World War II was a war of power and intelligence; meaning, those with the intelligence, had the power. It was a war of wit and technology, combined. Without key technological advances, the war may have changed in very different ways. One major part of the war was, indeed, the atomic bomb. Many disagree with this concept, yet it was what stopped the war completely and saved more lives in the long run.Even though the bomb devastated Japanese cities, it was a price worth paying. If the war had lasted on longer, the tides may have turned and along with the loss of more lives, the “good guys” would have been the victims. The main point here is that the bomb, overall, saved lives. “The dropping of atomic bombs by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved lives in the long run and was therefore justified.” (Handout 36, 2) Historian B, as well as many others, understood the concept of trying to end the war as quickly as possible and to save as many lives as they could, in the long run.Besides the saving of lives, the United States felt strongly in the idea of unconditional surrender. The Japanese, although mentioning some type of surrender, had no idea of doing it unconditionally. This immediately meant trouble and we had to let them know that we were very serious. If we let the Japanese get away with just “surrender”, then they would’ve basically gotten away with many of their wrong doings. This was seen as unfair and unjust by the United States, and they knew they had to take action. “The Germans had not surrendered unconditionally at the end of World War I, and as a result they rose again to start World War II.” (Handout 36, 2) This was a great fear of the United States and they were not about to make the same mistake twice, this time letting Japan get away free.Finally, even though the bomb may seem immoral, it’s a hard argument to make. Immorality comes in...
