Document-Based Question

Was it necessary for the United States to drop the atomic bombs on Japan?
 Understanding the
Decision to Drop the Bomb on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
JANUARY 2, 2016

 
Background Essay

This past August marked the 70th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. On August 6, 1945, U.S. President Harry Truman informed the world that an atomic
weapon had been detonated on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Nicknamed Little Boy, the
bomb with a power of over 20,000 tons of TNT destroyed most of Hiroshima, killing an
estimated 130,000 people. Three days later on August 9, a second bomb nicknamed Fat Man
was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki destroying most of Nagasaki and killing roughly
between 60,000 - 70,000 people. Six days after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan surrendered,
marking the end of World War II.
 
The destructive power of these nuclear weapons and the subsequent casualties of the Japanese
have continued to prompt questions over whether the U.S. should have decided to use these
weapons against Japan during World War II. Even 70 years after the event, the decision to drop
the first atomic bomb continues to be widely debated.
 
 To be sure, as the development of the atomic bomb was nearing its completion, the U.S. was
still engaged in a massive war with the Japanese. By all accounts, from the middle of 1944, it
was clear to both the Japanese and the United States that the Japanese were losing the war
and that the question was when not if the Japanese would finally capitulate or surrender. As
the summer of 1945 began, the U.S. military campaign continued to involve numerous aerial
raids as well as large scale invasion of Japanese islands. Accordingly, before the atomic bomb
became available, the U.S. was planning another large scale invasion of Japan codenamed
Operation Downfall for the fall of 1945, which it hoped would overwhelm the Japanese and end
the war. Instead President Truman and his team of advisors decided to drop the 2 bombs

Document 1
The atomic bomb was necessary to end the war with Japan at the earliest possible moment. By
the early summer of 1945, Japanese leaders knew they could not win. But they fought on in
hopes of securing better surrender terms.

President Harry S. Truman considered several ways to convince Japan to quit the war: 1)
intensifying the already heavy bombing of Japanese cities; 2) waiting for the Soviet Union, an
ally in defeating Germany, to join the war against Japan; 3) allowing Japan's emperor, Hirohito,
to remain on his throne; and 4) invading Japan.

The first three options were far from certain to compel a Japanese surrender quickly, however,
and each posed serious military, political, and diplomatic risks. More than 55,000 Americans
had already died fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. An invasion was certain to be very costly in
American lives.

When the atomic bomb became available in July 1945, it appeared to be the most promising
way to end the war as soon as possible and without the drawbacks of the alternatives. The
atomic bombing of Hiroshima and then Nagasaki persuaded Emperor Hirohito, who had
wavered for weeks that the war must end immediately. Combined with the Soviet entry into
the conflict, the atom bombs brought about Japan's surrender within a few days.

The bomb was necessary to accomplish Truman's primary objectives of forcing a prompt
Japanese surrender and saving American lives, perhaps thousands of them.
—J. Samuel Walker, Author 
Prompt & Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan

Document 2

When General Dwight D. Eisenhower, then the Supreme Allied Commander, was informed by
the Secretary of War that the atomic bomb was going to be used, he later recalled saying it was
unnecessary because Japan was already largely defeated. Eisenhower said the bomb was "no
longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives." At one point after the war he said
bluntly, "It wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing."

Before the bomb was used, U.S. intelligence officials believed the war would likely end when
two things happened: When the U.S. let Japan know their Emperor could stay on as a
figurehead, and when the Soviet army attacked. The U.S. did tell Japan the Emperor could
remain, and the Soviets declared war, as agreed, on August 8.

But U.S. officials chose not to test whether this intelligence was correct. Instead, Hiroshima was
bombed on August 6, and Nagasaki on August 9. Because of logistics, an invasion of Japan could
not begin for another three months, so the U.S. could have waited to see if Japan would
surrender before dropping the atomic bombs.

Most top World War II military leaders are all on record agreeing with Eisenhower. Admiral
William Leahy, President Truman's Chief of Staff, later called the bomb a "barbarous weapon"
that was unnecessary. Leahy wrote, "The Japanese were already defeated and ready to
surrender. . . . In being the first to use it, we . . . adopted an ethical standard common to the
barbarians of the Dark Ages."

