Truman's Decision

A detailed Summary of Truman's Decision

A Reason for Truman's Decision

The decision made by Harry Truman to drop the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, on August 6th 1945, is one of the most controversial issues in American history. Although many Japanese soldiers and civilians died because of the decision to drop the bomb, many American soldiers were saved because of it. Many people who argue against the bombings talk about how much destruction was caused by the bomb. However it is important to look at the reason why Truman decided to drop the bomb. His decision to drop the bomb wasn't to gain victory over Japan or to only save American lives, but rather to intimidate the Soviet Union and demonstrate the power of the United States.

America didn't need to drop the bomb in order to win the war over Japan. The decision to use the bomb was made by President Truman. There was never any doubt of that and despite a lot of criticism; Mr. Truman took full responsibility for his action. From the beginning of the war, the United States didn't even plan to drop the bomb. They were planning an intensified sea and air blockade and strategic air bombing. After a while, Japan was in really bad shape. Most Americans believed that they didn't e

After the bombs were dropped, a total of 250,000 people died from the explosions. When the war was over many people were in shock from the damage that the bombs had made. Many Americans were baffled by the impact a single bomb could have. During Truman's speech he said, "I dropped the bomb and I made the decision to stop the war' (Audio Document 8). He clearly demonstrates his anger even after he dropped the bomb, which shows that the dropping of the bomb were for other purposes than to just wipe out the Japanese civilians. Although America were allies with the Soviet Union, they had to be prepared for the unexpected. Truman didn't want the Soviet Union to start attacking the United States so he needed to scare them. The bomb was so big that it scared many Americans. Truman explained, "People were confused, the have never seen anything like it." (Audio Document 8). This was recorded right after the first bomb was dropped. If Americans were surprised by one bomb, it shows how the Soviet Union might have felt when the second bomb was dropped. By dropping both of the bombs, he not only saved many American lives but he eliminated the option of the Soviet Union entering the war.

ven need the bomb to defeat the Japanese. Nuclear Physicist Leo Szilard said, "I knew at the time, as the rest of the government knew, that Japan was essentially defeated and that we could win the war in another six months." (

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Approximate Word count = 949
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History