What was Truman's argument for dropping the atomic bomb?

Answer 1

Because Japan did not surrender with the first bomb.

Answer 2

After the dropping of the two A-Bombs on Japan, there was relief that the war was over. However, after several years, questions began to be asked as to the wisdom and morality of having used the atom bombs. Truman and his supporters justified his order to drop the bombs claiming it had actually been a humane act since millions of Japanese and Americans would have been killed if the United States had invaded Japan instead of dropping the bomb. Truman also answered critics who said that a demonstration should have taken place first. First, the US only had two bombs. If they announced to Japan that they were going to demonstrate the power of the bomb and the bomb did not work, it would have encouraged the Japanese to continue fighting. There was no guarantee that the bombs would work. Second, there was fear that if the US announced a demonstration, the Japanese might move American POWs to the site. The major argument however, continued to be that it saved many American lives.

Answer 3

Truman, of course, authorized the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These events clearly hastened the defeat of the Japanese Empire. While ending the war quickly may have been the primary objective of the atomic bombings of Japan, it certainly wasn't the only reason.

The Manhattan project cost the U.S. about $2 billion dollars which was an enormous amount of money in the early 1940s. It is documented in a letter (which is on displayed in the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima) that the U.S. had to justify the enormous expense to taxpayers with a live testing of this new and terrible technology. There were a number of cities that were identified as targets. Hiroshima was considered because it was a strategic port of Japan. The fate of Hiroshima was sealed on the basis that the weather would be clear on the morning of August 6, 1945. This would enable the detonation to be well documented on film.

The first bombing was probably enough to justify the expense of the Manhattan project to the taxpayers. Unfortunately for the citizens of Nagasaki, it was Emperor Hirohito's opinion that the U.S. had only enriched enough uranium to build one atomic bomb. Despite America's demands to immediately surrender, Hirohito called their bluff and the war continued -- for a few more days. On August 9, 1945, a second bomb was dropped, this time on Nagasaki. Shortly after this, Japan surrendered. The U.S. did not have a third bomb to drop, but Hirohito couldn't possibly know this -- after all he was certain the U.S. didn't have the second bomb.

Interesting side fact: In early August 1945 a man from Nagasaki travelled to Hiroshima to visit his relatives. He survived the blast on August 6 and made his way back home, just on time for the bombing of Nagasaki. He survived it too, and died in 2008!

Answer 4

The US had been at war with Japan since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Japanese had refused to surrender. Continuing the war by conventional means, and invading the Japanese homleand, was estimated to require another five years and expected to involve the death of about 1 million Allied servicemen. The atomic bombs could (and did) end the war quickly and without those losses.

Answer 5

It would save American lives. The casualty estimates for an invasion of mainland Japan, based on the numbers from Iwo Jima and Okinawa pointed to extremely high casualties. Also, a strict blockade without the invasion, may have taken a number of years to bring about surrender. Truman felt he needed a quick resolution that avoided high US casualties.

Answer 6

it was basically a choice of dropping the bombs and winning or to keep island hopping and losing millions of USA soldiers lives.

Answer 7

To stop the war