Dropping the Atomic Bomb

War in Pacific. It is .pdf file in the WWII file folder.

1. What factors have affected viewpoints on Truman's decision?
Truman had many things to consider when he was faced with the decision of using nuclear weapons on Japan or not. Many people were against and with his decision to use them. Some people who were on the Allies' side thought that the nuclear weapons were unnecessary. Some people thought that the war was already over and the bomb served no military purpose, it was dropped to scare the Soviet Union and to test the bomb in real warfare. Other people believe that the bomb was truly dropped because Truman thought it would cost fewer lives than a conventional war.

2. Do you think he made the right decision? Give your reasons.

I am undecided about if I believe it was the right decision or not to use the Nuclear bomb. There are pieces of evidence that support each side. On one hand, this bomb ultimately ended the war. But on the other hand, it killed at least 75,000 people instantly and many more were killed gradually from the radiation poisoning(Source 33). Truman believed that a bomb would kill less people than if they had kept fighting normally, but I think this was a little over the top for war. Other than the thousands killed, it affected the whole environment and had many long-term effects. I think this was war on a totally different level; an extremely intense level. Overall, I don't think that this was justified.

War in the Pacific

Read Chapter 25-3, The War in the Pacific (Stop at the end of page 790)

1. What was the importance of the Battle of Midway?
The Battle of Midway was a turning point in the pacific war, the Allies won their territory back from the Japanese island by island. The Allies were moving closer to Japan.

2. What strategy did the United States adopt in fighting Japan?
Getting their territory back by "island hopping."

3. Why did the Japanese fight so hard on Iwo Jima?

If the U.S. took Iwo Jima it would be critical as a base so the U.S. bombers could easily reach Japan. The Japanese wanted to fight and win this battle especially to prevent this from happening.

4. Why did the Allies believe Okinawa was a foretaste of an invasion of Japan?
Because the Allies now saw how the Japanese fought using kamikazes and withstanding many casualties.

5. What was the Manhattan Project?
The development of the atomic bomb.

6. Ultimately, why did President Truman decide to drop atomic bombs on Japan?

President Truman thought it would end the war.