In World War 2 the United states of America made a major decision in their reaction to the bombings they received in Pearl Harbour, they choose to demonstrate there power once and for all to the rest of the world, by making a very controversial decision. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour. Taking the Americans by surprise 19 ships were sunk and about 2,400 American soldiers and sailors were killed. Four years later, on August 6 and August 9, 1945 the Americans would take the Japanese by surprise by destroying the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with two atomic bombs. This decision is still an ongoing debate with many historians and politicians on why the atomic bomb, and why these cities.

Harry Truman said in regard to the atomic bomb, "it seems to be the most terrible thing ever discovered, but it can be made the most useful" The atomic bomb could very well be the most terrible thing ever invented. It is a weapon of destruction. "When first tested with only thirteen pounds of the explosive, the bomb left a crater six feet deep and twelve hundred feet in diameter as well as causing a sixty foot steel tower to literally di

However, some have come to think that Truman had either partially or entirely different reasons for bombing Japan. They believe that destroying two Japanese cities would accomplish several things. Most obviously, it would punish the Japanese for the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the bad treatment of American prisoners of war. Also, an atomic bombing of Japan is also the only thing that would justify the cost of the Manhattan Project. If this cost was not justified, Truman would have faced a Congressional inquiry into the misappropriation of $2 billion. Not only did he want to avoid Congressional hearings, but he also wanted another term of office (Alperovitz). His chances of re-election would have been zero if the general public learned that he wasted money and American lives by not using a weapon that could have ended the war more quickly. Another claim is that Truman wanted to give the U.S. and edge in the coming Cold War by showing that he was not afraid to use these weapons of mass destruction.

Kurzman, Dan. Day of the Bomb: Countdown to Hiroshima. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1986

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