1. Quaestio: Was dropping the atomic bomb on Japan the right decision
Quaestio: Was dropping the atomic bomb on Japan the right decision? Nunc Agenda: Share your responses to the two homework readings with your partners based on the homework questions

2. Bataan Death March
How did the Japanese treat the Americans and Filipinos?
Do their actions make you feel like the USA was justified in dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan?
Considering the treatment by the Japanese army, do you think perhaps the bomb was the better of option compared to invading Japan?

3. Hiroshima
How did you feel reading about the experience of being hit by the bomb? Could you place yourself in his shoes?
How do you think these people's experience differed from those closer to the bomb?
Having read this, do you think dropping the bomb was the right move on the part of the USA?
Do you think this bombing should be considered an act of terrorism?
Something else to consider: this was the first bomb dropped. A second was dropped three days later. Do you think the second one was necessary? Do you feel differently about the first and the second bombing?

4. Japanese Imperial Goals
1931: Japanese troops took over Manchuria in northeastern China
1937: Japanese armies swept into the heartland of China, but Chinese resisted
Need more resources to fuel conquest
Began imperializing rich European colonies of Southeast Asia
Presented themselves as Asian liberators freeing fellow Asians from colonialism
In reality, replacing one colonizer for another

5. Beyond Pearl Harbor
1941: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in retaliation again US oil embargo
Began conquering more colonies such as Hong Kong (UK), Malaya (UK), and Dutch East Indies, as well as Thailand
1942: Japanese invaded Philippines (under US control) and bitter fighting ended in Japanese control and the Bataan Death March

7. Allies Strike Back in a BIG WAY
Allied Strategy = Island Hopping
Skip the hard islands and take the easy ones to make more progress toward Japan itself
1942: Battle of Midway = Major allied victory and turning point
Baited Japanese into an air attack and then sent allied planes to take them out
1944: Allies closing in on Japan, USA must decide, do we invade and lose half a million allied soldiers, or do we drop the Atomic Bomb?

26. Reasons IN FAVOR OF the Bomb
The Bomb Saved American Lives
The Decision was made by a Committee of Shared Responsibility
The Japanese Were Given Fair Warning (Potsdam Declaration & Leaflets)
The atom bomb was in retaliation for Japanese barbarism
The Manhattan Project Expense Required Use of the Bomb
Truman Inherited the War Policy of Bombing Cities

27. Reasons AGAINST the Bomb
The Bomb Was Made For Defense Only
Use of the Bomb was Illegal
Use of the Atomic Bombs Was Racially Motivated
There Were Alternatives
A Demonstration of the bomb
Wait For the Russians
Let the Japanese Keep Their Emperor
Continue Conventional Bombing

28. Reasons AGAINST the Bomb
Use of the bomb was more to scare Russia than to defeat Japan.
Truman Was Unprepared for Presidential Responsibility
The Atomic Bomb Was Inhumane

29. Quaestio: Was dropping the atomic bomb on Japan the right decision?