St. Louis University High School
THE ATOMIC BOMBS
AND THE REASONING
BEHIND THEIR USE
John Clohisy
Theology 300 Second Semester
Mr. Matt Sciuto
Monday, April 14, 2008
The two atomic bombs that devastated Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945 threw the world into a completely new age of warfare. As a result, the possibility of utter destruction beyond our wildest dreams has broken through the barriers of limiting factors such as lack of resources, knowledge, technology, and perhaps, most importantly, the actual will to use the bomb. Overall, the main goal of the bomb was to put an end to the Second World War (in particular, Japan’s relentless fanatical resistance to surrender) and in the process save as many American lives as possible. Despite this strictly military goal, outside influences had significant impact on the Harry S. Truman and the United States’ decision to drop the bomb. As it may be assumed, many factors went into this monumental decision, yet there is still controversy over whether the United States made the right choice.
In late July and early August of 1945, the United States and the rest of the Allies found themselves in a position in World War II which played out to be a major factor that went into the final decision to drop the bombs. Even though the atomic bomb was used against Japan, it was originally intended for use against the Germans. German scientists were, in fact, the first to discover how to split an atom and release nuclear power. As the horrible thought of Hitler possessing an atomic bomb became more of a reality, refugees from the Nazis such as renowned Hungarian physicists Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner began to warn Western governments and aid them in their pursuit of the weapon. Albert Einstein, another refugee, signed a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt emphasizing the urgency of the situation, and this letter played a big role in the decision to begin working on the bomb. Germany eventually disbanded their efforts to build the bomb because of staggering costs and lack of essential resources. In June of 1945, the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima between the U.S. and Japan caused U.S. casualties to skyrocket. An average of 2,500 people died (both sides combined) per day in the 82 days for the battle over the small island Okinawa, and meanwhile the U.S. was preparing to launch what would be the largest amphibious invasion in history on the mainland of Japan. The Japanese met any offensive attacks with a fearlessness never seen before. Kamikazes, or “divine wind” in Japanese, led suicide missions and dive-bombed enemies, causing chaos on every front. Other Japanese soldiers wanted to follow the ways of the Samurai warriors who came before them. The Japanese continued their fanatical resistance and there was no end in sight, so the U.S., Britain, and China issued the Potsdam Proclamation on July 26, 1945. The Proclamation was an ultimatum warning Japan of “prompt and utter destruction” if they did not surrender immediately, however it made no direct reference to an atomic bomb. The Japanese government was unmoved and even hostile towards the Proclamation, and assured the Allied Powers that they would ignore it. From the point of rejection on, all military justification of the bomb’s use seemed to be present.
In post-World War II years, historians and political figures have accused the United States, claiming that the cost and effort in making the bomb was used as justification of its use on Japan. The development of the atomic bomb was one of mankind’s greatest technological achievements. At the center of the destructive force was the process of a nuclear fission chain reaction, or “splitting” of the nucleus in an atom causing other nuclei to split and releasing enormous amounts of energy. This revolutionary scientific discovery called for research and construction facilities. One of the most prominent top-secret sites for the construction of the bomb was located in New York City, and was known as the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project employed nearly 129,000 people at its peak and cost the U. S. $2 billion ($26 billion in today’s dollars). Another exclusive site located in Los Alamos, New Mexico, was opened in April, 1943. As the leader of the Manhattan effort, General Leslie Groves’s main goal was to “build the huge industrial facilities that would be required to separate the small quantities of fissionable uranium and plutonium needed for a bomb.” Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer drove the Los Alamos site, focusing all effort on the final design of the bombs. After President Roosevelt died unexpectedly on April 12, 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia, Harry S. Truman was sworn into office and consequently inherited the responsibilities of the bomb and its construction. Truman had no previous knowledge of the bomb, although he had heard of the Manhattan Project and respected its confidentiality. The apparent commitment to the bomb’s construction led to a strong inclination to use it among those who held positions of power and financed the construction of the bombs, but were not deeply involved or aware of the horrific consequences.
