80 years since dropping the bomb. Was the U. S. right?

Question

It's been 80 years since the U. S. dropped the first of 2 nuclear bombs on the Empire of Japan. It may have been justified but was it the right choice?

noohair · Accepted Answer

The two bombs was the best choice... Taken from the article, Nuclear weapons On Marshall's orders, Major General John E. Hull looked into the tactical use of nuclear weapons for the invasion of the Japanese home islands, even after the dropping of two strategic atomic bombs on Japan (Marshall did not think that the Japanese would capitulate immediately). Colonel Lyle E. Seeman reported that at least seven Fat Man-type plutonium implosion bombs would be available by X-Day, which could be dropped on defending forces. Seeman advised that American troops not enter an area hit by a bomb for "at least 48 hours"; the risk of nuclear fallout was not well understood, and such a short time after detonation would have exposed American troops to substantial radiation.[78] Estimated casualties Due to the nature of combat in the Pacific Theater and the characteristics of the Japanese Armed Forces, it was accepted that a direct invasion of mainland Japan would be very difficult and costly. The Allies would not only have to contend with all available Japanese military forces that could be brought to bear, but also the resistance of a "fanatically hostile population."[16] Depending on the scope and context, casualty estimates for American forces ranged from 220,000 to several million, and estimates of Japanese military and civilian casualties ran from the millions to the tens of millions. Casualty estimates did not include potential losses from radiation poisoning resulting from the tactical use of nuclear weapons or from Allied POWs who would have been executed by the Japanese.[91]

jshm2 · Accepted Answer

Of course it wasn't. In fact there have been many documentaries on the subject showing the Japanese were readying to surrender before the bomb dropped. But the USA wanted to test the bomb anyway.

DeeDeeDeVour · Accepted Answer

Yes, the USA was right.

The Axis powers would have done the same to us or other Allied Forces.

We simply beat Japan to the punch.

Showing the Axis Powers that the USA had 2 atomic bombs at its disposal scared all of them to their bones with the notion we have more to drop on 'em.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Accepted Answer

It wasn’t justified. The war was over at the time of the drop. They were just testing it and they were a convenient enemy they could make up a story about.

BadApple69 · Answer

Did the war end?

Do you think if Japan had the bomb would they have used it on us? What about Germany? Would they have used it?

The answer to all those questions is YES.
So my answer to your question is YES the U. S. was right to drop 2 atomic bombs on Japan.

Think of it this way… Japan was willing to fight to the last man (there words not mine).
Dropping one bomb wasn’t enough to convince Japan to surrender. We had to drop 2.

onedarkcloud · Answer

The estimated American combat losses were projected to be over a million plus casualties to try and invade Japan, and the same for the people of Japan, so it was a good call, saving American lives. But decades later, people are still posing this question and getting the same answers

DryGermanGuy · Answer

The American military was discussing dropping the bomb above coastal waters as a demonstration of what would happen, if Japan didn’t surrender. But the hawks that wanted actual data of the destruction insisted on using an actual city.

contentious · Answer

Sure, when someone starts a fight with you, you kick their ass until they stop moving. Japan started the fight and they got beat down. That's justice.

WonderingManII · Answer

They did what they thought they had to do, in order to win the war. Remember it was a global war, and if it didn't get stopped even more lives would of been lost and maybe even our currently freedom.

Avicenna · Answer

When the alternative was an invasion of the four main Japanese islands, yeah

Sal_Monella · Answer

It was. One million + lives were saved. The Japanese should have surrendered right away so the second wasn't needed.

Pohjolan · Answer

They could have chosen a different targets at first. Some naval or air base but then again it would have meant that said cities would have been fire bombed instead.

Twalli · Answer

That's actually a debate among historians. I personally believe that since we dropped the second bomb that justifies the dropping of the first.

Dongie · Answer

With a 100,000 projected loss for America and a million for Japan I'd say it was the only choice, for both parties.

DrPepper12 · Answer

Absolutely. The known knowns in devil speak were 100% pro, no cons.

abc3643 · Answer

Yes, for many reasons.

Dargil · Answer

Without any doubt.

kavakava · Answer

Yes it was the right thing to do

exitseven · Answer

Yes , it saved the lives of many American people.

dustybiker2 · Answer

No. One earth.

Kelly6 · Answer

It was wrong

jimmy2 · Answer

It's stop the war

80 years since dropping the bomb. Was the U. S. right?

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Should the US have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan in WWII?

80 years since dropping the bomb. Was the U. S. right?

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Should the US have dropped the atomic bomb on Japan in WWII?

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