Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a terrorist act and was it justified?

Question

And lets remember Pearl Harbor was a military target. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were civilian cities.

a_bush_fa ; You are wrong. The death toll from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings climbed for years after as people died from radiation sickness and birth defects on newborns. The numbers far surpassed any other attack.

Answer 1

Interesting question. People focus on the civilians-as-targets component of terrorism too much. Terror is a strategy, one which (as we are seeing) can target the military and/or civilians. If an assymetric attack designed to change popular opinion (rather than create a military victory) is confined to military personnel, it is still terroristic. This is because the main goal of the attack is to spark dissent among the populace to indirectly weaken the adversary, not directly weaken, as is the case with conventional strategy.
With this in mind, the bombings were far more substantial in the popular perception they created than the carnage inflicted. This is not to diminish the extensive loss of life, which was unfortunate. This is also not to ascribe a moral component to the act, because this is a slippery slope and the winner of the conflict invariably wins the "morality award".

Answer 2

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were military cities.

Also, more people died in the attack on Tokyo, not in the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japan refused to surrender. It also got America into World War 2 by bombing Pearl Harbor. That Japanese action alone resulted in the deaths of over 400,000 Americans.

Answer 3

It was a time of war. The Japanese made a preemptive strike against the US. While those bombings were tragedies in our history it sure stopped 'em didn't it. The Axis bombed Allied cities constantly, that was the way of that war and will probably be the way of all wars to come. You first try to win the hearts and minds and when that fails you must then weaken the hearts and minds. When enough damage is done to the populace the hunger for imperialism dies. Our problem in this war is the American like you already has weakened heart and mind.

I don't ever use this but if you so support the killing of innocents, as you spend what appears to be a large portion of your day defending terrorists, why do you remain in this country. If you hate us so much and our history why do you stay? You side with our enemies go live there we don't want you. I know its a weak argument but man you need to stop justifying the killing of innocents but comparing them to acts of previous wars. War is not pretty we know this, but the Muslim extremist wants to kill us what should we do? Let them or bomb them back to the stone age. I'll go with the latter and you can just lay down and die.

Answer 4

who are you, of course it was justified, and no it wasn't terroism, at the time every single japanese person just about was brain washed to think that the u.s. military would kill, torture, and rape them if the u.s. came and would fought down to sharpened bamboo to kill soldiers of the u.s. military causing HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of deaths, so yes their bombing was justified, and if you want to blame anyone blame the japanese government after the first bombing because they were offered the chance to surrender so we wouldn't have to do it again, so in the end where would draw the line between soldier and civilian when, if invaded, which would have been necessary, would have fought to the death no matter what

read the book flyboys, a book about a group of pilots that were shot down over the neighboring island of Iwo Jima, which was a radar base for communication and early warning for Japan, read it and you will see how bad it could have been if the u.s. had not used the bomb

Answer 5

government doesn't commit any act of terrorism ! When 1 country attacks another country - this act will be treated as the declare of war! The nuke attacks are terrible and so evil but at that time there is no international law to prevent such weapon so they are treated as normal weapon. By the ways, there are many fortified positions in those 2 cities and we could not take them easily!

Answer 6

Just as the Pearl Harbor attack was a terroristic attack , so was the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which was done without no consent by other world nations ( under the national leagues ) for revision.

War isn't usually justified on either end.

Answer 7

War is absolute! If wiping out the entire population of the enemy prevents a slight injury to one of your citizen (military or civilian) it is justified. The question of terrorism is irrelevant. War is choosing sides and killing the other side. Talk about murder, terror, Geneva conventions . . . is all nonsense

Answer 8

properly im uncertain who this Hiroshimo fella is yet that b@stard Nagasaki merits despite the US did cuz he continuously forgets to place my phuckin egg roll in the container. I advise goodness gracious do i easily might desire to remind him that between a million-4pm, combinations sixteen-seventy two comprise a unfastened egg roll.

Answer 9

Clueless

Answer 10

It makes no difference. They bombed us first, so anything goes. A terrorist act? Who threw down the gauntlet? Give me a break!