Atomic Bomb Morality and Consequences

Morality Argument Against the Atomic Bomb

  • Oppenheimer and Manhattan Project Scientists' Misgivings:

    • Initially saw the project as a "great experiment."
    • Oppenheimer later described it as a "tortured thing" with questionable technical sense.
    • Scientists began to focus on the military, political, and humane implications of the bomb.

  • Counter to Hitler's Atomic Bomb:

    • The Manhattan Project was initiated in response to fears that Nazi Germany was developing its own atomic bomb.
    • Many American scientists were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany and were aware of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution.
    • They believed that the US needed a similar weapon to protect freedom and potentially stop Hitler, even if it meant using it on civilian populations.

  • The Los Alamos Declaration:

    • Edward Teller and other scientists opposed using the atomic bomb against civilian targets, aligning with the idea of avoiding needless civilian deaths.
    • Teller, a refugee from Nazi Germany, advocated for the regulation and containment of atomic weapons.

Reaction to the Atomic Bomb

  • Oppenheimer's Concerns:

    • Even after the first successful atomic bomb detonation, Oppenheimer warned against adding atomic bombs to the arsenals of warring nations.
    • He expressed concern that humanity would curse Los Alamos.
    • He emphasized the necessity for global unity to avoid destruction.

  • Oppenheimer's Reflection:

    • Addressing the Atomic Energy Commission in 1946, Oppenheimer reflected on the first atomic bomb detonation.
    • He quoted the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."
    • He understood the world would never be the same.

Devastation and Casualties

  • Hiroshima and Nagasaki:

    • The scale of destruction was immense.
    • Casualty rates were comparable to the firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo (around 85,000-90,000).

  • Black Rain:

    • Black rain was caused by soil and debris sucked into the air during the atomic blast, spreading radiation.
    • Contaminated particles fell on survivors, leading to radiation sickness and death.

  • Immediate and Long-Term Deaths:

    • Approximately 250,000 people died in the months following the blasts due to radiation contamination.
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated approximately 3 million premature deaths due to radiation exposure, including cancers like thyroid cancer.

  • Total Impact:

    • The death toll from the two atomic blasts is estimated at 3 to 4 million people.
    • Including birth defects and miscarriages, some estimates put the total effect at around 10 million people.
    • The cost of using atomic bombs against civilian populations was greater than mass casualty firebombing.

Opposition to the Atomic Bomb

  • Eisenhower's Opposition:

    • Dwight Eisenhower publicly opposed the use of the atomic bomb.
    • He stated that Japan was already defeated, and dropping the bomb was unnecessary.
    • He believed that the U.S. should avoid shocking world opinion, as it was unnecessary to save American lives.

  • Revisionism:

    • The War Department argued that Japan would continue fighting for 1-3 more years, potentially causing 1 million American casualties.
    • Eisenhower's view may be revisionist, as he may not have been fully informed about the situation in the Pacific.
    • He emphasized the importance of maintaining international support for the U.S. as the leader of the free world.

Pro-Atomic Bomb Argument

  • Curtis LeMay's View:
    • Curtis LeMay, future head of the American Air Force, argued that the method of killing civilians was irrelevant; dead was dead.
    • He reportedly told Truman that killing people with an atomic bomb was no different than killing them with rocks or through firebombing or invasion.
    • Truman adopted this view when deciding to use the atomic bomb.