The Controversy of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

One of the most controversial topics was the decision to drop the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While some argue it was crucial in ending the prolonged war and saving countless more lives eventually, others state that it was an unnecessary act of destruction and that it was one of the reasons that the Cold War started. Japan was extremely powerful throughout 1942-1945. They were a rapidly growing empire with territories stretched throughout east and south Asia. In addition, Japan had the strongest and largest army, naval force and air force in Asia. 

First and foremost, Japan had repeatedly turned down the offer to surrender and insisted on fighting until the end. Additionally, Kamikaze pilots and the Code of Bushido emphasized on fighting until death. This gave soldiers extreme willpower to keep fighting no matter what for their country. This led to the Americans strategizing over attacking Japan by land in an operation named “Operation Downfall”. Operation Downfall was a plan to attack Japan in a full size invasion on both land and air. This would lead to losing countless more lives such as the American troops who would invade Japan or the innocent Japanese civilians. Furthermore, some historians state that the toll of deaths would have been more if the USA launched a full size invasion on Japan. Whereas, within days of bombings, Japan surrendered. Many people believe that the war would have lasted so much longer if it weren’t for the atomic bombs.

On the contrary, the atomic bombs left a devastating impact on Japan. Countless innocent civilians, mainly women and children, were killed. In Hiroshima alone, over 140,000 lives were lost, and in Nagasaki, 70,000 people as well. There were many lasting impacts on those two cities for many years after. Many people suffered from radiation poisoning, genetic mutations and even cancer. Additionally, some historians believe that Japan was on the brink of surrendering and that the atomic bombs were an unnecessary act of destruction. Moreover, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, which pressured them even more. Many people suggested that the USA could have done alternate options instead of dropping an atomic bomb on Japan. The suggestions include: dropping the bomb on an uninhabited island to demonstrate the power of the bomb, or a prolonged blockade to force Japan to surrender eventually. Furthermore, the dropping of the bombs demonstrated the USA’s power which led to the Soviet Union rushing to develop one of their own. This led to the Cold War, an arms race to see whether the USA or the Soviet Union was stronger.

Lastly, though both sides of the controversy are acceptable, they both would have impacted the lives of numerous soldiers and civilians. Both sides would have also greatly impacted the environment whether it is the atomic bomb or by using much more of the Earth’s resources to fuel the war. Though many people suggest that the outcomes of the war if the atomic bombs did not drop would be significantly different, such as not having the cold war, there would have still been a multitude of consequences as well. The war ended, but at a devastating cost. One cannot change what was written down by history, but one can prevent history from repeating itself again.

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Jeffreys, Alan. “The Proposed Invasion of Japan.” Imperial War Museums, 2023, www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-proposed-invasion-of-japan.

‌History.com Editors. “Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Causes, Impact & Lives Lost | HISTORY.” HISTORY, 18 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/articles/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

‌Fotion, Nick. “Should Nuclear Bombs Have Been Droped on Japan?” Emory.edu, 2023, www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/1995/September/ERsept.18/9_18_95nuclear.bomb.html‌

Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Debate over the Bomb - Nuclear Museum.” Https://Ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/, Atomic Heritage Foundation, 6 June 2014, ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/debate-over-bomb/.