UNITED STATES VS JAPAN: SHOULD THE US HAVE Dropped THE BOMB?

SUMMARY

• The United States was at war with Japan during WWII starting with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The United States felt a continuous threat from Japan and took many steps, some necessary and some unnecessary, to protect our country from further attack. President Harry Truman had a difficult decision to make: invade and fight with Japan or use the most advanced weapon in the war against the growing army of the Japanese who were willing to stop at nothing to take America down.

UNITED STATES

• President: Harry Truman
• Result of Truman's decision: bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Reasons: Threatened by Japan and fear of invasion; claimed casualties of invasion would be higher than bombing casualties; led to Japan's surrender

JAPAN

• Dictator: Hideki Tojo
• Side in the War: Axis Powers
• War Efforts: Bombing of Pearl Harbor, growing army, threats to invade the United States, kamikaze fighters against America, unwillingness to surrender

SHOULD THE BOMBS HAVE BEEN DROPPED

• Although many innocent people were killed and affected by the bombings, invasion was estimated to be more devastating to both Americans and Japanese and took major part in ending the war; because of Japan's reluctance to cease war with the United States, Truman took all efforts to protect our country's people no matter the cost.

SOURCES

• "The Decision to Drop the Bomb": www.ushistory.org/us/51g.asp
• "The Biggest Decision: Why we Had to Drop the Atomic Bomb" (resource on Blackboard)

SOURCES

• "Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki
• "Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki": www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki