The Pros And Cons Of Atomic Bombs

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In the their fight against Japan, the United States made a decision to drop atomic bombs on two Japanese cities in 1945. World War II was in its final stages when the United States dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed over 200,000 people, and has been the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare history. The ethics behind this decision are still surrounded with great controversy due to other options that could have been explored and the amount of innocent casualties. Although, the bomb did have its successes, it caused Japan to surrender on August 15, 1941, therefore ending the war, and saved numerous American lives; the bomb can also be criticized for being inhumane …show more content…
People were crushed in their work, homes, and on the street. Children and babies were killed in their cribs. Of the Japanese citizens who weren’t obliterated, many people began developing symptoms such as vomiting and extreme weakness. They later died about one to two weeks after the bombs were dropped. The amount of radiation given off by the bombs affected not only the people of Japan, but the plants and animals as well. Scientists found that in every plant and animal species they adequately studied after Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been detrimentally mutated. People argue that there were other alternatives to the atomic bomb that wouldn’t have resulted in the extreme amounts of casualties. One of these alternatives could have been bombing a deserted island nearby to scare Japan. This would have showed them what they United States could do without killing innocent people in the process. Although this alternative was seriously considered, it was ultimately declined because scientists believed if the demonstrational bombing had not worked, the war would be even more prolonged which would cost more