The Unjustified Use of Atomic Bombs on Japan - 865 Words

On December 7, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on a U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii with the possibility of forcing the U.S. to join World War II. About 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had been sunk, and 188 aircrafts were destroyed. On August 6 and 9 of 1945, the U.S. retaliated and dropped two atomic bombs called Fat Man and Little Boy on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The U.S. was not justified in dropping the atomic bombs on Japan because of the locations that were bombed, the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, and the lack of previous bomb testing. Firstly, the bombings were unjustified because of the locations where the bombs were dropped. Neither cities were military or naval bases. Hiroshima was†¦show more content†¦The Japanese saw this as an incredible insult to their ruler, and therefore refused surrender (Lawton). The only reason why America could follow through with the term of â€Å"The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction† (â€Å"Potsdam Declaration†) was because it had made the terms of the Potsdam Declaration completely disgraceful and unacceptable for Japan. Clive A. Lawton argues â€Å"Many Japanese politicians would only agree to surrender if Emperor Hirohito remained on the throne†. Had the U.S. revised its treaty terms in order to keep Hirohito in power and leave at least some of the Japanese military intact, Japan would have likely surrendered quicker and the bombs would not be needed. Finally, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unjustified because of the lack of testing. Although the project to design the first atomic bomb, codenamed the Manhattan Project, began in 1941, the first bomb was not ready to be tested until the month before it would be used in 1945. When it was tested at Trinity Site in New Mexico, the detonation caused unexpected results (â€Å"The Manhattan Project†). It caused â€Å"A blinding flash visible for 200 miles lit up the morning sky. A mushroom cloud reached 40,000 feet, blowing out windows of civilian homes up to 100 miles away. When the cloud returned to earth it created a half-mile wide crater metamorphosing sand into glass† (â€Å"TheShow MoreRelatedAtomic Bombs And Its Effects On Japan1369 Words   |  6 PagesCan you imagine how many atomic bombs that have killed many Japanese during, World War II in Japan? On August 6, 1945, a new weapon with a significant explosive power known as the atomic bombs just has bee n dropped on Japan. The dropping of this weapon on Hiroshima and Nagasaki there were 262,020 civilians were killed. The United States to chose the atomic bomb in order for Japan to surrender and end the war quickly. 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