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Perhaps the most controversial and heavily scrutinized issue of the twentieth century was President Harry Truman's decision to unleash atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945. While the sequence of events preceding that fateful summer morning of August 6, 1945 are fully understood, the motives behind Truman's actions are shrouded in controversy. Top military officials publicly denounced the use of such a horrendous weapon, while the obvious advantages to the bomb, traditionalists argue, was a shortened Pacific War. Parallactic views between traditional beliefs and revisionist theories suggest that the issue is still very much unresolved. Why is the issue so hotly debated? Partially because of the overwhelming evidence supporting both sides, and partially from the unorthodox sources producing such evidence.
But the question remains: Why did Truman drop the atomic bomb? Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb was not a military necessity because land invasion casualties were much lower than perceived, the Japanese were on the verge of collapsing, and America had avoided diplomacy despite knowing Japanese intentions. Dropping the atomic bomb was necessary in preventing a land invasion where troops would encounter severe Japanese resistance. According to ancient Samurai tradition, the most honorable way of death was to sacrifice oneself for the emperor. Certainly, this philosophy became extensively practiced throughout the war, as evident with the notorious kamikaze missions.
Soldiers would either die in combat, or commit suicide in order to prevent capture. During the battle of Okinawa, of the 117, 000 Japanese soldiers stationed on the island, only 7, 000 were left alive. On April 6 - 7 alone, 355 planes participated in kamikaze missions. In more extreme forms, dying honorably would consist of, the training of young children to be Sherman carpets. Japanese children were to be strapped with TNT and throw themselves under American tanks thereby dying in the most honorable way possible- by killing the enemy. By using such radical forms of resistance, it is therefore highly conceivable that the number of Japanese killed would greatly outnumber the American total if fighting had been prolonged.
In addition: The Japanese army was already training its civilians to fight with sharpened bamboo poles[By] using sharpened pikes the Japanese could easily prevent a military government from being effective in those towns which the U. S. captured. The real predicament involving the invasion of Japan was the fierce resistance expected during and after the assault. Because of such drastic Japanese resistance, it would not only be impractical, it would be senseless to launch an attempt to invade and occupy Japan. Thus, dropping the atomic bomb was a military necessity in order to prevent a disastrous and precarious land invasion.
By avoiding a highly questionable land invasion, the bomb saved half a million American lives. In his personal diary, Truman wrote, General Marshall told me that it might cost half a million American lives to force the enemy's surrender on his home grounds. This estimate was based on previous battle figures at Okinawa, where Americans suffered 50, 000 casualties despite outnumbering the Japanese by two and a half to one. Indeed, if Truman opted to invade Japan, the total number of American and Japanese casualties would possibly be in the millions.
Although the bomb took 150, 000 Japanese lives, the number of casualties would have been far greater had an invasion been executed. In 1985, in a special broadcasting the fortieth anniversary of the bombings, ABCs Ted Koppel claimed: What happened over Japanwas a human tragedy But what was planned to take place in the war between Japan and the United States would almost certainly have been an even greater tragedy. When compared to a land invasion, the atomic bomb certainly saved far more Japanese lives than would a land invasion. In addition, if half a million American lives were saved, then: Perhaps fifty million Americans- the fathers and mothers and wives and children and brothers and sisters of the men and women in uniform-knew, too, that a loved one had been saved from possible death. If aunt uncles, cousins, grandparents, and close friends were included, virtually every individual in American society knew someone personally whose life, it appeared, had been saved or might possibly have been saved by the extraordinary new weapon. The decision was well received among Americans, many of whom may possibly have been deployed on the mission.
The decision did more than save half a million American lives; it also prevented the entire country from mourning the needless death of thousands of youth. Thus, the atomic bomb eliminated the possibility of needlessly jeopardize millions of American lives, and thus, its use was entirely justified. The perception that Americans would face a disastrous invasion followed by radical resistance is greatly unfounded. While it is true that American casualties were high in Okinawa, the main difference between Kyushu and Okinawa was, there had been only one way to go on Okinawa. This meant a straight frontal attack against a highly fortified position. On Kyushu, however, landings would be made on three fronts simultaneously and there would be much more room to maneuver.
In addition, the invasion of Tokyo would involve lighter losses since its many beaches would be more suitable for amphibious assault. Americans would certainly have experienced far greater success had a land invasion been executed. In fact, Truman was assured that there was reason to believe that the first 30 days in Kyushu should not exceed the price paid for Luzon [ 31, 000 casualties] Operation Olympic, the code name for a Japanese invasion, would have been much more efficient and experience less casualties, proportionally, compared to previous operations. Thus, a land invasion would certainly have not been as disastrous as is so often perceived. The Japanese were willing to fight to the death provided the Emperor was in serious jeopardy, but the belief that they were never willing to surrender is exceedingly ignorant.
It must first be understood that the Emperor in Japanese society is viewed as a descendent of God. Betraying or dishonor towards the Emperor, Tenno Heika-Son of God, therefore meant betrayal of God. Thus, when the United States announced that Japan must accept unconditional surrender, the Japanese felt the terms were a direct threat to the Emperor. The simple fact was that if America guaranteed the preservation of the imperial system, the Japanese would have offered far less resistance. General Douglas Mac Arthurs Southwest Pacific Command prepared a study stating: To dethrone, or hang, the Emperor would cause a tremendous and violent reaction from the Japanese. Hanging of the Emperor to them would be comparable to the crucifixion of Christ to us.
All would fight to die like ants. The position of the gangster militarists would be strengthened immeasurably. The war would be unduly prolonged; our losses heavier than otherwise necessary. The Japanese were fighting for the very existence of their God, and thus, were willing to sacrifice everything to defend him.
As it became increasingly apparent that the Japanese were on the verge of collapse, the number of kamikaze missions (battle of Okinawa) sharply increased because they felt the Emperor was at a high risk. The JIC [Joint Intelligence Committee] stressed that without the Emperors support it would be difficult to bring about a meaningful surrender; it predicted that if peace terms were not backed up by Imperial Sanction, many major units of the Japanese armed forces deployed outside of Japan proper would continue to offer resistance in varying degrees. Obviously, if the Japanese realized their Emperor was in serious danger, they would offer much fiercer resistance. The Americans realized that the safety of the Emperor was the only means of bringing about peace, yet they continued their stance on unconditional surrender.
Thus, the belief that the Japanese were willing to fight to the death is preposterous, they were willing to surrender as long as the Emperor was spared. The figure of half a million American lives was conduced by Truman in an attempt to justify his actions. In June of 1945, Truman ordered the military to calculate the number of casualties of a planned assault on Japan. In response, the Joint War Plans Committee concluded that a plan to invade Japan through Kyushu would likely cause 40, 000 deaths, 150, 000 wounded, and 3, 500 missing.
These numbers were later read by Truman himself, and he concluded, the Kyushu operation was the best solution under the circumstances. He then told the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the plan was all right from a military standpoint. Thus, the original casualty figure was 40, 000, not half a million as is often perceived. Truman himself eventually magnified the numbers for reasons unknown. On April 6, 1949, the president stated that he made that decision because I thought 200, 000 of our young men would be saved by making that decision, and some 3 [ 00, 000 ] or 400, 000 of the enemy would be saved by making that decision. However, in a letter...
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Research essay sample on America Decision To Drop The Atomic Bomb
