Arguments Against Atomic Warfare

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Before the atomic age, the world had never seen so much destruction done by one bomb. At 8:16 A.M. on 6 August 1945, Brigadier General Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. flew 2,000 miles to the city of Hiroshima, in the Enola Gay to release the deadliest weapon the world had ever seen. The instant the weapon detonated, the estimated dead was over 60,000. At 11:02 A.M. on 9 August 1945, Major General Charles Sweeney dropped the second bomb on Nagasaki, leaving over 200,000 dead in less than seven days. The decision to use such deadly force weighs heavily on many who helped to create such a weapon of mass destruction. The American use of the atomic bombs was the quick fix to end World War II, with a guaranteed solution that the Allies would surrender.…show more content…
The United States undoubtedly made the correct choice, and this is reverified by Lee Iacocca when he states, “I always go back to Harry Truman: Should we drop an atomic bomb to save 100,000 lives? That's a hell of a decision to make. Did he make that decision by himself? No, he had advisers” (BQ). This tell us that the United States put heavy thought into what they were doing and made the right choice. While killing only 250,000, the dropping of the bombs detonated by the United States saved an estimated four million lives (FR). Only 100,000 of these lives were saved when Hisaichi Terauchi demanded 100,000 Allied Prisoners of War to be executed if the United States were to invade Japan. This also includes many Japanese lives as the rulers of Japan called for an all-out “gyokusai.” This means that all of Japan's population be prepared to commit suicide for their country, because it is more honorable to kill yourself for your country than to surrender (Japan Focus). Many times President Truman wrote Japan urging them to surrender before America would use deadly force. The Japanese had more than a fair warning, and were too ignorant to listen to the people who were trying to cut their losses for them. Japanese military was also known for their barbarism. The Japanese military treated the Allied prisoners of war very harshly. The Allied POWs were starved, exposed to deadly chemicals, and abused for work as slaves. The United States quickly realized that only the destruction of the atomic bomb on citizens and military of Japan would make the emperor realize that Japan has reached the end of the line

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