Essay On The Atomic Bomb - 837 Words

Purposeful bombing of civilians during war has been a common occurrence, but the ethicality of such a practice has been called into question. Generally, there tends to be a great aversion to intentionally causing harm without reasonable basis, yet this type of strategy is still in use. Is the bombing of innocent people justified if it ultimately brings an end to the war? The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II clearly exemplifies the ethical question of whether bombing civilians was right or wrong. The decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not clear cut. Harry S. Truman and his associated generals (Stimson and Groves) had to come to a conclusion on how to swiftly end the war†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the theory states that the civilians should never be the target of an attack, and the only way to justify the death of a civilian was if it was unavoidable when bombing of a military base had taken place (Th eory of Just War). The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki clearly were in violation of these codes because the target was not a military base, and the main reason that the bombs were dropped was to force Japan to surrender by means of carnage. In truth, evidence supported the idea that there were alternatives to the atomic bombing (Hasegawa, 2005). In fact, the United States could have launched an in-land invasion, but because of the high casualty rates of US soldiers in the Battle of Okinawa (thirty-five percent) Truman decided against this strategy (Seaholm lecture, DATE). In favor of the bombing, Truman argued that Japan had been given a fair warning of the attack to come when the ultimatum of the Potsdam Conference was issued (Truman, 1945). Meaning, this attack was not without basis because the countries who had convened at Potsdam had warned Japan that the United States would attack unless they surrendered. The main argument that has been used against the atomic bombing is the massive number of casualties itShow MoreRelated The Atomic Bomb Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pages it will be discussed why the Atomic Bomb is the biggest method of destruction known to man. The paper will be discussing the results of the Atomic Bombs, along with the effects years after the initial explosion. People always wonder how many people actually died in the two Atomic Bombs which were dropped in Japan. This question will be answered, along with the method that citizens were actually killed by the bomb. Besides the initial blast winds that an Atomic Bomb gives off, people may be killedRead MoreThe Atomic Bomb Essays1209 Words   |  5 Pages 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 moralRead MoreAtomic Bomb Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesThe Atomic Bomb was the deadliest weapons in the history of war. Throughout World War II one of the most stubborn countries to surrender was Japan who relentlessly fought against the United States of America. After failing to defeat America, Japan was overwhelmed by allied forces. Staying with tradition however, Japan would rathe r die in battle than to surrender. The Soviet Union also fought against America but that was towards the end of the war. The United States dropped both of the Atomic BombsRead MoreEssay On The Atomic Bomb873 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish Comp. Per. 4 Atomic Bomb Oppenheimer once said: Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds (recited from the Bhagavad-Gita). That was the day of Trinity, the first test of an atomic bombs raw, awesome power. It was the beginning of a deadly technology that is ever evolving to reach more dangerous heights: atomic and nuclear weapons. These weapons have only been fired twice, and yet the entire world is on edge when a country threatens to use them. The Atomic bomb was created out of fearRead MoreThe Atomic Bomb Essay1306 Words   |  6 PagesThe Atomic Bomb â€Å"The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians. But that attack isRead MoreEssay On The Atomic Bomb910 Words   |  4 PagesIt has been just over seven decades since the destructive atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. These bombs were the first of its kind-weapons of mass destruction. There are many points-of-view or opinions about whether or not the bombs should have been used. As always there are two sides to each story; those who are for a cause and those who are against. In this paper, I will discuss the two opposing points-of-view, as well as my own opinion on which argument I find most compelling. During WorldRead More Atomic Bomb Essay2139 Words   |  9 Pages Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima On the quiet morning of August 6, 1945, the United States shocked the world by dropping an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. (www.grolier.com) Hiroshima was a major industrial city with an estimated population of almost 400,000 people. A B-29 bomber was loaded with the Atomic Bomb and left the United States Pacific air base at 2:45 a.m. local time and dropped the bomb at 8:15 a.m. The bomb was detonated one minute after being dropped. The atomic bomb, nicknamedRead More Atomic Bomb Essay1536 Words   |  7 Pages On the morning of August 6, 1945, the first Atomic Bomb in history was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Soon after, on August 14, 1945, the Japanese abruptly surrendered, abandoning their ancient customs regarding honor in war. The fact that only two bombs were able to bring an entire country to its knees is a true testament to the awesome power they held. There is nothing in modern warfare that can compete with the devastatingRead MoreEssay On The Atomic Bomb1048 Words   |  5 Pagesfirst atomic bombs were dropped in a race to end World War II. The first nuclear bomb, ‘Little Boy’, dropped over Hiroshima, Japan wiped out ninety percent of the city and immediately killed thousands. Three days later, a second atomic bomb dropped on this time over the city of Nagasaki. The bombs were created by scientists who worked in secret for years on The Manhattan Project to perfect weapons that would bring an end to the long and traumatizing fight of World War II. The use of the atomic bombRead MoreAtomic Bomb: Alperovitz Essay2382 Words   |  10 PagesWhy did the Truman Administration decide to drop the atomic bombs on Japan in 1945? There has been much debate as to why Truman elected to drop the atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945. Historians have long debated the true purpose to which the atomic bombs were designed to fulfil upon there deployment. The Alperovitz thesis of the 1960 was accepted for many years. The thesis revolved around the idea that the atomic weapons were deployed as diplomatic tools to intimidate