Truman's Decision: Necessary Or Justified?

Imagine a country nearing the end of a world war with a pivotal decision to make. In this very situation, the United States of America was faced with some crucial choices in the spring of 1945. At this point, Harry S Truman had to decide whether to invade Japan’s mainland or to retaliate by air via the atomic bomb. America had been fighting in the war for the three exhausting years, losing a large number of soldiers. With Japan’s relentlessness, it was unclear how many more lives would be lost and how many more months the battle would be fought. The use of the atomic bomb on Japan was indeed necessary due to Japan’s unwillingness to surrender, the fear of more American lives being lost, and the prior existence and investment in America’s
atomic bombs.
Despite clear signs of losing the war in the near future, Japan continued to fight to the very end. Signals such as the collapse of Germany in May of 1945 acted as a foreshadow to the Axis defeat. With these genuine sights of loss, Japan seemed to become even more ruthless. For example, Japan’s leader, Hideki Tojo, “launched attacks in the pacific which inflicted Allied casualties totaling nearly half those suffered in three full prior years of war in the Pacific” (History.com Staff). This evidence clearly depicted Japan’s relentlessness and tenacity. Japan’s militarist government rejected the Allies’ demand for surrender put forth in the Potsdam Declaration which threatened the Japanese with “prompt and utter destruction” if they refused. Due to Japan’s denial, the United States had to carry out their promise and deliver massive destruction. Truman did not seek to destroy Japanese culture or people; the goal was to destroy Japan’s ability to make war. Truman targeted Hiroshima and Nagasaki not because of their population, but due to their devotion to military production. When faced with the realization of defeat, Japan was deeply angered, thus contributing to a greater level of ruthless war.
With Japan’s rebellion and readiness to continue fighting, an immense amount of additional American lives would have undoubtedly been lost.
If Truman proposed to invade Japan’s homeland, a tremendous and historic amount of bloodshed would have prevailed. Evidence can be found in the following statement as, “Truman was afraid that an invasion of Japan would look like Okinawa from one end of Japan to the other” (NPS editor). Casualty predictions of the invasion were envisioned to be a gargantuan number, and the price of invasion would have been millions of dead and wounded Americans. This claim has been supported by documents found after the war. In the article “Harry S Truman’s Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb,” a Japanese statement read, “Despite knowing the cause was hopeless, Japan planned a resistance so ferocious, resulting in costs so appalling, that they hoped that the United States would simply call for a ceasefire where each nation would agree to stop fighting and each nation would retain the territory they occupied at the time” (NPS editor). This statement clearly portrays the potential of the deadly occasion. Harry S Truman and the United States did not desire to be further involved with Japan; therefore, as promised, lethal destruction was executed. “My object is to save as many American lives as possible, but I also have a human feeling for the women and children of Japan” (Demarest). Truman’s statement concisely illustrates his thinking behind the bomb’s
utilization.
The year was 1939, and a group of American scientists began research on plutonium, uranium, and nuclear weaponry.
The group consisted of a few men who originated from fascist regimes in Europe. They became concerned with nuclear weapons research which was being conducted by Nazis in Germany. In 1940, the U.S. government began funding its own atomic weapons development program. After the U.S. entry into World War II, the program came under the joint responsibility of the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the War Department. This was a far-reaching program as, “Over the next several years, the program’s scientists worked on producing the key materials for nuclear fission–uranium-235 and plutonium. They sent them to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where a team led by J. Robert Oppenheimer worked to turn these materials into a workable atomic bomb” (History.com). The scientists and manufacturers were determined to produce a functionable nuclear bomb. In addition, “Thousands of hours of research and development as well as billions of dollars had contributed to its production” (NPS Editor). This illustrates the monumental amount of money and labor which was invested into this immense project. Nearing the end of the war and four years later, the Manhattan Project successfully detonated an atomic device in New Mexico’s uninhabited deserts. President Truman was aware of the upcoming triumph, and he was ready to put an end to Japan’s empire. Taking advantage of the
appropriate scenario, Truman decides to deploy the new weapon, as he did not want to see all of the previous, substantial research and testing go to waste.
Clearly, the execution of the atomic bombs was a vital necessity to ending the war due to the relentlessness of Japan’s military as well as the immense amount of money, time, and labor put into the project. Additionally, the implementation of the atomic bombs saved countless amounts of important American lives. Despite the demand to surrender which Japan received from the United States, Japan denied and pressed on with their merciless fighting. Truman had seen enough American bloodshed, thus he did not desire having his country witness more of the same. With the colossal investment made into the Manhattan Project, Truman sought out the opportunity to put it to practical use. In the end, Harry S Truman and the United States carried out the most efficient and effective solution for the American people.