Question

K12 ~ 5.09: War's End

10th grade.

First, read this quote from Harry S. Truman, in regards to dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
August 5, 1963

Dear Kup:

I appreciated most highly your column of July 30th, a copy of which you sent me.

I have been rather careful not to comment on the articles that have been written on the dropping of the bomb for the simple reason that the dropping of the bomb was completely and thoroughly explained in my Memoirs, and it was done to save 125,000 youngsters on the American side and 125,000 on the Japanese side from getting killed and that is what it did. It probably also saved a half million youngsters on both sides from being maimed for life.

You must always remember that people forget, as you said in your column, that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was done while we were at peace with Japan and trying our best to negotiate a treaty with them.

All you have to do is to go out and stand on the keel of the Battleship in Pearl Harbor with the 3,000 youngsters underneath it who had no chance whatever of saving their lives. That is true of two or three other battleships that were sunk in Pearl Harbor. Altogether, there were between 3,000 and 6,000 youngsters killed at that time without any declaration of war. It was plain murder.

I knew what I was doing when I stopped the war that would have killed a half a million youngsters on both sides if those bombs had not been dropped. I have no regrets and, under the same circumstances, I would do it again -- and this letter is not confidential.

Sincerely yours,

Harry S. Truman


Question: Do you think dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the correct decision. Why or why not?

Answer 1

While there is a widespread belief that using nuclear weapons against Japan during the end of WWII precipitated the Empire's surrender, saving thousands of soldiers' lives from both armies, an ongoing debate is still taking place on the real effects that the bombs had on the Japanese decision to surrender.

After the surrender of the Germans and Italians, the Empire of Japan faced an overwhelming enemy force and its defeat was practically inevitable. However, they seemed to be willing to fight until they were completely defeated. That is why some believe that the use of the nuclear weapons persuaded the Japanese authorities to surrender or face total destruction.

In spite of that, some authors (such as Robert Pape) believe that it was the invation of Manchuria by the Soviets the decisive factor in the end of the war not the use of atomic bombs.

Ultimately, one could reach the conclusion that the use of nuclear weapons by Truman was not the correct decision since 1) it caused the death of tens of thousands of civilians 2) The Empire of Japan was outnumbered by the allies and the Soviet Union and its defeat was almost inevitable 3) the use of nuclear weapons on entire cities can not be justified with the attack on Pearl Harbour since one war crime cannot justify another one.