The Pacific War And The Debate About The Nuclear Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki
(table of contents- intro,Japan in WWII,Japan Homeland,The Debate, Conclusion, Bibliography)
Introduction
Ever since August 6th, 1945, the day when the Enola Gay, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, dropped the Little Boy, a Uranium gun-type nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima, and three days after when another nuclear weapon was exploded at Nagasaki, the debate over whether these bombs were justified has been proceeding vigorously. These bombs had a combined blast yeild of 37000 tonnes of TNT. Together they killed between 150000 and 250000 Japanese people, most of which were civilians, including women and children. These nuclear bombs,the only two to ever be used against another country, resulted in not only very powerful explosions that caused extreme damage, but also released nuclear fallout that led to radiation sickness and caused widespread death. These events have been instrumental in shaping the world as we know it today. The reason for the United States of America, under President Harry S. Truman, to resort to the use of these horrendous weapon were many. However there is also harsh criticism of this move. However, before examining this debate, a knowledge of the progression of the war, and the situation at the…show more content… They were continuing the ongoing firebombing and blockade, and Operation Downfall. By continuing the ongoing firebombing and naval blockade, whether or not the Japanese would have surrendered, and if so, when, is under great debate. In some ways, this can never be accurately known. However it definately would have taken longer than the other two alternatives, especially due to Japan's adversity towards unconditional surrender, and due to the Japanese warrior spirit. Dragging on the war would have lead to increased loss of life, increased military expenditure, economic problems, and greater war weariness in