The Atomic Bomb Is Not A Military Necessity - 1210 Words

Three well revered American generals, Leahy, Macarthur, and Eisenhower, stated the dropping of the atomic bomb â€Å"was not a military necessity.† Japan was already struggling greatly to maintain itself, and they felt that it would fall soon. Leahy even went as far as to say that a continuation of the blockade of Japan and bombings would have been enough to bring Japan to its knees. These generals acknowledged the efficiency of the atomic bomb, but could not reconcile that efficiency to the devastating consequences. Two mainly civilian cities were almost completely leveled. Prior to the test dropping of the atomic bomb, a survey was given out to the scientists working on the Manhattan Project to gauge what they thought would be the best†¦show more content†¦George Weller, the first journalist in Nagasaki, writes of the unfathomable destruction. He writes, â€Å"When I walked out of Nagasaki’s roofless railroad station, I saw a city frizzled like a baked app le, crusted black at the open core where the searing sun born at Alamogordo had split open the blue sky of midday.† No single bomb of this magnitude had ever been seen before, and the leaders were in denial that it was even possible. Even the people living there did not know what had happened. An example can be found in George Weller’s novel, even though he is describing Nagasaki. In one entry he states, â€Å"As one whittles away at embroidery and checks the stories, the impression grows that the atomic bomb is a tremendous but not a peculiar weapon. (†¦) Nobody here in Nagasaki has yet been able to show that the bomb is different than any other, except in the broader extent of its flash and a more powerful knockout.† By the time the Japanese leaders had successfully processed the information, the second atomic bomb was on the way. In America’s defense, the second bomb had been scheduled for the 11th, but, due to bad weather, it had to be pushed fo rward two days. Had the Japanese been given enough time to properly process the information, then they most likely would have surrendered before the second atomic bomb was dropped, saving thousands of lives. The dropping of the atomic bomb was notShow MoreRelatedEssay on Atomic Bombing on Japan937 Words   |  4 PagesHiroshima: Was Dropping the Atomic Bomb a Military Necessity? On the morning of August 6th, 1945 at around 8:16 a.m., the United States dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima. This bomb was given the nickname â€Å"Little Boy.† Three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped, on August 9th, 1945 at around 11:02 a.m., the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. 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