7/30/2019 Otto Essay

1/2

Sydney Carroll

Period 2

2/6/13

Trumans Decision

The pendulum of the mind alternates between sense and non-sense, but between right and

wrong (Carl Jung). Like a pendulum, President Truman determination on dropping the atomic bomboutweighed the moral decision. On December 7, 1941 Japan unexpectedly attacked Pearl Harbor, which

lead the United States (U.S) to finally enter the Second World War Four years later, on August 6, 1945,

Truman dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and three days later on Nagasaki. This even cast millions

of peoples lives but was the best decision Truman could have made. The U.S. should have dropped the

atomic bomb on Japan because an invasion would have caused millions of American casualties, they also

had to stop the expansion of communism, and demonstrate to the Soviets their new powerful weapon.

Truman dropped the atomic bomb on Japan because an invasion would have caused millions of

American casualties. There were many alternatives to dropping the atomic bomb, but Truman focused

on the death rate of American soldiers. Casualties from both Hiroshima and Nagasaki invasion

operations could range 2,500 million men (DM Giangreco). This indicates the number of American

soldiers that could have contributed to the death toll during the Second World War. In the beginning of

World War II, the U.S focused on defeating Germany, which also lead to many deaths of American

soldiers. By the time the U.S got to Japan, they were already worn out due to the battles in the Pacific

and couldnt afford to lose any more soldiers; therefore Truman had every right to drop the atomic

bomb on Japan.

Not only did Truman have to concentrate on the number of American casualties, but he also had

to stop the spread of Communism. Reaching Japan was extremely important to the United States.

Trumans main motive was to limit Soviet expansion in Asia (Rob Edwards). Truman feared that if the

Soviets conquered Japan their military would have been more powerful. Truman felt that if the Soviets

could possible spread their beliefs throughout Asia, then eventually Communism would spread all over

the world. This situation was a crucial impact on the United States because Communism is a threat to

Democracy. Overall, Communism was at its peak for this reason, it was up to Truman to seize the

expansion of Communism before it plagued America.

Furthermore, Truman had to let the Soviet Union be aware of the United States new powerful

weapon. Truman wanted to show the Soviets that they were officially a super world power. Truman

and many of his advisors hope that the United States atomic monopoly might offer diplomatic leverage

with the Soviets (Rob Edwards). This indicates how President Truman used militarism as a strategy to

make the Soviets fearful. The dropping of the atomic bomb was a method to force the Soviet Union into

cooperating with the U.S. in the future. Truman also wanted the Soviets to be alarmed that the U.S. had

the ability to wipe them out at any given moment if rules werent followed. Therefore, Truman had to

set the example, which was dropping the atomic bomb on Japan to get the Soviets attention.

Opponents that the U.S. murdered innocent women and children however, the atomic bomb

made Hirohito surrender. Even though people were killed, America stopped an evil dictator from taking

7/30/2019 Otto Essay

2/2

Sydney Carroll

Period 2

2/6/13

Trumans Decision

advantage of his people. Before 1945, Democracy as we know it had a little chance to develop in Japan,

no free elections or real political parties existed and women were denied equal rights (General

McArthur). If Hirohito would have stayed in power people would have suffered more than what the

atomic bomb caused. Not being able to have equal rights or speak up against ignorance could drive a

person insane. Living under dictator rule you automatically get killed for disobeying rules, which means

that millions of citizens probably died before the atomic bomb was even dropped. Nevertheless,

President Truman actually gave Japan freedom.

In conclusion, Truman should have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan to decrease American

casualties. The United States had to stop the expansion of communism and let the Soviets be aware of

their new powerful weapon. Determining whether dropping the atomic bomb on Japan was right or

wrong may have been difficult but, Truman made the right decision. Knowing your history is extremely

important and people have to be educated on what happened in the past. The Second World War was a

crucial impact on the U.S because many Americans lost their lives.