American History

Up to this day, there are different opinions on whether dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was inevitable or necessary action. The average answer to this question would be: It was a difficult but very necessary decision “to save thousands of lives by making an invasion unnecessary at the end of World War II.” Yet, is this really the true?
Dr. K. T. Compton, one of the key decision-makers on dropping the bomb advocated, “use of the atomic bomb saved hundreds of thousands-perhaps several million-of lives, both American and Japanese; that without its use the war would have continued for many months,” and President Truman said that atomic bombings were carried out in order to “shorten the agony of war” and save “thousands and thousands of American lives.” On the other hand, critics of the bombing argues that though Hiroshima and Nagasaki contained legitimate military targets (Hiroshima: A major port and regional army HQ, Nagasaki: had many war plants), these targets could have been destroyed earlier by conventional bombing that had leveled almost every important military objective in Japan; thus, using the atomic bomb wasn’t a necessary strategy and estimates of American troop casualties have been largely exaggerated.
The “Interim Committee” comprised of the Chairman, Mr. Stimson, and scientific members, Vannevar Bush, K. T. Compton, and J. B. Conant, adopted the following recommendations:
- The bomb should be used against Japan ASAP
- Should be used on a dual target (military installation or war plant surrounded by houses and other buildings susceptible to damage)
- Should be used without prior warning of the nature of the weapon
But this necessity for rapid action is questionable since the strategic plan stated that the next major US move was not until Nov. 1st, and fire raids with B29s could be continued in the mean time
  * Also, the Japanese had already initiated peace negotiations
  * The U.S.S.R. declared war on Japan on Aug. 8th
  * On...