—Gar Alperovitz 
Professor of Political Economy 
University of Maryland

Document 3 Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The Hiroshima atomic bomb killed over 70,000 people on impact and injured 69,000. In
Hiroshima, the bomb destroyed about 67 percent of the city’s structures. In Nagasaki, it is
estimated that the bomb destroyed about 40 percent of the city. The Nagasaki bomb did less
damage because of the geography of the city. It killed more than 39,000 and injured 25,000.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki have become centers for peace movements to ban atomic bombs.
Hiroshima houses the Peace Memorial Park, which is located near the center of the atomic
blast site. The park contains a museum and a memorial to those who died in the blast.
Document 4: The Firebombing of Tokyo
Incredibly, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not the worst blows absorbed by Japan. On March 9,
1945, 334 B-29 bombers bombed Tokyo, starting many fires which, whipped by high winds,
turned into a terrible firestorm. This firestorm destroyed much of the city. The attack left more
than 83,000 people dead, 125,000 wounded, and 1.2 million homeless.
Document 5: A Personal Voice
Yamaoka Michiko was 15 years old and living near the center of Hiroshima when the first bomb
hit.
A PERSONAL VOICE YAMAOKA MICHIKO
“They say temperatures of 7,000 degrees centigrade hit me. . . . Nobody there looked like
human beings. . . . Humans had lost the ability to speak. People couldn’t scream, ‘It hurts!’ even
when they were on fire. . . . People with their legs wrenched off. Without heads. Or with faces
burned and swollen out of shape. The scene I saw was a living hell.” —quoted in Japan at War:
An Oral History

Document 6: Emperor Hirohito of Japan was horrified by the destruction wrought by the
bomb.
“I cannot bear to see my innocent people suffer any longer,” he told Japan’s leaders tearfully.
Then he ordered them to draw up papers “to end the war.” On September 2, formal surrender
ceremonies took place on the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. “Today the guns are silent,”
said General MacArthur in a speech marking this historic moment. “The skies no longer rain
death—the seas bear only commerce—men everywhere walk upright in the sunlight. The entire
world is quietly at peace.”

Document 7:
“The only way to end the war against Japan was to bomb the Japanese mainland.”
Many advisors to President Truman, including Secretary of War Henry Stimson, had this point of
view. They felt the bomb would end the war and save American lives. Stimson said, “The face of
war is the face of death.” Some scientists working on the bomb agreed— even more so as the
casualty figures from Iwo Jima and Okinawa sank in. “Are we to go on shedding American blood
when we have available a means to a steady victory?” they petitioned. “No! If we can save even
a handful of American lives, then let us use this weapon—now!” Two other concerns pushed
Americans to use the bomb. Some people feared that if the bomb were not dropped, the
project might be viewed as a gigantic waste of money. The second consideration involved the
Soviet Union. Tension and distrust were already developing between the Western Allies and the
Soviets. Some American officials believed that a successful use of the atomic bomb would give
the United States a powerful advantage over the Soviets in shaping the postwar world.
Document 8: The firebombing of Japan would have had the surrender without the use of the
Atomic Bomb
“Japan’s staggering losses were enough to force Japan’s surrender.”
Many of the scientists who had worked on the bomb, as well as military leaders and civilian
policymakers, had doubts about using it. Dr. Leo Szilard, a Hungarian born physicist who had
helped President Roosevelt launch the project and who had a major role in developing the
bomb, was a key figure opposing its use. A petition drawn up by Szilard and signed by 70 other
scientists argued that it would be immoral to drop an atomic bomb on Japan without fair
warning. Many supported staging a demonstration of the bomb for Japanese leaders, perhaps
by exploding one on a deserted island near Japan, to convince the Japanese to surrender.
Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower agreed. He maintained that
“dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary” to save American lives and that Japan was
already defeated. “I was against it [the bomb] on two counts. First the Japanese were ready to
surrender and it wasn’t necessary to hit them with that awful thing. Second, I hated to see our
country be the first to use such a weapon.”
Document 9

Ending the war at the earliest possible moment - The primary objective for the U.S. was to win
the war at the lowest possible cost. Specifically, Truman was looking for the most effective way
to end the war quickly, not for a way to not use the bomb.
 
To justify the cost of the Manhattan Project - The Manhattan Project was a secret program to
which the U.S. had funneled an estimated $1,889,604,000 (in 1945 dollars) through December
31, 1945.
 
