Why did the United States drop a bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on 1945?

Answer 1

Anger, mostly. The intent was twofold, (1) to show the Japanese that if they persisted in their hostilities they would all be burned to a cinder, and (2) to demonstrate to the Russians that the US was a force not to be taken lightly. This was to set the tone for the Cold War that followed.

The official reason given was that it would render an invasion of the Home Islands unnecessary and save a million lives.

The death toll at Hiroshima was nothing compared to the civilian death toll in the 900 day seige of Leningrad by the Nazis, where ten times as many died as died at Hiroshima.

Answer 2

A bit of History required and somewhat truncated:

1917-20 Red [communism] Scare in US.
1939 Germany rumored to be working with atom to develope a bomb.
Germany and Russia sign a pact to split Poland.
1939 Russia and Japan sign Peace Treaty
Germany annexes/acquires Austria, Sudetenland, and Chechoslovakia. Then, invades Poland.
Russia finds itself at war with Germany. Vast Russian territory and climate defeats German Army.
Manhattan Project [atomic bomb] starts in US in '42.
Russia goes into Germany through the east and into Berlin. German scientists whisked off to Russia.
Europen war ends May 8, '45
Japan fights on but makes overtures of Peace in summer of '45.
Manhattan Project not quite finished or tested. Gadget [name of test A-bomb] tested July 16. '45

Now, think on this. Japan was virtually finished. There had been overtures made for Peace. Ignored. To what degree?
The US had seen the Big Bear in action both in the 20s and during WWII. Communism loomed
ahead in the Post War World. Fat Man, Little Boy, Gadget, and a fourth A-bomb unused had
cost almost $2billion [$20 bil today's finance].
Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6.
Russia,On August 8, for the first time since the '39 treaty, attacked Japan's Manchukuo.
Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9.

To answer the question, "Why did the United States drop a bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945?"

It was for Russia's benefit as much as to end the war.

"Russia, observe and please take note."

It brought the war to a halt and the German scientists that
dissappeared by way of Russia were somewhat neutralized by the image of the mushroom cloud.
The Red Scare again surfaced from about 1947 and into the mid-late 50s. Russia took note.
The Cold War was neutral without great incident possibly because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Answer 3

The military spent a billion dollars at that time on the bomb and desperately wanted to justify
such a program. So they had to convince the president that if Americans were to invade
japan it would cost hundreds of thousands of more lives. My only question would have been,
why plan a full scale invasion at all, surround them, bomb them from the outside and wait for the surrender. So they sold the president
on saving lives and shortening the war and America became the only country to use the
"BOMB" not once but twice.....

Answer 4

A debate that is going on to good away, yet maximum folk look to imagine sure. the alternative would've been both undesirable, if no longer a lot worse. See, the eastern were no longer going to provide up surely. the US replaced into making plans "Operation Downfall", which replaced into the purely right push to stress Japan to capitulate. Casualty estimates were contained in the thousands of thousands on both area, and the eastern coverage replaced into to wrestle to the purely right guy, female and baby. Had the bombs no longer been dropped, the warfare ought to've surely persevered to 1947. The Soviet Union had purely declared warfare on Japan around the time of the bombings. The island of Sakhalin replaced into seized from Japan, and the Russians are nevertheless there. Had the warfare persevered for 2 extra years, the Russians would have moved on to the significant islands of Japan, and it would were very complicated to get them out. the US new that the U.S. replaced into going to be a difficulty after the warfare, so if there replaced into any thanks to end the warfare before the U.S. grew even more effective (there replaced into: nukes), the US replaced into going to take it. and they did.

Answer 5

The General Staff, including Marshall and MacArthur advised Truman that it would cost an estimated 1 million American dead to invade the Japanese homeland in view of the fanatics that were in power at the time.So, when he learned of the a bomb being available (only found out after Roosevelt died and Truman became President), he believed it a better way to end the war quickly with less U.S. casualties.

Answer 6

There were also estimates that an invasion of Japan would cost over a million lives, both American and Japanese. Truman wanted a way to get the Japanese to surrender without the need for an invasion. Dropping the bomb gave him one.

Answer 7

-The Americans believed Japan would never surrender. If the bomb had not been dropped thousands of American lifes could have been lost in an invasion of Japan.

-The Bomb had cost a lot of money to develop and the Americans wanted to use it. The bomb cost $200 million. It would have been difficult to justify not using after such as vast financial investment.

-The Japanese had been very cruel to prisoners of War. Some Americans thought they deserved to be taught a lesson.

-It was used to show the USA's military superiority to the USSR.

Answer 8

Truman realized that to take Japan would require a massive landing of men with huge casualties. The atom bomb created a face saving method for the Japanese to agree to unconditional surrender and saved the lives of thousands of allied and Japanese soldiers who would have died capturing Japan. Remember the huge casualties at Normandy.

Answer 9

To bring a quick end to a war between the USA and Japan

Answer 10

It was necessary to drop 2 atomic bombs on Japan in order to get them to surrender. The death toll for American troops would have been exceedingly high in a conventional ground war and that's why the decision was made.