Dropping of the Droppings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

In 1945, following the ending of World War II in Europe, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thereby ending World War II with Japan as well. This event has been controversial to the present day. With this controversy in mind, this research will analyze several aspects of this pivotal event in world history. Why Did the United States Decide to Drop the Bombs?

Essentially, the US decided to drop the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki not because of a lust for blood or an ego trip on the part of president Harry S. Truman, but simply because Japan held a mindset of victory or death. For Japan, that meant that if it was not possible to defeat the US in the war, the Japanese would kill as many American soldiers as possible. This was achieved through the massive deployment of the kamikaze, suicide warriors who would fly their aircraft into American warships, strap explosives to their bodies and tackle American soldiers, or employ any number of other suicide techniques in order to kill US troops (Newman, 1995).

Therefore, Truman chose to use the atomic bomb in an ironic way to save many more lives in the long term by using one powerful weapon to blast the Japanese into submission. Results of the Event on the United States and the World For the US, the dropping of the atomic bomb sent a powerful message to the rest of the world that this nation would not be intimidated or tolerate any aggression against it. The dropping of the atomic bomb meant years of painful physical and mental effects for the Japanese people.

For the world, this pivotal event signaled the beginning of a nuclear arms race, which erupts in some ways to this day. Conclusion What is seen in the tale of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in conclusion are lessons about the price of war, the quest for healing, and the realization that nuclear war is an option that must be carefully considered, lest it become too common a solution for the problems of the world. Works Cited Newman, R. P. (1995). Truman and the Hiroshima Cult. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.