1.4 Atomic Bombs

Why was the atomic bomb used?

• Us gov. sought to avoid prolonged conflict, so they planned Operation Downfall, where they plant to invade Japan. They expected a lot of casualties.

• The Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated that an invasion would lead 1 million American casualties and millions of Japanese deaths

What did Truman say about the bomb?

• He believed that using the bomb would save countless American and Japanese lives by avoiding a drawn out war

What was another reason for using the bomb?

• Retaliation for Pearl Harbor and War crimes

• Japanese bushido code: Cultural resistance to surrender. The fierce resistance and the use of the kamikaze pilots by the Japanese military indicated that conventional means of warefare would be met with extreme resistance

Orthodox perspective

The atomic bomb was necessary to end the war against Japan

What is the diplomatic and geopolitical reason?

• to establish dominance in post war, esp with the rising of the Soviet Union

• bomb showed superiority

Official Statement of Henry L. Stimson, secretary of war

He states that the use of the bomb would not only end war quickly but also put the US in a favorable position for diplomatic negotiations with the Soviets

Counter the diplomatic and geopolitical reason

Although some advisors might have considered the bomb’s implications for the Soviet Union, primarily documents from Truman and other key leaders do not clearly prioritize this reasoning over the immediate military goal of ending the war

The Manhattan Project was kept secret even from top officials, which suggest that its primary purpose was wartime use rather than purely geopolitical posturing

Why did they use the atomic bomb (economic)

• Save money and resources

• with the war concluded, resources could be directed to rebuilding the US economy and stabilizing global trade which was essential for maintaining economic growth

• The US invested a big amount of money (2 Bil) at the time into the Manhattan Project

Date of bombing of Hiroshima

August 6, 1945 with death toll of 70,000-80,000

Bombing of Nagasaki

August 9, 1945 with death toll of 40,000-75,000

What did the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki outcome to?

Japan’s surrender on August 15 1945 announced by emperor Hirohito