The Hiddens Reasons For the 1945 Atomic Bomb
The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 was a definite turning point in the Pacific War of World War II. Earlier that year, Germany had been defeated and the world then turned its attention to the Pacific war. Most history books state the argument that the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan was necessary to stop the war in order to save thousands of lives of American troops that were planning to invade Japan. "Had the bombs not been employed (so the "wisdom" goes), an enormous number of American troops would have perished in an inevitable amphibious operation against the Japanese mainland."(McManus 1) This paper will demonstrate that Japan was willing to surrender before the bombs were used, and there were other hidden reasons for using the bombs. If you ask a high school graduate what the result of the atomic bombs on Japan was, he or she would most certainly answer the immediate surrender of all Japanese forces. That should be satisfactory enough to not question the issue any further. If you ask the same student wether the Japanese would have surrendered without the bombs, he or she will hesitate and will probably not be able to give an answer. The reason for this is that the hi
The ultimatum given to the Japanese in Postdam did not specify what the position of the Emperor would be in the case of a surrender. This was not acceptable to the Japanese, who considered "the Emperor as their god, the heart of the Japanese people and culture.(Long 2) Software, Information Access, Incorp. 1995. On different ocassions, the Japanese hinted their interest in peace negotiations through different channels. They contacted the British after the the Battle of Midway with a message from the Japanese foreign minister Togo. The message said that the Japanese was "ready to be helpful" if the British Government was willing to talk.(McManus 2) In the United States, Army chief of Staff George Marshall wanted to continue fighting and did not want to hear of any peace or surrender talks. He believed in a full-scale invasion of Japan. President Roosevelt was greatly influenced by George Marshall.(McManus 3) Without actually specifying it, the Postdam ultimatum did appear to be threatening to the Emperor:"There must be eliminated for all time the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest" and "stern justice shall be melted out to all war criminals."(Postdam 2 pg. 1474-1476/Long 2) According to Henry Stimson, Secretary of War: "Only the imperial authority would induce the unconquered Japanese armies in Southeast Asia, China and Manchuria to lay down their arms." (Leckie 94) U.S. official Robert Morris reported that after careful interrogation to Japanese prisoners that "the Japanese would yield most readily if they were assured that they could keep Emperor Hirohito."(McManus 3) story text books at school teach students a black and white fact: the atomic bombs were the only way to make the Japanese surrender. According to Francis E. Kazemek: "most texts focus on abstract facts and figures, offering little discussion of the reality of the bombing."(Kazemek 2) c. The United States gave them unconditional surrender
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Approximate Word count = 3114
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)
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