The Debate
President Truman
The Americans needed needed Japan to surrender, ending World War II. President Truman, who was newly in office, had to make the final decision about dropping the bomb after the death of President Roosevelt. Truman and his advisers made the decision to drop the bomb without knowing the full extent of its consequences. They had to weigh the benefits of ending the war against the massive destruction it would cause. Dropping the bomb could be condemned by many but they were desperate to finish the war.
U.S. President Harry Truman
with Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson
at his White House desk after the Potsdam conference.
Pros And Cons
Pros:
-Diplomatic efforts to end war in peace failed and the bombs would end the war quickly.
-It would prevent fighting on the ground and it saved the lives of American soldiers and Japanese civilians and soldiers.
-The atomic bombs would serve as revenge on Japan after their unexpected attack on Pearl Harbor.
-The bombs would demonstrate the power of the U.S. to the world and particularly to Russia.
- It would help the U.S. and England shape the political postwar era and help temper Stalin's power.
Cons:
-No one knew how much damage would be caused or what the long term effects of the radioactivity would be.
-The bombs would kill thousands of Japanese civilians.
-The U.S. risked being condemned by the rest of the world for the massive destruction of civilians.
- The bombs were used after a failure in diplomacy because the US insisted on unconditional surrender; something that was impossible for the Japanese.
- Using the bomb would reinforce the use of power over diplomacy.
-Diplomatic efforts to end war in peace failed and the bombs would end the war quickly.
-It would prevent fighting on the ground and it saved the lives of American soldiers and Japanese civilians and soldiers.
-The atomic bombs would serve as revenge on Japan after their unexpected attack on Pearl Harbor.
-The bombs would demonstrate the power of the U.S. to the world and particularly to Russia.
- It would help the U.S. and England shape the political postwar era and help temper Stalin's power.
Cons:
-No one knew how much damage would be caused or what the long term effects of the radioactivity would be.
-The bombs would kill thousands of Japanese civilians.
-The U.S. risked being condemned by the rest of the world for the massive destruction of civilians.
- The bombs were used after a failure in diplomacy because the US insisted on unconditional surrender; something that was impossible for the Japanese.
- Using the bomb would reinforce the use of power over diplomacy.
