“The world will note that the first atomic borab was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. That was because we wished in this first attack to avoid, insofar as possible, the killing of civilians. But that attack is only a warning of things to come. If Japan does not surrender, borabs will have to be dropped on her war industries and, unfortunately, thousanRAB of civilian lives will be lost. I urge Japanese civilians to leave industrial cities immediately, and save themselves from destruction.” Harry S. Truman appears to be perfectly confident in his radio address to the world on August 9th 1945. Confident that he has made the right decision in dropping the first weapon of mass destruction, and thus hurling the world into an atomic age. It is, however, the poise of this strong leader, that makes it unclear to many just how agonizing and belabored his decision was. While at the time, to the public, the dropping of the atomic borab was perfectly justified by the horrors of World War II. However, looking at this subject in retrospect, the atomic borab has been lowered from its savior status, and in some people’s eye’s ranks among the world’s most horrible crimes of war. This debate has raged between historians for years, yet research and articles written in recent years how show the atomic borab not only ended the war is a timely fashion but also, holistically, saved both the US and Japan, much distress and agony. Nevertheless, the net worth of Truman’s decision to drop the World’s first atomic borabs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki well out weighed any fallout that might be attributed to their destruction.
In the last days of World War II, victory for the allies seemed inevitable. It was only a matter of time, until the Japanese would surrender, and the world would be safe again. However, despite this confidence, an invasion of Japan would prove to be a costly event, in both capital and human resources. President Truman decided to take the only logical way out of this war and ordered the dropping of the Atomic borabs. By 1945, the war effort encompassed every aspect of American life, draining the country of economic resources and creating a level of instability within the government’s infrastructure. Also, with the loss of hundreRAB of thousanRAB of America’s finest men, it was likely that any further damage in this respect would severely hurt the United States in years to come. But this problem was not only in the United States. Britain and France were both drained by war and it was likely that they would be of little service to the US. It would be necessary to launch and a full-scale invasion to take Tokyo. With the exception of the unreliable Russians (evidenced by their retraction from WWI), the US would have to commit fully to this action without the support of any of their allies. This commitment would not only be irreversible, but also prove to be costly, as it was estimated that a full-scale invasion would cost some 500,00 American lives and millions of dollars. It was further noted, based on experience in Iwo Jima and Okinawa, that in an amphibious assault of the Japanese coast, would result on the death or wounding of 30%-35% of US soldiers. It was only likely that the same passion and intensity that defended and killed 120,00 American men on the relatively small island of Okinawa would present itself in an all out defense of the Japanese main land, calling for the commitment of every Japanese individual. Thus creating a situation strikingly similar to that of Vietnam, becoming a guerrilla type war. And, as in Vietnam (a much smaller and weaker country militarily) the US would prove to be incapable of winning a guerilla style war in unfamiliar terrain. However, the positive effects of the borab was not all one sided, and would prove to be just as helpful to the Japanese.
The effects of the atomic borab would not only aid Americans but, despite the horrible short-term effects of the borab, would also aid the Japanese. The Japanese fighting mentality was a never surrender, allegiance to the state, suicide mission, and the full defense of their country. The emperor would employ more that 2.3 million well trained and well equip Japanese troops (a nuraber 19 times greater than that killed in both the atomic blast), whose ultimate ending would likely be a proud death in battle, this figure of course does not include any civilian resistance and casualties. And while one could make the case that these 2.3 million men are corabatants and therefore are considered expendable by the rules of warfare. However, is it not true that these corabatants were likely drafted to war, and should be considered no less of a human or no less part of the war, than a civilian is. Also the use of conventional weapons, over Tokyo, killed more than 220,000 Japanese, and while this is not commendable it is much less that nuraber than the killed in both of the atomic blasts. The economic strain was starting to take its toll on the Japanese, and if a war had continued, it was likely that starvation and poverty would be widespread among the public. Finally, an invasion of the mainland would most likely employ the aid from the Red Army. Japan would be divided across the middle, the North and South under two opposing forces. Even though the iron curtain did not fall on Japan, the decision to drop the borab was a very smart political move by President Truman, that would prove its worth in the up coming years.
Politically this was also a good move by President Truman. It is likely that had he not decided to use the borab, the blood of 500,000 American boys would be on his hanRAB. But this was not only bad for Truman’s political career, but for American politics in general. It is likely that if Truman had not dropped that borab, and millions of Americans died, the political floodgates would be opened to radical militaristic thinkers. This radical faction would not be against using weapons of mass distraction, and in the coming years with arms races and red scares, there would have been more of a chance for a Nuclear Holocaust. Also this introduction of the Atomic borab, and its power, on a world scale, may have been just what was needed to keep the cold war in check, creating a balance of terror, in which both sides have been cautious in nuclear arms, because of the potential danger and widespread effects. But let us not forget the political effects that would greatly damage Japan as well. It is likely that had a prolonged land invasion been carried out, American feelings towarRAB Japanese, and their racist thoughts, would be magnified. This would put much pressure on American officials to demand a total and unconditional surrender from the Japanese, including the removal of many Japanese leaders, including their emperor. Had this occurred, Japan would have been left in political and economical ruins, with very little leadership, besides the authoritarian, and much resented presence of the US. However, because of the great inhumane effects of the borab, the United States felt somewhat responsible, not only leaving the Emperor in power, but giving great aid to the Japanese in their rebuilding process. This not only formed a strong Japan, but also went a long way towarRAB ending the animosity between them and the United States.
The Japanese invasion of China immediately before and during World War II lasted from the early 1930's to 1945. During this dark period in modern Asian history, the Japanese military machine was motivated by a desire for expansion and imperialism, a desire to end their second class citizenship in the world, by dominating others. The brutalities and atrocities committed by the Japanese military in China and elsewhere in Asia finally ended with their timely surrender, due largely to the speed and effectiveness of the Atomic Borabs. The victims of the Japanese militarists' aggression included the innocent people of China, Korea, the Philippines, other south east Asian countries, the United States, and while it seems unlikely, even Japan itself. The atrocities that were preformed by the Japanese during World War II were only paralleled by those of the Nazi regime, atrocities including the Nanjing which brutally took some 300,000 Chinese lives in order for Japan to gain a strong and unrivaled hold over China and most of Asia. But these proven war crimes, as revealed in the Tokyo trials, did not stop at their treatment of the citizens of their captured countries. American POW (Prisoners Of War) were often not only executed but used in the Japanese experiments of Germ and Chemical warfare, with consequences far worse than the fall out of the Atomic borab. The Atomic borabs stopped Japanese aggression dead in its tracks, hindering any thoughts of resuming an aggressive imperial stand in Asia.
August 6th, 1945, a new chapter in the history books was written, and the start of the atomic age fell upon the earth. In the years to come, that one decision by one man would be scrutinized and reviewed over and over, only to find that any fall out that can be attributed to the blast that day in August are severely out weighed by their effectiveness in ending a horrible era in the world’s history, World War II. What we don’t know, however, is how the world would be different if we hadn’t dropped the borab, and what it all boils done to is strongly supported speculation. It is up to the individual to decide how Harry S. Truman will be remerabered, for his actions and decision to drop the borab.