As World War II drew to a close, the United States dropped a secret atomic weapon on the enemy nation of Japan that was quickly recognized as the most powerful weapon of war in human history. They completely destroyed the entire Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and essentially vaporized countless innocent Japanese lives. Some historians believe it was a foolish and brutal decision to use the atomic bomb on a weakened Japan and that the country's civilians did not deserve that kind of mass annihilation. On the other hand, other historians claim that the dropping of the bomb saved countless American and Japanese lives by ending the war faster than a regular invasion would have done. What is undisputed is that this sad event radically changed the course of human history. To decide whether it was morally correct to use the atomic bomb or not, we must first examine the context in which it was dropped. In 1945, American soldiers and civilians were tired after four years of war, but the Japanese army refused to give up the fight. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and intensely bombed Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million people stationed on the home islands to guard against the Allied invasion. After the completion of the Manhattan Project, the choice of whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life for Truman. First, an Allied demand for immediate and unconditional surrender was made to the leadership of Japan. Although the request stated that refusal would result in total destruction, no mention was made of new weapons of mass destruction. Japanese military commander Hideki Tojo rejected the demand for s...... middle of paper ...... unconditional and would fight to protect every inch of their homeland until there were no Japanese left. The logic of Truman and many Americans was to end the war quickly while the means to do so were available, and this was a major driving force behind the decision to drop the bomb. In my opinion, the decision to use the atomic bomb was harsh and reckless, but necessary to end the war and protect American lives and interests. Sometimes tough decisions need to be made to serve the greater good. It was somewhat unfair to Japanese civilians, but in the end it saved many military lives that would have been wasted if the war had dragged on for who knows how many more years. This is why, in the end, I think it was the best way to calm the storm of World War II. Works Cited http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-the-us-have-dropped-the -bomba-atomica?nsort=3&ysort=5