Atomic Bomb - Japan

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WO0304

Humanities

Description

On September 30, 1938, the League of Nations passed a unanimous resolution for the “Protection of Civilian Populations Against Bombing from the Air in Case of War.” In that resolution, the League noted that “the Intentional bombing of civilian populations is illegal,” and that “any attack on legitimate military objectives must be carried out in such a way that civilian populations in the neighborhood are not bombed through negligence.”[1]

The Manhattan Project began modestly in 1939 with a budget of $167,000 to explore the feasibility of a nuclear chain reaction. By October 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially approved the atomic program, and established a committee to oversee it. On July 16, 1945, the US tested its first nuclear explosion. Less than a month later, on August 6, 1945 the US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and three days later, a second bomb on Nagasaki.

On June 27, 1945, the Undersecretary of the Navy, Ralph A. Bard sent a memo to Secretary of War Henry Stimson. “Ever since I have been in touch with this program I have had a feeling that before the bomb is actually used against Japan that Japan should have some preliminary warning for say two or three days in advance of use. The position of the United States as a great humanitarian nation and the fair play attitude of our people generally is responsible in the main for this feeling.

During recent weeks I have also had the feeling very definitely that the Japanese government may be searching for some opportunity which they could use as a medium of surrender.”[2]

In his combat memoir With the Old Breed, Eugene Sledge would write that “We received the news with quiet disbelief coupled with an indescribable sense of relief. We thought the Japanese would never surrender. Many refused to believe it. Sitting around in stunned silence, we remembered our dead. So many dead. So many maimed. So many bright futures consigned to the ashes of the past. So many dreams lost in the madness that had engulfed us.”[3]

Clearly, some sought a different solution from the bomb, while others, and especially those who had fought in the Pacific, found great relief that they would not have to endure another minute of combat. Justification for dropping the bomb, and opposition to it came from many quarters. For this debate, you are not limited to the months prior to August 6, 1945. The argument concerning they use of nuclear power raged on for years to come.

You are then required to continue the debate by responding to three of your classmates. Your responses should be a minimum of 100 words, and should contribute to the dialogue. For each submission you will pretend to be against the bomb being dropped either agreeing or disagreeing with the individuals you are responding to. Be creative.

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RESPOND TO EACH PARAGRAPH 100 MINIMUM EACH 1. My name is Devin Futral, I’m a steel factory worker in Birmingham, Alabama. I approve of the use of the Atomic Bomb on the Japanese people. Some people argue that we should just continue expending American lives to fight the Japanese. So we are supposed to just play by the rules and not harm civilians after the dreadful attack that the Japanese made against us in Pearl Harbor? Those pilots took no caution in that attack and put many civilians at risk, with no warning. I say that we give them the same treatment. This war has gone on too long. The cost of the Atomic Bomb is light for the United States of America. There will be no more American lives expended to end this war. The emperor of Japan will realize that our power is to great and finally surrender to our great nation. The Atomic Bomb is a great weapon that will prove not only effective in wiping out a great number of these Japanese and ending the war, but also in showing other nations, Russia for example that the United States of America is not to be taken lightly! Giving a show of force will be an important part of finally ending this war. 2. Fellow Americans, We have a huge crisis at hand. We should all be able to tell by now that Japan is not going to surrender. The war is winding down, but they are refusing to let it die. We must do something impactful enough to cause them to surrender! Do you know how many casualties they have amassed already, how many lives they have taken? These were our brothers, husbands, fathers, friends. We cannot allow them to have perished in vain. Not to mention their horrific treatment of their prisoners of war. These deplorable actions should constitute war crimes on their end. Are we to just stand here and let them get away with it all? Although this bomb will have a devastating effect, it has to be done to protect our country and our loved. We have given the Japanese chance, after chance, after to chance to prevent this from happening. But, they have shut their ears and minds to us and will not accept the hand we have offered. Therefore, they have nobody to blame but themselves for this. Please don't let more of our young men suffer, ache, and die at their hands. Let's end this before it is too late. Jessica 3. Throughout the years, I have watched this country fight an internal battle for equality. As a teacher, it disgusts me to watch young black children discriminated against, not allowed to sit in our classrooms nor use the same facilities. This waft of racism has now grown to a stench. All I ask is why did this country have to bomb Japan so severely? Would you have bombed Germany this relentlessly? You certainly did not portray our German foes the way you portrayed Japanese soldiers. Describing not just one leader like we have for the Russians or Germans, but, their entire culture as a whole as uncivilized and barbaric, sometimes even inhuman. “Admiral William Halsey spoke for many Americans when he urged them to “Kill Japs! Kill Japs! Kill more Japs!””[i]. Was this attack racially charged? It is hard for me not to believe so. It doesn’t make sense to me why we bombed them once, so bombing them twice is just abuse. If Truman’s intention was to eliminate the need for a home island invasion, he could have demonstrated the strength of the bomb, giving japan an idea of what could potentially happen if they did not surrender. Even giving Japan more time to respond after the first bombing would have been better than bombing them twice; Even you all were surprised by the brutality of the first bomb. I am just a school teacher and I have more sense than that. I am saddened to call myself an American today. - Jonny 3.
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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

OUTLINE

1. INTRODUCTION
2. BODY
3. CONCLUSION
4. REFERENCE


Running Head: HISTORY

Discussion Response
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Instructor
Date

HISTORY

2

1.
My name is Devin Futral, I’m a steel factory worker in Birmingham, Alabama.
I approve of the use of the Atomic Bomb on the Japanese people.
Some people argue that we should just continue expending American lives to fight the Japanese.
So we are supposed to just play by the rules and not harm civilians after the dreadful attack that
the Japanese made against us in Pearl Harbor? Those pilots took no caution in that attack and put
many civilians at risk, with no warning. I say that we give them the same treatment. This war has
gone on too long. The cost of the Atomic Bomb is light for the United States of America. There
will be no more American lives expended to end this war. The emperor of Japan will realize that
our power is to great and finally surrender to our great nation. The Atomic Bomb is a great
weapon that will prove effective in wiping out a great number of these Japanese and ending the
war, but also in showing other nations, Russia for example that the United States of America is
not to be taken lightly! Giving a show of force will be an important part of finally ending this
war.
Response
Hello Devin Futral? I tend to differ with your argument in support of the use of the
atomic bomb on the Japanese soil. Even though the pilot put the lives of many civilians at
risk, the United States had no right to respond to the threat using an a...


Anonymous
Very useful material for studying!

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