At the end of World War II, the United States unleashed a secret atomic weapon on the enemy nation of Japan which was quickly recognized as the most powerful weapon of war in the history of humanity. They completely destroyed the entire Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and essentially vaporized countless innocent Japanese lives. Some historians believe that using the atomic bomb against a weakened Japan was a senseless and brutal decision and that the country's civilians did not deserve this kind of mass annihilation. On the other hand, other historians argue that dropping the bomb saved countless American and Japanese lives by ending the war more quickly than a regular invasion would have. What is indisputable is that this sad event radically changed the course of human history. To decide whether or not it was morally right to use the atomic bomb, we must first examine the context and circumstances in which it was launched. In 1945, American soldiers and civilians were tired from four years of war, but the Japanese army refused to give up the fight. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and intensely bombarded Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million men stationed on its home islands to guard against Allied invasion. After the completion of the Manhattan Project, for Truman, the choice of whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life. First, the Allies demanded an immediate and unconditional surrender from the Japanese leadership. Although the request indicated that refusal would result in total destruction, no mention was made of new weapons of mass destruction. Japanese military commander Hideki Tojo rejected the request for unconditional release...... middle of paper ......ople and would fight to protect every inch of their homeland until no more remained of Japanese. The logic of Truman and many Americans was to end the war quickly as long as the means to do so were available, and this was one of the main driving forces behind the decision to drop the bomb. In my opinion, the decision to use the atomic bomb was harsh and reckless, but necessary to end the war and protect American lives and interests. Sometimes difficult decisions must be made to serve the common good. This was somewhat unfair to Japanese civilians, but ultimately saved many military lives that would have been lost had the war continued for who knows how many years. That's why, ultimately, I believe it was the best way to calm the storm of World War II. -atomic-bomb?nsort=3&ysort=5