America was not justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Japan because an abundant amount of innocent lives were lost, and many of the survivors suffered the effects for years to come. The argument was that the use of the bombs was necessary, but in reality the United States had ulterior motives. The United States portrayed that the dropping of the bombs was used to save American lives, when in reality Henry Stimson argued that the use of the bombs would intimidate the Soviets, which was needed because the Japanese had shown that they were resistant to give into surrender.
Critical Dates for Understanding Truman's Decision
1. Truman delays Potsdam meeting with the Soviets until he is informed that the atomic bomb was successfully tested. The atomic bomb exploded in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16th, and the Postdam meeting began onJuly 17th, 1945.
2. At Postdam, Truman gets the Soviets to agree to enter the war a week later than they had originally promised, moving the date from August 8th to August 15th, 1945.
3. After Soviets agree to enter the war against Japan on August 15th, Truman then orders that the Atomic bombs be dropped on August 6th and 9th, 1945.
4. If Truman thought that the war would be over as soon as the Soviets entered the war against Japan, why did he drop the atomic bombs on Japan before the Soviets could enter the war on August 15th, 1945?
5. Recognizing that the United States had misled them, after the American atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th, the Russians entered the war against Japan on August 9th. After the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and the Russian entry into the war on August 9th, the Japanese surrendered on August 10th and the U.S. accepted their surrender on August 15th--the day the Russians were scheduled to enter the war against Japan.
6. In order to keep the Russians out of any peace settlement with Japan and prevent any Russian claims on Asia, the United States accepted the Japanese offer of conditional surrender on August 10th.The Japanese surrender wasn't an unconditional surrender, which President Truman had demanded of the Japanese since May 1945.
7. Had the United States allowed the Japanese to keep their emperor the Japanese would have surrendered much earlier, as early as June 1945 when the Japanese offered a conditional surrender through Russian and Italian intermediaries.
Abstract Summary:( by Chris H. Lewis, Ph.D.)
America was not justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for many reasons. One of which is because the harming of innocent civilians, and putting their lives in danger for no acceptable reason. Secondly the United States could have thoroughly researched such a drastic move more in debt and came to a conclusion that would have resulted in less deaths upon the Japanese. Last but not least it is believed that the US had ulterior motives that they wanted to take action upon. America was using our power to fulfill their own selfish needs and disregarding what was best for us as a country and for us as a world.
