Atomic Bomb Alperovitz Essay - 2382 Words

Why did the Truman Administration decide to drop the atomic bombs on Japan in 1945? There has been much debate as to why Truman elected to drop the atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945. Historians have long debated the true purpose to which the atomic bombs were designed to fulfil upon there deployment. The Alperovitz thesis of the 1960 was accepted for many years. The thesis revolved around the idea that the atomic weapons were deployed as diplomatic tools to intimidate the Soviet Union. Like many revisionist historians this essay will oppose the thesis of Alperovitz, and in doing so, attempt to understand why it was that the Truman administration decided to drop the atomic weapons on Japan in the summer of†¦show more content†¦Japanese officers high and low had been ready to fight till the death because surrender was considered dishonourable.[6] To ensure that the fighting in the Pacific was completely nullified Truman had to destroy the Japanese will to fight. As Bonnet illustrates ‘winning the conflict was not only contin gent on removing the opponent’s material capacity to resist, but also, its psychological capacity to resist.[7]Trumans diary entries suggests that he understood that the Japanese defeat by invasion, would not necessarily guarantee the defeat of the Japanese throughout the entirety of the Pacific theatre, as his entry from August 6th suggests: ‘That its power may be an overwhelming influence towards peace.[8] Clearly, Truman understood that Japan had to be defeated psychologically as well as militarily if their defeat was to be ensured throughout the Pacific theatre of war. It was therefore paramount that Truman used the Atomic weapons to ensure the sustainability of peace in the Pacific and thus ensure that no more American lives would be lost. It was this aspect of the Atomic weapons deployment which was perhaps most attractive to Truman when he was considering how to bring about the defeat of the Japanese in June 1945. Truman did have other alternatives to the Atomic weapons by 1945; one such alternative to the Atomic weapons was to adjust the surrender terms to the Japanese. Another argument brought forward by Alperovitz in his thesis is the decision of theShow MoreRelatedThe Atomic Bomb Of Japan1548 Words   |  7 PagesIt is true to say that the Japanese deserved to have two atomic bombs dropped on two industrial cities in the span of just around three days? Is it also true to say that is was alright for thousands of innocent Japanese lives to be sacrificed for the sake of showing the power of the United States to the then Soviet Union? Is the use of the atomic bomb something that can be justified even after it have killed and has a lasting effect on certain lands in Japan? This cannot be justified because of theRead MoreThe Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki1174 Words   |  5 Pageswhether it was necessary or morally right to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. 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On August 6th 1945 â€Å"Little Boy†, a uranium atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in an effortRead MoreThe atomic bomb was first used by the Americans against Japan to end the war. The Americans500 Words   |  2 PagesThe atomic bomb was first used by the Americans against Japan to end the war. The Americans believed that this would end the war as well as giving them a post war diplomatic advantage over the Soviet Union. Instead, the atomic bomb used in World War 2 shifted postwar policies that inadvertently resulted in the Cold War. As Germany fell to the allies, postwar negotiations began. Roosevelt had been clear two fundamentals at Yalta. First, he believed the Nazi state should be eliminated â€Å"as a seriousRead MoreThe Nuclear Bombing On World War II Essay2204 Words   |  9 Pagesto allow for an analysis of the circumstances during the war and commentary of the decision to drop the bomb after the war ended. The first source which will be evaluated is Minutes of Meeting Held at the White House on Monday, 18 June 1945 at 1530. The origin of the source is important because it is a primary source that reveals the discussions that would affect whether or not the atomic bomb would be dropped. The meeting included high ranking military officers that were knowledgeable of how an