2007-07-03 02:37:32 · 15 answers · asked by Jknock19 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Combination of reasons. One was to hurry up and end the war already. It was just a matter of time, and evidence suggests that the dreaded invasion that was supposedly going to kill a hundred thousand American soldiers was never going to be necessary, but Truman knew that dropping the bomb would pretty much end it immediately, and he was right. The other reason was to serve as a warning to the Soviet Union, and perhaps China, as Truman and most Americans were fearful of the spread of communism. The bomb was a big "don't mess with us" message. The third, although very secondary, reason was simply to see what the thing would do in a real-life war situation. It is this third reason that has caused a lot of controversy over the use of the bomb.
2007-07-03 02:47:29 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Taco 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The answer's in your question. To end WWII!
Truman didn't have the hindsight of all the ethical questions that would come up regarding nuclear warfare; he just knew that he had the option to use this incredibly powerful weapon that would force the Japanese to surrender immediately and end a brutal war. He also knew that the alternative would've been a land invasion that would've cost both sides millions of soilders' lives. So he chose to use the weapon.
I honestly think though that Truman made the right choice for history. Having used the atomic bomb, we got to see the devestation firsthand and I think that weighs too heavily on leaders' minds. Had the bomb not been used, there's a decent chance it would've been used later on... with far greater effects given better technology later on!
2007-07-03 02:44:05 · answer #2 · answered by Kyrix 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
To end WWII by forcing an unconditional surrender. It had the additional effect of putting a great big exclamation point on the new American power in the world. Pre-WWII, we were not much of a force in the world. After WWII, the superpower was born.
2007-07-03 02:47:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
To save the lives of many millions American and Brittish soldiers during the upcoming invasion off the Japaneese homeland. It would have been Iwo Jima muliplayed with ten or hundred or thousend since the Japaneese have proven themself to fight to the last man. The invasion would also have killed many more Japaneese cityzens in the process even if it was a succes. The equation was in a favour of using the new doomsday weopon. Johan
2007-07-03 03:16:38 · answer #4 · answered by Johan from Sweden 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An interesting side note to reinforce the answers above. With the Chinese in such ascendancy, and the Japanese worried about the current Chinese military buildup. The Japanese are reexamining their long held vilification of our rational use of the bomb. Just last week, for the 1st time I have ever heard, a Japanese official came out and said that it ended up saving not just American live, but Japanese as well. Who'd of thought, a billion people with millions of weapons pointed at you, may help with your clarity of vision.
2007-07-03 03:15:13 · answer #5 · answered by Edith P 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The function of war is to kill the enemy without killing yourself. Using the atomic bombs fulfilled exactly that function. Why? Would you rather have had more of our soldiers die?
2007-07-03 02:57:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
To save lives....it was estimated that over 100,000 Allied lives we saved by the use of those bombs
2007-07-03 02:40:37 · answer #7 · answered by Monte T 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The no surrender and suicide tactics of the Japanese armed forces doomed Japan to be nuked or fire-bombed into submission.
2007-07-03 02:42:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
initially, The chilly conflict grew to become into no longer because of fact of nuclear weapons! It grew to become right into a conflict between the U. S. and The Soviet Union, which grew to become into appropriate to the U. S. telling the Soviet Union to no longer unfold Communism international. The Nuclear weapons grew to become into basically a factor in it. I help the Atom Bombing, we've been already sending hearth bombs that grew to become into burning city's and that's human beings alive, Japan grew to become into sending suicide Kamikaze planes, and officers have been murdering their own troops in a conflict because of fact they have been attempting to offer up! If it wasn't for the Atom Bombs Japan might have despatched Kamikaze's to Washington D.C, or much extra civilians might've been murdered.
2017-01-23 10:38:21 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To end the war and save american lives.
2007-07-03 02:42:09 · answer #10 · answered by Jeff the drummer 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