The Allies’ situation in the war and the final completion of the bomb provided several legitimate arguments for its use on Japan. Even though an abrupt end to the war and saving U.S. lives were the ultimate reasons for its use, other considerations affected the decision to carry through with the bomb. First, a display of such destructive force on an enemy would intimidate Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union, and deter their tireless conquests in Europe. Second, The U.S. did not know that Germany abandoned its pursuit of the bomb. The Manhattan Project was fueled by the brilliance of the world’s leading scientists and cost the U.S. billions of dollars, and when it had finally met its goal, there was strong momentum in favor of the bomb from those who did not do the dirty work and witness its potential devastation. Also, the U.S. had already suffered four costly years in the war and many wanted to obliterate their ruthless enemy and bring the soldiers back. “They were appalled at the thought of more American boys, who found glory in life, being killed by Japanese kamikaze pilots and suicide fighters, who found glory in death. In the eyes of weary Americans, the enemy had become merely ‘Japs,’ creatures who needed to be blasted and burned out of island caves.” Truman’s memoirs written in 1955 said that 500,000 American lives were saved as a result of the bombing, and Winston Churchill stated that more than 1 million lives were saved. Dartmouth College historian Martin J. Sherwin suggests that these claims show that the two leaders felt a serious need to justify the Bombs. Whatever the motive, most scholars agree that thousands of lives (primarily American) were spared as a result of the bombing however a large number of the lives taken were civilian lives.
Along with these pro-bomb arguments came arguments opposing the use of the bomb. Right after the U.S. achieved success in an atomic bomb, twelve leading scientists including the exiled Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard petitioned President Truman, stating:
“We feel, however, that such attacks on Japan could not be justified, at least not unless the terms which will be imposed after the war on Japan were made public in detail and Japan were given an opportunity to surrender.”
They also warned,
“The development of atomic power will provide the nations with new means of destruction. The atomic bombs at our disposal represent only the first step in this direction, and there is almost no limit to the destructive power which will become available in the course of their future development. Thus a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the responsibility of opening the door to an era of devastation on an unimaginable scale… The added material strength which this lead gives the United States brings with it the obligation of restraint and if we were to violate this obligation our moral position would be weakened in the eyes of the world and in our own eyes.”
This monumental responsibility that the U.S. was about to assume was a very strong deterrent to the bomb’s use. Several accusations have also been made that the U.S. did not give Japan a chance to surrender between the two bombs. On August 6, 1945, the day that the first bomb “Little Boy” was detonated over Hiroshima killing an estimated 130,000 people instantly, the U.S. dropped a leaflet on Japan warning them of another attack. This leaflet warned the Japanese that the U.S. was still “…in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by man.” The writers made a reference to Hiroshima and the devastation that occurred there, and suggested that the Japanese petition their emperor to stop “…prolonging this useless war…” Finally, the Japanese were encouraged to “…accept these consequences and begin the work of building a new, better, and peace-loving Japan…” and a final warning was left, “EVACUATE YOUR CITIES.” In selecting a target, the Target Committee was looking for specific factors. The Committee wanted mostly to “…show off the bomb’s power to the maximum effect, making the greatest impression on the Japanese.” The factors considered were previous damage (with an inclination towards cities with the least damage) and how the geographical layout would maximize the damage of the blast. In Truman’s letter addressed to the public after the drop on Hiroshima, he claimed Hiroshima to be an essential military base city, which was not the complete truth at the time and this claim showed a bit of insecurity on Truman’s part. Overall, it was probably the scienists’ warning that the U.S. would throw the world into a new limitless nuclear age and the moral duties that came with making that first step that was the most significant argument against using the bomb.
In the aftermath of World War II, we can examine the short and long term effects that the Allied leaders’ decisions had on Japan and the rest of the world. Ultimately, the bombs ended the war. This result is blatantly clear no matter what moral implications one tries to connect with it. Japan was simply overwhelmed and could not risk additional atomic bombings, so they surrendered on August 14, 1945. Hiroshima lost an estimated 130,000 up to November of 1945, Nagasaki lost between 60,000 and 70,000, and hundreds of thousands died due to radiation poisoning. Truman’s claim of 500,000 Americans spared and Churchill’s claim of 1 million lives spared seem to justify the bombs, but we will never know for sure how many lives were saved in the process as many historians believe these claims to be overblown. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were left in utter ruin. All structures in seeing distance of the hypocenter were leveled and lives were shattered. Now the world had entered the atomic age at the hands of Harry S. Truman, the United States, and the other Allied Powers. It would not be long before the Cold War and nuclear arms race took place between the Soviet Union and the U.S., a direct result of the World War II bombings. These consequences make the choices to drop the atomic bombs on Japan in early August, 1945 some of the most monumental choices in human history.