Hiroshima: Why the Bomb was Dropped

“I am become death, the destroyer of worlds. ” J “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”  J. Robert Oppenheimer quote Harry Truman in 1945 "regarded the [atomic] bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt it should be used.“ "As far as I was concerned, his decision was one of noninterference - basically, a decision not to upset the existing plans.“ Leslie Groves Leo Slizard stated, "Mr. Byrnes did not argue that it was necessary to use the bomb against the cities of Japan in order to win the war. Mr. Byrne's view was that our possessing and demonstrating the bomb would make Russia more manageable in Europe."

Five Reasons for Dropping the Atomic Bomb: it would end the war successfully at the earliest possible moment it justified the effort and expense of building the atomic bombs it offered hope of achieving diplomatic gains in the growing rivalry with the Soviet Union there were a lack of incentives not to use the weapons because of America's hatred of the Japanese and a desire for vengeance J. Samuel Walker in his book, Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of the Atomic Bomb Against Japan

Issues for Discussion What are the moral implications of the atomic bomb? Why would President Truman be against sharing the secret of the atomic bomb with the world? Why would he support sharing atomic technology with Great Britain and only divulge minor details to the Soviets? To what extent did the decision to drop the atomic bomb and subsequent postwar foreign policy decisions of the Truman administration lead to the Cold War? General Douglas MacArthur, one time commander of United Nations armed forces during the Korean War, in a 1954 interview stated that he had wanted to drop "between thirty and fifty atomic bombs" on enemy bases before laying radioactive waste material across the northern edge of North Korea during the war. Why did Truman decide not to use the atomic bomb in the Korean War of 1950. How did this precedent dictate warfare in subsequent presidencies? What other Truman policies became precedents for the modern presidency? One example is United States sponsorship of NATO.