Why did Truman authorize the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan?

Answer 1

Japan was handled differently than Germany was after WW2. We didn't tople thier government nor did we truely occupy them. This was done to ensure thier support for us using Japan as front line stageing base against Russian for the upcomming war everybody though was going to happen. Luck for us that war stayed "Cold"

Answer 2

The authorization was in fact made by FDR a few months before his death and Truman saw no need to change that or the actions already set in process within the military.

The initial list of target cities for the atomic bomb were deliberately removed from the list of target cities for conventional bombing, so that they would be left undamaged to help determine the effects of the atomic bombs.

The US had plans and facilities to manufacture 23 atomic bombs before the end of 1945 that would be dropped on Japanese cities as soon as they became available. The first atomic bombs became available in early August 1945 and the atomic bombings would have automatically continued without needing any further authorizations. It took Truman issuing an order to cancelthe existing authorization when the Japanese signaled that they would surrender to stop the manufacturing and delivery of additional atomic bombs! A third atomic bomb had already been completed and it arrived in San Francisco a day or two after Truman canceled the authorization and it was then returned to Los Alamos (probably becoming the first atomic bomb in the US stockpile).

Answer 3

At the time they believed that if allied troops invaded Japan that the death toll would be too high and the war would last longer. The cities where the bombs were dropped also didn’t have any war damage so they could analyze the effectiveness of the bomb.