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Was The Atomic Bomb Necessary?
By Ryan Goodwin
My God, what have we done?" - Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb.
August 6, 1945-Three B-29 heavy bombers of the United States Army Air Force fly at a high altitude over the quiet town of Hiroshima. In mere seconds this city, the residents, and the surrounding lands will witness an awesome sight like no other in history. Within a week, the town of Nagasaki will fall victim to a similar fate. Now, some 61 years later, controversy over the use of the two atomic bombs, named Little Boy (Dropped on Hiroshima) and Fat Man (Nagasaki), has flared once again. As far back as the day the bomb was conceived by the brilliant mind of Albert Einstein, many top scientist and military advisors tried to find alternatives to using the bomb. In fact, Einstein himself wrote to Franklin D. Roosevelt about his concerns. One proposed alternative came in mid 1944, when the U.S marines captured the island of Iwo Jima for the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force), and constructed an air field to operate B-29 heavy bombers from . From this base, the bombers were sent on 12 hour round trip raids over the Japanese mainland. In November, General Curtis LeMay of the 21st (XXI) Bomber Command devised a strategy to double the effectiveness of the raids by ordering the low level drop of incendiary bombs. These bombs, which caused enormous fires, obliterated the cities of Japan, which were mainly constructed of wood. However, the Japanese military, acting as a government, regarded the bombings as mere annoyances. This led the United States military to plan an invasion of Japan. However, the Japanese had reverted to the “Kamikaze” or Divine wind. This tactic called for a volunteer pilot to fly a suicide mission in a plane full of fuel and explosives, into an enemy ship, causing hundreds or even thousands of deaths. The attacks symbolized Japans determination to never give in. Seeing the effects of Japan’s last resort tactics, President Harry S. Truman declared the bomb necessary and gave the order to drop two bombs on two cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, the decision was based on a number of wise reasons.
One reason for the bomb being dropped was that it would show Russia that America was indeed a powerful nation. This show of force brought Russia to declare war on Japan, putting even more pressure on the unspeakably chaotic Japanese military. In fact, before Japan had attacked the U.S., the Japanese army had provoked the Russian Republic Independent Eastern army in July of 1938. Japan had in fact had a long history of conflict with Russia. The attack led Joseph Stalin, Russian dictator, to consider formally going to war with Japan. However, the Russian government opted to stay clear of a war with their rivals. Still, the show of victory and courage of U.S. and British military presence in the Pacific began to convince the Russians to consider joining the fight once more. When the two bombs were dropped, Stalin was immediately impressed and joined the allies’ mere days prior to Japan’s surrender. The bomb also showed the soviets, who had been working on their own atom bomb, the weapons destructive power and horrible effect. This caused an ongoing fear of using nuclear weapons that persists today. Ironically, the weapon that was meant to gain an ally created a 50 year panic.
Next, the military had determined that it would take a massive blow to Japan to force the unconditional surrender that had been set by Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S President from 1933 to 1945 before the bombs were dropped, and enforced by Harry S. Truman, his successor. This was made crystal clear when, in 1945, Japan continued to produce and use propaganda that made it seem as if the tide could be turned on the allies, despite losing all of the islands captured prior to December 7, 1941, when the United States was brought into the war by the attack of Pearl Harbor. With these losses also came massive losses of Japanese ships, planes, ammunition and soldiers. Japan’s stubbornness was also evident in their war strategies, which always had the same main tactic: fight to the death. This strategy was the cause of thousands of men over the course of the war. One idea had been to use bombers to attack oil plants, ammunition factories, ports, aircraft assembly plants, and other major factories vital to the Japanese war effort. Instead of surrender, Japan turned to using factories hidden in mountains, schools, and even hospitals. The use of suicide attacks by Japanese pilots also extracted a massive toll on United States sailors and ships. On the island of Iwo Jima, many soldiers were charged by hundreds of Japanese Army troops wielding samurai swords or even ‘homemade spears’. After the fire bombing of Tokyo, which killed over 50,000 people, including children, Japan once again, refused surrender .Amazingly, Japan had no plans to surrender after Hiroshima until the second bomb was used against Nagasaki.
Another reason for the use of the bombs was the increasing risk of an axis (countries who fought against the United States and its allies) country producing an atomic bomb first. In fact, in 1944 Germany was busy on its atomic bomb project. However, the dam supplying power to the production plant was destroyed by the allies in a bombing raid. Japan was also beginning to research the bomb and build an aircraft capable of delivering the attack to California. The military understood that if the atomic bombs under production hit the United States, the entire population would panic, millions could die, and the war effort would come to a total halt. The threat of an attack like this increased support for the use of the “Fat Man” and “Little Boy” bombs. The only solution to stopping this nightmare appeared to be the capability of the U.S. to strike first.
