History

Discussion #8: The decision to drop the atomic bomb.

Critics have charged that the United States was morally irresponsible in using the atomic weapons against Japan during World War II. Were the United States’ actions justified?

In order to prepare for this discussion forum:

Review and identify relevant sections of Chapter 26 to support your discussion.
Read the essay DEBATING THE PAST: THE DECISION TO DROP THE ATOMIC BOMB.
In 2005 a group of historians held a mock trial-Hiroshima: Truman on Trial.
After you have completed your readings post your answers to only ONE of the following questions.

What are the explanations that have been offered in support of dropping the atomic bomb? What is your response to these explanations? Make sure that you provide specific support from your readings.
What are the arguments that have been presented against using the atomic bomb? What is your response to these arguments? Make sure that you provide specific support from your readings.
Review the trial and cast your verdict. How do you find President Truman? Guilty or Not Guilty? Discuss why you reached that decision.
In order to earn the full 100 points (100%) for this assignment, you must:

Directly and completely answer at least ONE question. Please make sure that you clearly indicate which question you have chosen to discuss. Clearly and accurately explain your answer based on factual information contained in the assigned readings. (80 points)
Students must respond to at least one fellow student’s posting explaining the reason(s) for their agreement or disagreement, with the arguments that have been presented, in order to get full credit for the discussion. (20 points)
When posting your response to a fellow student’s comment, please try whenever possible, to select the question that you did not address for your discussion.
Make sure that all statements are supported with facts from the reading selections.

ANSWER

Decision to Drop Atomic Bomb

The decision to drop the atomic bomb

Question: What are the explanations that have been offered in support of dropping the atomic bomb? What is your response to these explanations?

The bomb saved American lives

Some argued that dropping the atomic bomb was necessary for saving American lives which would be lost in D-Day style landings in the Japanese homeland cities of Kyushu and Honshu. Americans had estimated that the war would have claimed between 500,000 and 1,000,000 fatalities. This explanation makes sense from the American perspective because winning a war while minimizing casualties is the aim of every war side in a war.

The decision was made by a committee of shared responsibility

Those who support the decision to drop the bomb argue that the decision was not a unilateral action spearheaded by President Truman alone but rather a decision made by a committee of experts. They argue that the president was simply following the best advice he could get from experts. I respond that the President had the mandate of the people, not the committee that is referred here. Therefore, the president should be responsible for the bomb, not the committee. I don’t find this argument strong enough to warrant such a devastating act of aggression.

The Japanese were given fair warning

Another argument is that the Japanese were warned through following the Potsdam Declaration to unconditionally surrender. This argument cannot be sustained because the Japanese had not known the nature of the weapon that the US would use to devastate Japan and therefore had no reason to consider this as a serious threat.

The project was expensive and the bomb needed to be used

Some argued that President Truman needed to use the bomb because the Manhattan Project that produced them, was the most expensive single government project at the time valued at $2 billion. Advisers thought that it would be politically disastrous if the public learned that they spent a huge amount of money on the weapon that they never used. However, I believe that the fear of losing an election should not be a justification of using such a devastating weapon.