The President Harry S. Truman, made the decision to use the atom bomb to end the war in order to prevent what he predicted would be a much greater loss of life were the United States to invade the Japanese mainland.
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the first atomic bombs used in warfare. The first atomic bomb ever to be used in a military operation was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan On August 6, 1945 at 8:16:02 a.m. Hiroshima time. The bomb, affectionately named “Little Boy,” exploded 1,900 feet above the courtyard of Shima Hospital, with a force equivalent to 12,500 tons of TNT. By the end of 1945, 140,00 people had died as a direct result of the bombing. Within the following five years, another 60,000 would die of bomb-related causes. http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/atomic-bomb.
The second bomb, called “Fat Man,” exploded over Nagasaki, Japan, at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945. It exploded at 1,650 feet with a force of 22,000 tons of TNT. 70,000 people lost their lives in Nagasaki by the end of 1945 due to the bombing. A total of 140,00 died within the next five years.
I can see that the Atomic bomb had good effects and bad in the same time, positive effect brought the world to end, the negative side was thousands of innocents people died from this bomb, also others had physical ruined. my point of view is if they didn’t drop this bomb, the war might last longer and more people would have been killed. As it is World War II is the worst disaster on human life in all human history.
jasperlily • Jun 19, 2015 at 8:54 am
To consider the lives of Americans greater than the lives of innocent Japanese citizens, is a crime in itself. If Truman was afraid of Japanese attack and the extension of the war, he should have surrendered. The pride of one man apparently mattered more than human decency at the time. I hope after the bombs were dropped, he thought of all the children that did not get to live out their lives because of his disgusting actions. I went to Hiroshima a few years ago and there is still damage from the bomb left from over 60 years ago and the Hiroshima museum made me ashamed to be American.
Cristt • Jun 11, 2015 at 8:46 am
The decision to drop the Atomic Bomb was wrong. Why did President Truman choose Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities as targets? It is always wrong to choose innocent civilians as targets during war. Just because the war had killed many innocent civilians already this did not justify trying to end the war by making civilians a direct target. Many lives, homes and families were destroyed. War does not make sense.
saragalindo1 • Jun 11, 2015 at 7:47 am
I agree that if Truman hadn’t decided to drop the atomic bomb, then more Americans would have died and the war would have lasted longer but there’s no way of knowing now. I think he didn’t want to take the chance of our nation to go through anymore suffering. As a leader to the people he wanted to make sure no more lives were lost under his presidency.