Pros & Cons of dropping the Atomic Bomb For Pros & Cons of dropping the Atomic Bomb Against The two targeted cities would have been firebombed anyway Firebombing not as bad as the radiation from an atomic bomb Japanese would not quit, wanted to fight to the death including kamikazes Japan was ready to call it quits. home islands were being blocked so they couldn’t get anything Invasion of Japan would have caused more casualties than the death toll at Hiroshima & Nagasaki Those deaths would have mostly been military and not civilian Japan was warned to surrender or face destruction and did not Japan would surrender with right terms, one bomb could have been used in Tokyo Harbor as a demo The bomb's use impressed Soviet Union enough that they did not demand joint occupation of Japan Civilian were sacrificed simply for power politics between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Please write down the best two reason for & against in your notes

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, (in a public address on October 5, 1945): “The Japanese had, in fact, already tried to make peace before the atomic age was announced to the world with the destruction of Hiroshima. They were speaking to the Russians about how to end the war honorably and with the Emperor on the throne. . . . "The atomic bomb played no decisive part, from a purely military standpoint, in the defeat of Japan.” How did Admiral Nimitz feel about using the bomb and why?

The Potsdam Declaration (1945)  We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction.” Japan must return all territory that it took, disarm, allow the allies to punish war criminals and allow the United States to occupy Japan until all conditions have been fulfilled – President Harry S. Truman   Japan REJECTED this declaration. After President Truman said he saw no other alternative but to authorize use of the atomic bomb anytime after August 3, 1945. What did Truman want and why did he think he no other options?