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Atomic Bomb Dbq

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Even though dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed thousands of Japanese citizens in a matter of seconds, it was still justified. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, a naval base on one of the Hawaiian Islands, thus plunging the US into the biggest war the world had ever seen. President Harry S. Truman decided to use the atomic bombs to save American lives by not invading Japan. American soldiers were able to return to their wives and children since they did not have to fight in the war any longer. The war ended just six days after the bombs were dropped. This shows as terrible as the destruction was, the bombs were indeed the best way to bring the war to an end.
The bombings may have killed thousands of people, but they also saved thousands of lives. An American G.I. was prepared to invade Japan but then heard of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and said, “It was a sunburst of deliverance” (Document 5). He felt the bombing was going to deliver him back to his home instead of being away from his family for a much longer period of time. Japanese citizens would have also been killed if the US …show more content…

The Nippon Times argued, “This is a crime against God and humanity which strikes at the very basis of moral existence” (Document 4). In addition, One Japanese man described Hiroshima as “No longer a city but a burned-over prairie” (Document 6). These quotes reveal how many in Japan viewed the bombings. It is not hard to see why those from Japan saw the bombings in this way. But one must remember it was Japan that drew the US into the war by bombing Pearl Harbor. Japan also could have surrendered an avoided such strikes. In the end, Japan cannot say it did not have a hand in its cities own

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