Analysis of President Truman's Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb

Reasons behind President Truman’s Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb on Japan
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Reasons behind President Truman’s Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb on Japan
The war between the United States (U.S.) and Japan had resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of properties. Yet, there was no indication that the war would end soon, especially given the resolve shown by the Japanese military. As such, President Truman, after the completion of the Manhattan Project, had a decision to make. While the decision was controversial because it raised ethical questions, it eventually brought World War II to an end and saved American lives.
Some of the ethical questions raised by Truman’s decision are centered on race. As revealed by Walker (2004), Americans viewed Japanese as a lesser race and as such, the animosity towards Japan was fueled by racial reasons. This hatred is said to have played a role in the support of Truman’s decision. Since the atomic bombs were weapons of mass destruction whose effects were experienced long after the war ended, opponents believe that the bombs would not have been used on white people. Further, it is believed that there were other alternatives to dropping the atomic bomb (Walker, 2004). For instance, President Truman could have used a demonstration by dropping the atomic bomb on unpopulated areas in Japan. This could have acted as a warning to Japan. Instead, he chose to drop the bomb on highly populated areas of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing mass destruction and loss of lives. However, the atomic bomb also saved American lives that could have been lost if the war had persisted. According to Miscamble (2011), supporters of the decision believe that the decision prevented the U.S.’s invasion of Japan where American soldiers would have lost their lives. Further, the decision to drop the bomb quickened Japan’s decision to surrender, thus bring the war to an end and saving lives.
Historians have had different interpretations of the decision. Some believe that the decision was unnecessary because it was used as a warning to the Soviet Union (Miscamble, 2011), who had also declared war on Japan. By dropping the bomb on Japan, the U.S. was sending a message to the Soviet Union that any attempts to invade the U.S. would be met with similar actions. Thus, the Soviet Union would know that the U.S. had the resources and the power to fight the enemy. Other historians have argued that the decision was also meant as retaliation on Japan because of the attack on Pearl Harbor (Dodge, 2017), which prompted the U.S. to join the war. However, some interpret the decision as the only solution to ...