Porter Ellis

Mr. Premont
Honors English 10
28 March 2016
Can The Use of The Atomic Bomb Be Justified?
The saying goes, All is fair in Love and War, but is it really? During World War 2, the
largest war in world history, in which millions were killed, injured, and taken as prisoners, an
array of tactics were used by each of the opposing sides in order for one to come out victorious.
One specific example of this was the United States detonation of an atomic bomb on two
Japanese citiesHiroshima and Nagasaki. This decision, a choice that killed hundreds of
thousands of people, and destroyed entire cities, was the final push Japan needed to finally
surrender. The use of nuclear warheads is one of the most controversial ideologies to dateas it
was at the time of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. It is often argued that this bombing
was needed, and justifiable, however, this belief is false. The use of nuclear bombs on Japan is in
no way justifiable as it was a technology untested on life that was used in the place of several
other tested (and less catastrophic) alternatives, it killed hundreds of thousands of innocent
civilians, and lastly, it not only affected those directly involved with the blast, but also their
children.
To begin, the bombing of Japan with a nuclear warhead was unjustified as it was a new
technology, untested on humans. The United States had tested the nuclear bomb several times
prior to the use of the weapon on Japan, however it was tested in deserts in uninhabited areas. No
one at the time had any idea, nor could have predicted the gigantic consequences the bomb
would have on the Japanese people, and the children of those who survived the blast. All that

was known about the bomb was that it could bring about great destructions and devastation, what
other consequences it may have had werent taken into consideration. The use of the bomb was
an ignorant decision, one made with a single goal in mind, and seen from only one perspective.
There were many other ways to bring about the surrender of Japan in the war. According to
Authentichistory.com, One alternative might have been to arrange a demonstration of the
bombIf representatives of the Japanese government, military, and scientific community could
have seen the bomb, it might have been enough to convince them of the foolishness of continued
resistance. It became obvious to the Japanese government that they had no other choice than to
surrender after the bomb was detonated on two of their cities. It was entirely possible to show the
awesome power of this bomb without killing thousands of civilians in the process.
Next, the nuclear bombings in Japan killed hundreds of thousands of innocent men,
women, and children, who were simply living their lives, without having any ties to the violence,
other than the fact that their nation was at war with the United States. We often forget that the
destruction of one city wasnt enough to the United States, as two nuclear warheads were
dropped on Japan. The nuclear blasts were not meant to weaken the Japanese government or
military, they were simply used to kill an enormous amount of people in order to strike fear into
the minds of the leadersregardless of who was killed and how they died and suffered. It is
never justifiable to kill civilians in battle who are simply bystanders, stuck in a nation at war, a
war in which they had no say whether or not they participated in. The people that died are just
like you and me. They had families, friends, and entire lives ahead of them, however all of this
disappeared in an instant, as it was ripped from their grasp. There was no time to say goodbye, or
tell their families they loved them. Hundreds of thousands of civilians with no democratic rights
to oppose their militarist government...were vaporized, turned into charred blobs of carbon,

horrifically burned, buried in rubble, speared by flying debris, and saturated with radiation
(Authentichistory.com). Everything these people had was taken, by decisions that they had
nothing to do with.
Lastly, not only did the nuclear bombs kill a surreal number of people instantaneously, it
also had long lasting effects on those who were able to survive. Of the people who lost their lives
in this tragedy, there were many who died as soon as the bomb was deployed, however there
were also many who did survive the initial blast, only to die later on in an arguably more horrific
manner. The struggle and hardship had just began for these fortunate survivors. Their hair fell
out in large clumps, their wounds secreted extreme amounts of pus, and their gums swelled and
bled. Purple spots appeared on their bodies, signs of hemorrhaging beneath the skin. Infections
ravaged their internal organs.In the ruins of his small tuberculosis hospital in Nagasaki, Dr.
Tatsuichiro Akizuki likened the situation to the Black Death pandemic that ravaged Europe in the
1300s (Southard). Radiation can destroy and mutate our genesthe hereditary information that
is passed on to our children. Not only those who were there during the time of the blast suffered
these mutations (including children in the womb), but these mutations were passed on genetically
to the children of those affected. Children of those who were who suffered from the radiation
could often times be born with various birth defects and problems. There were thousands of
people devastated by the immediate aftermath of the bomb, but there were thousands more who
werent even alive during the war that felt the consequences of it. The use of the atomic bomb
was a decision made in an instant with consequences that were felt for generations.
Another side to this argument is one that believes the use of the atomic bomb was
justifiable by the reasoning that it ended World War Twowhich is a true statementhowever,
the atomic bomb was not the only answer. The bomb was a new piece of technology, untested on

humans. It was also unknown what kind of environmental problems could come about from its
usage. Different tactics and methods could have been used to weaken the Japanese military and
governmentwhich was already beginning to fail. As stated previously, a demonstration of the
bomb could have been enough to scare the Japanese government into surrender. It is also
noteworthy that Russia entered the war against Japan just months after the bomb was used. Some
believe that Russia joining the war would have also been enough to draw Japans surrender. It
was unnecessary and unjustified to kill thousands of innocent civilians to bring an end to a war,
which was already near its close.
In conclusion, the use of the atomic bomb on Japan in World War Two was an
unjustifiable act of violence by the United Sates. Not only was it a technology untested on
humans and their environment, it also killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people in one
massive blast, and finally, it had unforeseeable long-lasting effects on Japan. Some may argue
that the bombing can be justified, and will even go to say that it was required in order to end the
war. While it is true that it was the reasoning behind Japans surrender, many other methods,
such as conventional bombings, could have taken place. These methods could have brought
Japan to surrender, without having the catastrophic consequences that were seen from the usage
of the nuclear bomb.

Works Cited

Barnes, Michael. "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb: Arguments Against." The Decision to
Use the Atomic Bomb: Arguments Against. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
"Effects of a Nuclear Explosion." PBS. PBS. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
Richards. "How Does Radiation Affect Humans?" How Does Radiation Affect Humans? Web. 6
Apr. 2016.
Southard, Susan. "What U.S. Citizens Weren't Told about the Atomic Bombing of Japan." Los
Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Web. 3 April 2016.