Riley Boag
Atomic Bomb Fishbowl Discussion
World History
Period 5 Opinion (1st Bomb)
yes bomb no bomb
The atomic bomb most definitely should have been used. In a
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journal entry by Karl T. Compton, he states that an interrogated japanese army officer said that had the bomb not been dropped the japanese army would have kept fighting. In the words of the prisoner,
¨We would have kept on fighting until all Japanese were killed, but we would not have been defeated.¨ To put this in perspective, the dropping of the atomic bombs may have killed many but also saved the lives of others as they decided to stop fighting in the war. Also, had the United States decided not to drop the bomb and instead invade the Krushu and Tokyo plains, the Americans would have suffered an estimated 40,000 more deaths and 15,000 wounded soldiers according to a document from the Joint War Plans
Committee.
Opinion (2nd Bomb)
The United States’ use of the second atomic bomb on the city of
Nagasaki was a necessary evil. The first bomb used on Hiroshima was not enough to convince Japan of an unconditional surrender. In order to stop the war and save the lives of both american and japanese soldiers, the second atom bomb, nicknamed “Fat Man”, needed to be used. The second use of the atomic bomb proved not only to Japan, but the entire world that the U.S wasn’t just a onehit wonder when it came to dropping nuclear bombs. It allowed the message to get across that the United States would do whatever necessary to end the current war, and even future wars if it came to that kind of decision. The bomb was the final push needed to make the japanese surrender.
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Opinion (U.S ending the Pacific Theater)
The actions taken by the U.S were spectacular in ending the pacific theater. In the battle of midway, by taking out 4 of the 5 japanese aircraft carriers the U.S took away Japan’s ability to attack Hawaii again or other allied positions. The two main goals of the U.S were to regain the Philippines and invade Japan, which were both achieved.
By using the strategy of Island hopping, the U.S got close enough to
Japan to perform longrange bombing, which helped them allowed them to invade Japan. However, the invasion of the japanese cities of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, proved to be too devastating for the U.S
troops. In order to put an end to the Pacific Theatre, the use of the atomic bomb was needed. It speeded up the surrendering process and saved the lives of many japanese and allied troops.
Rationale Behind United State's dropping the Bomb
The Interim Committee, an advisory group of scientists, military
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leaders, and government official, met in the spring of 1945 to debate the alternatives to the bomb. The committee could not recommend any of the alternates. Heavy American casualties at Iwo Jima and
Okinawa were an influential factor in the committee's support for the bomb. In addition, estimates from high military personnel such as
U.S. Army Chief of Staff George Marshall, Admiral Ernest King, Chief of Naval Operations, and Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Chester
Nimitz predicted the number of U.S casualties from 31,000 to 49,000 in the first 30 days of combat. Further studies were done and varied widely, however they were no less gruesome.
Alternatives (Demonstration)
Opponents of the bomb are adamant that there were other options available to the President, which at the very least should have been tried before resorting to the bomb. One alternative might have been to arrange a demonstration of the bomb. Although the U.S. and
Japan had no diplomatic relations after Pearl Harbor, a demonstration might have been arranged discretely through some back channel, perhaps through the Russians. It was already known in Washington that the Japanese had reached out to the Russians earlier to try to arrange some form of intervention with the U.S.
