The Decision to Drop the Bomb: Saving American Lives

The Decision to Drop the Bomb
Student’s Name
Institution
The Decision to Drop the Bomb
Introduction
A decision to make use of a destructive weapon in war may not be a decision in most instances, but an only option. Having become weary of World War II, America saw the need to bring the war to an end. Japan, on the other hand, was willing to fight until the end. They presented no signs of relenting, yet the US wanted once again another win in the Second World War. President Harry S. Truman had no real option other than unleashing the dreadful atomic bomb on warring Japanese (Skates, 1994). Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only apparent means of shutting Japan down. However, the bomb had far more unique effects beyond its intended purpose (Walker, 2016). It is on the basis of Truman’s decision and the effects of the bomb that this paper is written.
In Support of the Decision
Several cases have been presented to justify President Truman’s decision to use the bomb in Japan. Among them is the need to salvage American lives, the considerations the committee had made before reaching the advisory, Japan’s ignorance towards the warnings from America, the fact that it was necessary to curb the Japanese brutality (Giovannitti & Freed, 1965).
Saving American Lives
Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki were presented as the only means to prevent loss of lives in the bloody war. Bringing the war to an end, by whichever means, was necessary since World War 2 had claimed American lives in large numbers. The American men, who had laid their lives down to ensure the surrender or defeat of the German Nazi are the same military people who were expected to get down to Japan and persuade the US’ win. It was necessary to save their energy and appreciate their sacrifice. Bringing the war to an apparent victory would undoubtedly cater for these expectations most efficiently.
It was a Committee’s Resolution
The decision to drop the bomb was reached after a series of sittings and some considerations by the Interim Committee. The committee had a shared responsibility to gauge the situation, way the options and present its recommendations to President Truman within the shortest possible time (Giovannitti, & Freed, 1965). The role of the bomb after the war and its use in Japan were the committee’s main agendas. An advisory to unleash the atomic bomb was reached only after several discussions and considerations. It was not in any case a unilateral decision, not at all.
Japanese Ignorance
President Truman had declared the terms of unconditional surrender urging the Japanese government to end the war in Potsdam, Germany. Having defied the ultimatum, Japan inferred the need for the application of harsh measures that would bring the war to an end. Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki seemed the only way to prompt Japan’s surrender from the war front.
The Japanese Soldiers’ Brutality
Japan was cruel to European prisoners, raped Asian women and those in the Pacific, in some cases forcing them into sexual slavery, and worse still, murdering innocent civilians. The US government was thus on a mission to avenge the Japanese soldiers’ atrocities. The atomic bombs would per...