Which concern most contributed to President Truman's decision to drop an atomic bomb on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Answer 1

There are several reasons to why Truman dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagaski:

1. Americans wanted to occupy Japan before the Russians. - US was democratic, Russia was communist so they are both competing political values. (This was the most concern)

2. One million American lives lost if the US advanced on Japan. - This number was too high for the American public: Unjustifiable.

3. Billions of dollars of military equipment would be lost. - Again, this was hard to justify (Tanks, planes, ammunitions... Etc)

4. Millions of Japanese lives would be lost if the war continued. US already fire bombing Japanese cities. - More Japanese would die from the invasion than the bomb because If the Japanese division lost their Sergeant, the rest of the remaining troops suicide themselves with honor rather than joining with another division. That is why there are ten times more casualties than the Americans.

5. Three atomic bombs were created at great expense. Why waste a bomb on a test when it could be used in a real situation? - Development of the bomb costs two billion dollars, and the US is in debt since the first American Revolution in the 1700's, so they needed to justify the cost as well.

6. The Japanese did not respond to the warning from the Allies on July 27, 1945: "If you do not surrender, you will be destroyed!" - The Japanese was unwilling to have an unconditional surrender as they are quietly seeking peace with the Russians (Remember the communism?) that is why they dropped the bomb. (All written by: Inferring)