Evidence
The following newsletters, articles, links and interviews contain evidence as to how the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was crucial to ending the aggression of Japan towards the United States.
If the Atomic Bomb Had Not Been Used
Karl T. Compton
In this article, Compton reinstates the idea that the bomb was used to save lives. He compares the death results of the atomic bombing to a hypthotical land invasion, which far exceed those of the atomic bombing.
"From this background I believe, with complete conviction, that the use of the atomic bomb saved hundreds of thousands—perhaps several millions—of lives, both American and Japanese; that without its use the war would have continued for many months; that no one of good conscience knowing, as Secretary Stimson and the Chiefs of Staff did, what was probably ahead and what the atomic bomb might accomplish could have made any different decision
Compare this with the results of two B-29 incendiary raids over Tokyo. One of these raids killed about 125,000 people, the other nearly 100,000."
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Decision to Drop the Bomb
Jung Oh
Jung Oh states that the atomic bomb was the quickest way to get Japan to surrender, and it was used to save American lives.
"The conventional justification for the atomic bombings is that it was the most expedient measure to securing Japan’s surrender. Prominent men like Truman and Stimson cast the framework for what became known as the orthodox interpretation by asserting that the bomb was used to shorten the agony of war and to save American lives."
Harry Truman on Dropping the Atomic Bomb
President Truman states that he did dropped the bombs to save not only the American people, but the Japanese as well
"I appreciated most highly your column of July 30th, a copy of which you sent me.
I have been rather careful not to comment on the articles that have been written on the dropping of the bomb for the simple reason that the dropping of the bomb was completely and thoroughly explained in my Memoirs, and it was done to save 125,000 youngsters on the American side and 125,000 on the Japanese side from getting killed and that is what it did. It probably also saved a half million youngsters on both sides from being maimed for life.
You must always remember that people forget, as you said in your column, that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was done while we were at peace with Japan and trying our best to negotiate a treaty with them.
All you have to do is to go out and stand on the keel of the Battleship in Pearl Harbor with the 3,000 youngsters underneath it who had no chance whatever of saving their lives. That is true of two or three other battleships that were sunk in Pearl Harbor. Altogether, there were between 3,000 and 6,000 youngsters killed at that time without any declaration of war. It was plain murder.
I knew what I was doing when I stopped the war that would have killed a half a million youngsters on both sides if those bombs had not been dropped. I have no regrets and, under the same circumstances, I would do it again -- and this letter is not confidential.
Sincerely yours,
Harry S. Truman"
Draft statement on the dropping of the bomb , July 30, 1945.
President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers.
"The Evaluation of the Atomic Bomb as a Military Weapon", June 30, 1947. President's Secretary's File, Truman Papers.
A lot of preparation was taking before the bombing of Japan. It was taken as a very serious matter and many meetings were held to discuss the outcomes. The United States also sent a letter to Japan warning them to surrender before the bomb was sent.
