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Factors in U.S. Decision Making: Dropping the Atomic Bomb

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American Military Casualties

  • By July, 1945 U.S. had suffered over 1,000,000
  • P.O.W.s were dying of starvation, tortured, executed
  • Americans wanted a quick end

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Unconditional Surrender

Policy adopted at start of war

Reassures Soviets

FDR believed struggle between good and evil

No repeat of aftermath on WW2

Japan expected to give up all territory

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Emerging Problems with Soviets

  • Conflict over Eastern Europe
  • Feared that Soviet involvement in war would lead to demands for Japanese terrritory and Soviet expansion into East Asia

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Destructive Power of Atomic Bomb

Known to be able to wipe out an entire city

Radiation permeates landscape

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Preservation of American Values

Fighting to repel agression, preserve freedom, champion human rights

Believed that Japan had started unjust war and fought in barbaric and uncivilized way

Did ends justify the means?

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Possibility of Japanese Surrender

  • Allied sea blockade had cut supplies of food and war materials
  • Japanese oil reduced by 85%
  • Faced slow starvation
  • Prevented transport of troops from China
  • Air war had killed hundreds of thousands and leveled 180 sq miles of urban areas
  • Tradition and culture say no surrender

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