by Aaron Dollhausen

Created on: September 23, 2010

An Unnecessary Evil: Reassessing the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Abstract

This paper asserts the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not necessary for Japan’s surrender. Several alternatives to the atomic bombings are discussed. United States military forces decimated much of Japan’s ground and air forces which severely reduced Japan’s fighting ability. Precision bombing destroyed most of Japan’s industrial capacity and its ability to replenish weapons and supplies. America’s naval blockade reduced Japan’s fighting ability even further. Invasion by the Soviet Union shocked the Japanese government in to considering “surrender [to the United States] before the USSR was able to dictate terms” (Hasegawa, 1993). Finally, this paper examines opposing viewpoints that contend the atomic bombings spared American forces from a costly invasion and saved additional lives.

Introduction

            “Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts, and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Survey’s opinion that certainly prior to 31 December 1945, and in all probability prior to 1 November 1945, Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war, and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated” (Nitze, 1946, p.26).  Paul Nitze’s conclusion represents early controversy surrounding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, historians, politicians, and the public have argued if the bombings were necessary to obtain Japan’s surrender.

            Without atomic bombs, many within President Harry S. Truman’s administration believed Japan would never surrender. Saving hundreds of thousands of American lives from a costly invasion of mainland Japan justified the atomic bombs. However, his administration overlooked alternatives to the atomic bombs. The United States severely diminished Japan’s military capability. The invasion of Manchuria by the Soviet Union stressed it even further, leading many within Japan’s leadership to considered surrender. The decimation of Japan’s ground and air forces, US military strategies of precision bombing and naval blockade, and Soviet invasion showed that the atomic bombings

• 1
• 2
• 3
• ...
• 12
• Next Page >>