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.