Jason Fellows

The Nuclear Atomic Bomb

On August 6th, 1945 the aircraft nicknamed the Enola Gay dropped the nuclear bomb

named Little Boy on Hiroshima. Sixteen hours later President Harry Truman issued a

statement about what we actually did. They talk about how effective the weapon is and how

much it benefits us. Also brought up is how the opposing forces were also trying to come up

with the bomb and atomic energy to use. He talks about how it was a necessary thing, that it

helped end the war and that it helped secure peace on both Japan and Allies sides. Even though

the fact that the bomb was dropped was publicly made known the methods were secretive.

Although the use of atomic bombs is extremely dangerous, it was a necessary weapon to be

brought into World War II.

While it is a risky move to bring atomic warfare to the war it is a risk that the United

States was willing to take in order to secure a victory over the Japanese. Even before Pearl

Harbor scientist with a combine effort from both Great Britain and the United States studied

atomic energy and the potential it had. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor scientists hastened

their work on the bomb. President Truman was warned that any invasion force into Japan would

be extremely risky and advised against doing it. After years of fighting in the Pacific, the United

States decided to use the power they had gathered up and unleash an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

After the bomb was set off the President came out and said We are now prepared to obliterate

more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the Japanese have above ground in any
city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, their communications. Let there be no

mistake; we shall completely destroy Japans power to make war.1 With this bomb, the United

States gained a huge advantage and was able to hold atomic bombs over the head of their

enemies if they tried any farther to make war.

If the United States, along with others, had not gone and made this bomb first then there

was a very big chance that the enemy could have gotten it and used it against the Allies. Because

the United States had scientists that were experts in the areas that were needed to study they

bomb and the fact that Great Britain was always under the threat of air strikes and under a

constant possible threat of a land invasion, the studies and research were done on American soil.

President Truman himself states that the Germans were working with atomic energy, we knew

that the Germans were working feverishly to find a way to add atomic energy to the other

engines of war with which they hoped to enslave the world.2 They called the race for the bomb

the battle of the laboratories and that it held fateful risks for us as well as the battles of the air,

land and sea.3 United States using the atomic bomb also put fear, whether or not people viewed

that fear as good or evil, into the hearts of our enemies. It was a sign that the United States had

quite possibly the strongest power in the world and was a force that should not to be taken

lightly.

The atomic bomb was meant to help stop any more blood from being shed on the field of

battle. Even with as much bloodshed as there was from the bomb its primary purpose was to

have Japan surrender so no more lives would be lost. President Truman even tried to have the

Japanese get a chance to surrender before the Allies used the bomb, of course the Allies couldnt

1
Harry S. Truman, "Press release by the White House, August 6, 1945. Ayers Papers, Subject File. Army U. S., Press
releases, the atomic bomb and atomic energy.", 2.
2
Ibid., 1.
3
Ibid.
just flat out tell the Japanese that they had an atomic bomb they were going to drop on them if

they didnt surrender, but at least they didnt just flat out bomb them without any chance to

surrender. Truman says about this It was to spare the Japanese people from utter destruction

that the ultimatum of July 26 was issued at Postdam. Their leaders promptly rejected that

ultimatum. If they do not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the

like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land

forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen and with fighting skill of which they

are already aware.4

Besides the fact that nuclear energy can be used in bombs, it also can be used for other

purposes. The making and success of the atomic bomb now gives scientists the ability to use

nuclear energy as a form of energy for other things in the future. It could be used for furthering

all sorts of technology, from making weapons of war to producing better products for the

American people, and the people around the world for that matter. Truman says The fact that

we can release atomic energy ushers in a new era in mans understanding of natures forces.

Atomic energy may in the future supplement the power that now comes from coal, oil, and

falling waterBefore that comes there must be a long period of intensive research.5 Even back

then they saw the potential that came from making that bomb.

While the bomb was a necessary thing to do and tell the public and the world about, they

still had to keep the how behind it a secret. The United States had to keep all the projects

secret so that the enemies to the Allies could not get their hands on it and produce weapons like

it. However, it isnt the primary directive to just withhold scientific knowledge, Truman says It

has never been the habit of the scientists of this country or the policy of this Government to
4
Ibid., 3.
5
Ibid.
withhold from the world scientific knowledge. Normally, therefore, everything about the work

with atomic energy would be made public.6 Greed and money were not the reason it was kept a

secret, it was for the safety of the world that it was. Even with all the risk and secrecy it was still

a necessity that the United States dropped that bomb on Hiroshima.

Although Japan brought the United States into the war with Pearl Harbor, the U.S.

brought the war with Japan to an end pretty much with the dropping of the bomb. The creating

of the bomb and its use was a necessary evil. If the Allies had not gone and put thousands of

hours of research into this and turned it into a success then who knows what would have

happened. If Germany had gotten it then perhaps everyone would be dead or speaking German

right now. It not only guaranteed the Allies victory in the war, it also brought forth a whole new

path for scientists to discover, technological advances and military advances. They did need to

keep the designs and science behind it a secret though for fear that enemy forces would replicate

it and use it on them. At the end of President Trumans speech, he mentions the possibility of

peace that could come from the bomb, I shall give further consideration and make further

recommendations to the Congress as to how atomic power can become a powerful and forceful

influence towards the maintenance of world peace.7 Even though it destroyed so many lives, the

bomb saved the Allies and arguably the Japanese more by saving the life of the soldiers on the

battlefield.

6
Ibid., 3.
7
Ibid.
 Bibliography

"Press release by the White House, August 6, 1945. Ayers Papers, Subject File. Army U.

S., Press releases, the atomic bomb and atomic energy." Harry S. Truman Presidential Library &

Museum. Accessed October 05, 2017.

https://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/documents/index.p

hp?documentid=59&pagenumber=1.