Dropping the Atomic Bomb

1. What factors have affected viewpoints on Truman's decision?


Several factors came into play that affected how people viewed Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb. For instance, people who disagreed with his decision believed that the war had already ended and the allies were victorious. They also thought Truman simply wanted to demosnstrate how the atomic bomb would work in actual warfare and impress or frighten other military leaders like in the Soviet Union. People who agreed with Truman's decision believed that the Japanese deserved the attack and that it would force them to surrender sooner, saving American lives. They were angered at how the Japanese treated American soldiers in the war and were yearning for revenge. They also thought dropping the bomb would prevent any other nations from dropping it on the U.S. in the future because they had already observed how it works in actual warfare and its effectiveness.





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

I do think Truman made the right decision because the bomb caused Japan to surrender earlier than they would have if the U.S. had not dropped the bomb and thus prevented allie deaths. This also prevented other countries from experimenting with the bomb in the future and perhaps using it against the U.S. and greatly contributed to the fields of nuclear and quantum physics.

War for Europe and North Africa - Part II

6. What was D-day?
D-day was the day that the allies invaded Normandy. The attack consisted of two parts: An aerial attack made up of 24, 000 American, British, Canadian, and French planes and a boat landing on the shores of Normandy holding allied infantry.
7. What happened at the Battle of the Bulge?
At the Battle of the Bulge, Germany took the offensive attacking U.S. soldiers in the thick forests in the Ardennes Mountain Region of Belgium. The allie troops were taken completely by surprise and their strong air force was grounded due to overcast weather. They suffered a loss of 19,000 troops, the greatest U.S. loss in the war.
8. What did Alied troops find in Germany?

1. Selective Service System
The purpose of the selective service system was to expand the draft to allow for a greater number of soldiers in the U.S. military. It required every man in the U.S., age 18 to 25, to register as potential candidates for the military. This got many more young men invloved in war.
2. Women
Women were able to leave the household and work jobs helping soldiers fighting in the war thanks to the Women's Auxiliary Army Corp. Women were able to do just about anything except actually fight on the battefield, including working as nurses to aid injured soldiers and in weapon manufacturing which greatly helped men in the war.
3. Minorities
Minorities were allowed to fight in the army at this point, but they were still plagued with racism and prejudice by white soldiers who considered themselves superior and ordered these minorities around. Although they were given the ability to fight alongside white men, minorities like blacks and mexicans were always allocated into seperate units and often the first to be sent into battle resulting in numerous casualties.
4. Manufacturers
Manufacturing companies would cease to create their usual products whn the war began and instead manufacture things to aid the war effort. They would create things that were similar to what they usually manufactured to increase their efficiency, i.e. a clothing manufacturer may begin making soldiers' uniforms.
5. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD)
The OSRD headed all technological and scientific development at the time and create new state-of-the-art things. These included new weapon designs and improvements on technologies like radar. They also developed substances known as pesticides to repel mosquitoes and other pests from the soldiers.
6 Entertainment industry
Hollywood's new job was to create propagandist films in order to persuade young men viewing them to join the army and to get others to aid in the war effort.
7. Office of Price Administration (OPA)
8. War Production Board (WPB)
9. Rationing