essay entitled “Dropping Atomic Bombs on Japan May Have Saved Lives,” is an ardent supporter of dropping the bombs, like over fifty percent of Americans. He states that we cannot know that the bombing was unnecessary since we can only guess as to what the outcome would have been otherwise...
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...Was it the only way to end the war or was it an act of terrorism against Japan? I believe it was both. Not only did bombing Hiroshima stop the Japanese from fighting, it ended the war between them and the United States. But was it totally justified? No, because the deaths of innocent civilians cannot be ignored. Even though I believe that this bombing was the only way to stop the Japanese, the numbers don’t lie. Nowhere in God’s word does it justify terrorism. There are laws when it comes to war, though. We are allowed to fight for a just cause. When a country attacks our own, we have the right to fight back, but against their army. The people of Hiroshima were defenseless and guiltless. The United States should have bombed a military fort, or a strong hold of soldiers, not people who have no way to protect themselves. I would compare this attack to the plane crash of the twin towers on September 11, 2011. People were unable to defend themselves. Hundreds of innocent lives were taken for nothing. The United States federal Government would never approve of an attack like this and have it be justifiable. Then why would allow this? The Japanese are fighters; they would have never given up. They trained and fought and worked toward their goal in defeating the U.S. Who knows how long they would have continued fighting if the bomb wasn’t dropped. And who knows who the winner of that war could have been. I think that even if we were able to destroy a military base, the Japanese would...
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