Thesis and Abstract

    Although the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to a quick end to the war in the Pacific, the United States was unjustified in the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. While President Truman claimed the bombings saved countless American lives, the bombs killed more than 200,000 Japanese citizens, resulted in deadly radiation, and started a global nuclear arms race.

  

     On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. This attack on the United States of America came with no warning, and was the immediate reason why our country entered World War II. Over the course of about four years, Japan and the United States of America endured many bloody and gruesome battles, all the while with Japan showing no signs of surrender. On August 6, 1945, President Truman dropped the first atomic bomb, "Little Boy", on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Truman justified this by saying it would save many American lives, however it instantly killed 80,000 Japanese Civilians. The United States of America then gave Japan three days to surrender with the threat of another atomic bomb. With it being extremely difficult for the Japanese to assess the damage of the first atomic bomb in that short period of time, the the United States dropped "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki on August 6, killing 100,000 civilians and affecting over 200,000.