A lack of incentives not to use the bomb - Weapons were created to be used. By 1945, the
bombing of civilians was already an established practice. In fact, the earlier U.S. firebombing
campaign of Japan, which began in 1944, killed an estimated 315,922 Japanese, a greater
number than the estimated deaths attributed to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. The firebombing of Tokyo alone resulted in roughly 100,000 Japanese killed.
 
Responding to Pearl Harbor - When a general raised objections to the use of the bombs,
Truman responded by noting the atrocities of Pearl Harbor and said that “When you have to
deal with a beast you have to treat him as a beast.”

Document 10 - Alternatives to dropping the bomb

 Alternatives to both the bomb and the invasion were discussed by the Interim Committee
established to advise the manner in which nuclear weapons should be employed against Japan.
During these meetings, the Committee discussed three specific alternatives:
 
Intensifying conventional bombing and the naval blockade 

General MacArthur felt that air power alone could force a Japanese surrender within six
months with little risk to American lives. However, it was also argued that this may be a best
case scenario where in actuality it could take substantially longer.
 
Japan was about to surrender from bombing alone
 
In the summer of 1945, there was a distinctly changing dynamic within Japan. The war had
already taken a great toll not just on the Japanese military but also on its entire domestic
infrastructure. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary reported in April 1945 that “transportation,
shipping, communications, and industry had been so sharply curtailed that the national
economy would grind to a virtual standstill.” The destruction of Japanese cities through the
repeated raids by U.S. B-29’s, had caused conditions in Japan to diminish with an evaporating
food supply and decreasing public morale. As General Robert Eichelberger, a lieutenant of
General MacArthur, wrote on July 24 of that year, “a great many people, probably 50%, feel
that Japan is about to fold up.”

Guided Reading Questions- 20 Points

Background Essay
1. When were the Atomic bombs dropped? How many bombs were dropped? How many
people were killed?
They were dropped on August 6 and August 9th, two were dropped. About 200,000 people.

2. Who was winning the War when the Atomic bombs were used?

The United States

Document 1
1. Who was the President of the United States when the bombs were dropped?
Harry S. Truman
2. List 2 other ways the Americans thought they could use to force Japan to surrender?
 Allow Japan’s emperor Hirohito to remain on his throne
 Invading Japan
3. How many Americans died fighting Japan during WWII?
More than 55,000 Americans

Document 2
1. What was Eisenhower’s official title during WWII?
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
2. Define the term barbarous.
savagely cruel; exceedingly brutal.

Document 3
1. Total the number of deaths as a result of the two bombs.
109,000
2. Total the number of injuries as a result of the two bombs.
94,000

3. What percentage of Hiroshima’s city was destroyed as a result of the 1 st bomb?

67%

Document 4
1. What damage was done to Tokyo in the fire bombings that the US was carrying out prior
to dropping the bombs?
It destroyed much of the city
2. How many human deaths were attributed to the bombing campaign?
83,000 deaths
Document 5
1. List a few words to describe you own emotions as you read the eyewitness account.
Shocked, Saddening, Depressing
Document 6
1. What reasons did Emperor Hirohito give for finally agreeing to surrender?
Many people were dying and if he didn’t surrender many more would die

2. How many days did it take Japan to surrender after the bombs were dropped?
About a Month

3. Where did the Japanese surrender take place?

U.S battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

4. How Macarthur’s quote support the idea that the bombs served a good purpose?
It helped Japan to surrender

Document 7
1. Summarize document 7 by listing the 3 reasons the author is presenting for why the
atomic bombs were necessary?
 They felt the bomb would end the war
 Peral Harbor
 It would a powerful advantage over the soviets in shaping the postwar world

Document 8
1. What did some leading scientists propose doing as an alternative to dropping the bomb?
They wanted to show Japanese leaders perhaps by exploding one on a deserted island
near Japan.
2. What 2 reasons did Eisenhower give for opposing the use of the atomic bomb?
 The Japanese were ready to surrender
 He hated to see our country be the first to use such a weapon
Document 9
1. Why did the dropping the bomb make sense to President Truman?
He wanted to disable them from fighting.
2. At the time of the project, how much did the Manhattan Project cost the American
people?
1,889,604,000 (in 1945 dollars)

3. How could the events of Pearl Harbor be used as justification for dropping the bomb?
They destroy many war ships and killed many people

Document 10
1. Aside from death and injuries, how did the firebombing campaign against Japan have an
effect on the country?
It destroyed many of the country and buildings.