Strangely, another justification for the use of the bomb was that despite the constant destruction of Japanese factories, Japan was still at work developing new suicide weapons, bizarre ships, and even jet aircraft like the “Kika” or “Orange Blossom”.
With aircraft that flew near or over 600 miles per hour, the Japanese could have very well turned the tide in their favor. The new weapons would be able to swat down the large number of allied bombers and fighter terrorizing the mainland, annihilate U.S Navy supply ships, and grind down the American forces. One of the most astounding plans, however, was a plan to use a special submarine to carry specially designed seaplanes to the Panama Canal to bomb the locks. This would put an enormous strain on allied supply lines which sometimes came from east coast ports such as Norfolk. But above all of these potentially deadly weapons was a bomb used to carry and spread fleas carrying the Bubonic Plague, known as the “black death” which wiped out millions in Europe in the medieval ages. By using the Atomic bomb, the United States was able to avoid suffering the aftermath of these desperate weapons.
Lastly, on April Fools day, 1945, the United States Navy, Army, Army Air Corps, and Marine Corps began a campaign to capture the final island before the Japanese mainland. Before this violent day, the military high command had begun planning the invasion of Japan, known as “Operation Olympic”. The expected casualty count had been high, but had been seen as necessary to the success of the allies. But an ocean away, marines were being wiped out, Navy sailors were rushing to put out fires caused by kamikaze attacks, and army soldiers faced down waves of bayonet charges by desperate and crazed Japanese soldiers, many young men or old veterans. After two months of fighting the United States lost 18,900 men, brothers, fathers and sons. A further 38,000 were wounded. Mean while about 728 aircraft and 38 ships were destroyed, many of the ships falling to the suicidal attacks of the Japanese Naval and Army Air forces. With the horrific battle over after two months, the military revised the casualty predictions. The new report stated that some one million Americans, 500,000 British, and one million other allied deaths. In contrast some two million Japanese would have died defending their villages and cities. This report, above all others, motivated Harry S. Truman to give the order to drop the bomb.
In conclusion, it may never be known what would have happened in 1945 if the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima had never occurred. However what is known is that some 300,000 or more Japanese died that fate full week, and some 4 million other lives were spared. The memories of the chaos will live on forever as a scene of pure terror. An old proverb states “The needs of the many out-weigh the needs of the few”. Without the atomic bombs, the war might have lasted longer, millions of needless deaths might have occurs and many prominent figures may not be alive today, such as our President, George Bush Jr, who’s father served as a dive bomber pilot in World War II.
END……………………………………………………………..
By Ryan Goodwin
My God, what have we done?" - Robert Lewis, the co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb.
August 6, 1945-Three B-29 heavy bombers of the United States Army Air Force fly at a high altitude over the quiet town of Hiroshima. In mere seconds this city, the residents, and the surrounding lands will witness an awesome sight like no other in history. Within a week, the town of Nagasaki will fall victim to a similar fate. Now, some 61 years later, controversy over the use of the two atomic bombs, named Little Boy (Dropped on Hiroshima) and Fat Man (Nagasaki), has flared once again. As far back as the day the bomb was conceived by the brilliant mind of Albert Einstein, many top scientist and military advisors tried to find alternatives to using the bomb. In fact, Einstein himself wrote to Franklin D. Roosevelt about his concerns. One proposed alternative came in mid 1944, when the U.S marines captured the island of Iwo Jima for the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force), and constructed an air field to operate B-29 heavy bombers from . From this base, the bombers were sent on 12 hour round trip raids over the Japanese mainland. In November, General Curtis LeMay of the 21st (XXI) Bomber Command devised a strategy to double the effectiveness of the raids by ordering the low level drop of incendiary bombs. These bombs, which caused enormous fires, obliterated the cities of Japan, which were mainly constructed of wood. However, the Japanese military, acting as a government, regarded the bombings as mere annoyances. This led the United States military to plan an invasion of Japan. However, the Japanese had reverted to the “Kamikaze” or Divine wind. This tactic called for a volunteer pilot to fly a suicide mission in a plane full of fuel and explosives, into an enemy ship, causing hundreds or even thousands of deaths. The attacks symbolized Japans determination to never give in. Seeing the effects of Japan’s last resort tactics, President Harry S. Truman declared the bomb necessary and gave the order to drop two bombs on two cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, the decision was based on a number of wise reasons.
One reason for the bomb being dropped was that it would show Russia that America was indeed a powerful nation. This show of force brought Russia to declare war on Japan, putting even more pressure on the unspeakably chaotic Japanese military. In fact, before Japan had attacked the U.S., the Japanese army had provoked the Russian Republic Independent Eastern army in July of 1938. Japan had in fact had a long history of conflict with Russia. The attack led Joseph Stalin, Russian dictator, to consider formally going to war with Japan. However, the Russian government opted to stay clear of a war with their rivals. Still, the show of victory and courage of U.S. and British military presence in the Pacific began to convince the Russians to consider joining the fight once more. When the two bombs were dropped, Stalin was immediately impressed and joined the allies’ mere days prior to Japan’s surrender. The bomb also showed the soviets, who had been working on their own atom bomb, the weapons destructive power and horrible effect. This caused an ongoing fear of using nuclear weapons that persists today. Ironically, the weapon that was meant to gain an ally created a 50 year panic.
