Had Truman not dropped the bombs on Nagasaki many American lives would have needlessly been lost. The atomic bombs destroyed many thinks in their wake as nearly 140,000 Japanese lives were taken (). Scientists witnessed the utter power of these weapons of mass destruction and tried to control it, thus bringing forth the atomic age. The energy in an atomic bomb can be harvested and controlled in order to provide safe and clean energy. Though the plan was for a reliable energy source for the world, things took tragic turns as inevitable accidents occurred.
Foreign countries resist attacking stronger countries such as the United States because they realize they would expect a retaliatory attack. Sub Topic 2 The atomic bomb has thwarted the start of another world war. “The possession of nuclear weapons among major world powers has helped prevent the outbreak of a third world war. The United States should abandon the endless pursuit of disarmament treaties, and instead concentrate on its own defenses by erecting a missile defense shield” (National Debate Topic). The atomic bombs brought World War II right to Japan’s doorstep.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki devastated the people of these cities. This, however, ended the conflict between the U.S. and Japan, but was it a good idea for the U.S.? Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed, and over one-hundred fifty thousand people were killed in the atomic bombings of Japan. The bombings by the United States were necessary because Japan was a powerful adversary that the United States needed to overcome in order to defeat Germany. They had started World War Two and put the Jewish people and gypsies and people they deemed not good enough for society in concentration camps.
The problem with this, is that Brodie (1946) was both correct and incorrect. He correctly identified that speed kills, but, he incorrectly thought that nuclear warfare was the ultimate weapon. While Brodie and his theories on Nuclear warfare in, The Absolute Weapon, gave us the predominant strategy of nuclear warfare still used today, a strong argument can be made that Admiral Nimitz was correct in his criticism of “the Absolute weapon.” “Before risking our future by accepting these ideas at face value, let us examine the historical truth that, at least up to this time, there has never yet been a weapon against which man has been unable to devise a counter-weapon or defense.” Admiral Nimitz Ultimately, what Brodie was perhaps leading too was that there is an “Absolute Weapon” in war. If you could find a way to distill war down to its absolute properties, perhaps you could create the ultimate weapon. What we have witnessed thus far is that speed kills.
J. Robert Oppenheimer was found not guilty but still wasn’t able to have access to military secrets. Also, after the war, Oppenheimer became an advisor or the Atomic Energy Commission. He directed the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where he convened great scientists. J. Robert Oppenheimer continued lecturing around the world. In 1963, Oppenheimer was awarded the Enrico Fermi Award by President Kennedy to make up for the charges that were pressed against him for being a Russian spy.
Numerous arms control treaties have been planned to increase communications between the superpowers. The first of these, coming just after the Cuban Missile Crisis, was the 1963 HOT LINE AGREEMENT One highly eminent arms control settlement is the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or Non-Proliferation Treaty, designed to stop the extent of nuclear . Treaty SALT I and After The STRATEGIC ARMS LIMITATION TALKS (SALT I and SALT II) were first undertake in the early 1970s, when relations between the USA and the USSR became more friendly. SALT I led to two treaties: the Anti-Ballistic-Missile Treaty of 1972. . When the SALT II Treaty was signed in 1979, it set a limit of 2,400 strategic missiles and bombers for each side Compliance with the SALT agreements became a combative issue in the 1980s when the USA alleged the USSR of violating treaty provisions on the development of new missiles.
From 1946 till 1991, a full-blown nuclear war could have occurred on a global level between the two most powerful countries. This 45 year period was known as the Cold War because neither nation, during the duration of the war, fought directly against one another. The Cold War was actually a state of apprehension or anxiety in connection with international affairs between the United States and the USSR (Soviet Union). The United States and the Soviet Union were known as superpowers for the extensive power they held over most of the world. For instance, they had a substantial effect that changed the political culture of the world.
There are many differing opinions on the subject of whether the dropping of the atomic bombs was justified. One side, such as people in the US, argue that the dropping of the bombs were justified, as it allowed them to test the bomb and end the war quickly. However, another side which includes many people in Japan and pacifists, argues that the dropping of the bomb was not justified, as the effects of the bomb were too horrific. Even though this essay will be exploring both sides of the argument, the second atomic bomb should not have been dropped on Nagasaki. One of the few reasons that the dropping of the Atomic bombs was justified was the fact that Japan would not surrender.
Their lives were spared by President Harry Truman’s decision to deploy the most powerful weapon the world had every seen, and has ever seen since then. Though the decision to drop the Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki has brought about a great ethical dilemma, many feel that the military use of the bombs was the correct conclusion in the end. While some disagree, many argue that the A-bombs caused Japan to agree to an unconditional surrender, sent a warning signal to the Soviet Union on the brink of another war, and prevented an invasion of the home islands and conflict with a Japanese army that was prepared to sacrifice at all costs. Using the Atomic bombs caused Japan to comply with an unconditional surrender, as well as prevented a bloody invasion. According to Henry Stimson, the Secretary of State serving at the time the bombs were dropped, had America invaded Japan, the fire raids that would have been a major part of the US strategy
One would think if your enemy is constantly building their arsenal, you should too lest you become overpowered. Its ethical to build defenses, but when that technology is used to take lives outside of its intended operating use, things begin to unravel. The Manhattan Project is the greatest example of a moral conundrum we have faced as a nation. In August of 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an order to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first blast vaporized an estimated 70,000 and the second bomb five days later vaporized an estimated 80,000.