Essay on The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb - 1543 Words

The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed the United States naval facility known as Pearl Harbor. This attack brought the United States into World War Two. Within the four years that followed, the United States--under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt-- researched and developed an atomic bomb. This was known as the Manhattan Project. Such a bomb was more powerful and destructive than any ever known to man. After FDR died on April 12, 1945, the decision to drop the bomb was left in the hands of the new president, Harry S. Truman. On July 25, 1945, President Truman gave the order to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Twelve days later, an atomic bomb was†¦show more content†¦Most of these were civilians. By the end of the year, 140,000 more people were dead as a result of radiation from the blast. (Note: these figures may vary slightly due to the fact that many records were destroyed in the blast (Gup 89) . Similar losses were shown in Nagasaki. Many lives were ended as a result of this unnatural disaster, most of them civilian. The people that did not die immediately suffered severe illness related to the bomb (Hiroshima 1) . Many of these people later died (Hiroshima 1) . Thosse who didnt die had severe radiation-related diseases, such as cancer (Hiroshima 1) . Many survivors had grotesque burns on their bodies making them outcasts from society. (Gup 90) All pregnancies within a two-mile radius of the center of the blast resulted in miscarriage or stillbirth (Bloomfield 1-3). Moreover, not a single plant would take root for seventy-five years after the bomb (Gup 80). Furthermore, entire communities were lost. Seventy-thousand buildings were destroyed (Gup 80). These include schools, churches, hospitals, homes, and peoples businesses. For the 100,000 hibakush, or survivors of the bomb, their lives are still tortured by the memories (Gup 99). The United States had no idea of the long- term effects of this bomb. In dropping the bombs on Hirshima and Nagasaki, the United States violated several international laws ratified by the United States SenateShow MoreRelatedThe Decision Of Drop The Atomic Bomb2270 Words   |  10 PagesThe decision to drop the atomic bomb, made by President Truman, was largely influenced by political factors rather than military factors. Traditionalist historians argue from the military perspective that the bomb was used to end the war as quickly as possible and with as minimal causalities as possible. Revisionist historians, on the other hand, argue the political perspective where they believe that the bomb was dropped as a diplomatic tool to intimidate the rising superpower that was the SovietRead MoreThe Decision Of Drop An Atomic Bomb1901 Words   |  8 PagesThe decision to drop an atomic bomb is one of the hardest a commander-in-chief could make during their life. Let alone a president that was just inaugurated two months prior in the middle of World War II. 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Truman was notRead MorePresident Truman’s Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb Essay1555 Words   |  7 Pagesafter something has happened, what should have been done or what caused the event†. It is a fair assumption that most people understand the old adage â€Å"hindsight is always 20/20†; alluding to the fact that, in our everyday lives, we as humans make decisions based on what we know, what seems right and occasionally what makes our lives easier. The average person does not have the mental capability to consider every possible outcome that a choice will have on his entire life, all within the thought processRead MoreEssay about Trumans Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb504 Words   |  3 Pagesthe toughest decision in your life, whether sacrificing a million of our men and thousands of war ships and plans, verses several thousand of Japanese civilian populists. This decision was on the shoulder of Harry S. 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