Next, the military had determined that it would take a massive blow to Japan to force the unconditional surrender that had been set by Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S President from 1933 to 1945 before the bombs were dropped, and enforced by Harry S. Truman, his successor. This was made crystal clear when, in 1945, Japan continued to produce and use propaganda that made it seem as if the tide could be turned on the allies, despite losing all of the islands captured prior to December 7, 1941, when the United States was brought into the war by the attack of Pearl Harbor. With these losses also came massive losses of Japanese ships, planes, ammunition and soldiers. Japan’s stubbornness was also evident in their war strategies, which always had the same main tactic: fight to the death. This strategy was the cause of thousands of men over the course of the war. One idea had been to use bombers to attack oil plants, ammunition factories, ports, aircraft assembly plants, and other major factories vital to the Japanese war effort. Instead of surrender, Japan turned to using factories hidden in mountains, schools, and even hospitals. The use of suicide attacks by Japanese pilots also extracted a massive toll on United States sailors and ships. On the island of Iwo Jima, many soldiers were charged by hundreds of Japanese Army troops wielding samurai swords or even ‘homemade spears’. After the fire bombing of Tokyo, which killed over 50,000 people, including children, Japan once again, refused surrender .Amazingly, Japan had no plans to surrender after Hiroshima until the second bomb was used against Nagasaki.
Another reason for the use of the bombs was the increasing risk of an axis (countries who fought against the United States and its allies) country producing an atomic bomb first. In fact, in 1944 Germany was busy on its atomic bomb project. However, the dam supplying power to the production plant was destroyed by the allies in a bombing raid. Japan was also beginning to research the bomb and build an aircraft capable of delivering the attack to California. The military understood that if the atomic bombs under production hit the United States, the entire population would panic, millions could die, and the war effort would come to a total halt. The threat of an attack like this increased support for the use of the “Fat Man” and “Little Boy” bombs. The only solution to stopping this nightmare appeared to be the capability of the U.S. to strike first.
Strangely, another justification for the use of the bomb was that despite the constant destruction of Japanese factories, Japan was still at work developing new suicide weapons, bizarre ships, and even jet aircraft like the “Kika” or “Orange Blossom”.
With aircraft that flew near or over 600 miles per hour, the Japanese could have very well turned the tide in their favor. The new weapons would be able to swat down the large number of allied bombers and fighter terrorizing the mainland, annihilate U.S Navy supply ships, and grind down the American forces. One of the most astounding plans, however, was a plan to use a special submarine to carry specially designed seaplanes to the Panama Canal to bomb the locks. This would put an enormous strain on allied supply lines which sometimes came from east coast ports such as Norfolk. But above all of these potentially deadly weapons was a bomb used to carry and spread fleas carrying the Bubonic Plague, known as the “black death” which wiped out millions in Europe in the medieval ages. By using the Atomic bomb, the United States was able to avoid suffering the aftermath of these desperate weapons.
Lastly, on April Fools day, 1945, the United States Navy, Army, Army Air Corps, and Marine Corps began a campaign to capture the final island before the Japanese mainland. Before this violent day, the military high command had begun planning the invasion of Japan, known as “Operation Olympic”. The expected casualty count had been high, but had been seen as necessary to the success of the allies. But an ocean away, marines were being wiped out, Navy sailors were rushing to put out fires caused by kamikaze attacks, and army soldiers faced down waves of bayonet charges by desperate and crazed Japanese soldiers, many young men or old veterans. After two months of fighting the United States lost 18,900 men, brothers, fathers and sons. A further 38,000 were wounded. Mean while about 728 aircraft and 38 ships were destroyed, many of the ships falling to the suicidal attacks of the Japanese Naval and Army Air forces. With the horrific battle over after two months, the military revised the casualty predictions. The new report stated that some one million Americans, 500,000 British, and one million other allied deaths. In contrast some two million Japanese would have died defending their villages and cities. This report, above all others, motivated Harry S. Truman to give the order to drop the bomb.
In conclusion, it may never be known what would have happened in 1945 if the attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima had never occurred. However what is known is that some 300,000 or more Japanese died that fate full week, and some 4 million other lives were spared. The memories of the chaos will live on forever as a scene of pure terror. An old proverb states “The needs of the many out-weigh the needs of the few”. Without the atomic bombs, the war might have lasted longer, millions of needless deaths might have occurs and many prominent figures may not be alive today, such as our President, George Bush Jr, who’s father served as a dive bomber pilot in World War II.
END……………………………………………………………..
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