Final answer:
Following the bombing of Hiroshima, President Truman issued a warning, stating that the United States might have to use atomic weapons if the Japanese did not surrender. This choice was taken in order to stop the war from escalating and to prevent more deaths.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Truman warned that if the Japanese do not surrender after the bombing of Hiroshima, the United States might be forced to resort to the use of atomic bombs.
- This decision to use the atomic bombs was made because a full-scale invasion of Japan would cost more Allied lives and take a significant amount of time to conclude.
- The Americans believed that using the atomic bomb would bring an immediate end to the war, preventing further casualties.
- The bombing of Hiroshima was followed by the bombing of Nagasaki, and these events led to Japan's unconditional surrender and the end of World War II.