Were the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Necessary?- William A

World Lara C January 16, 2026 0 Comments

At the beginning of the Christmas holidays, I began to consider my article, and it was when I took a trip to IWM London, an incredible museum, that I had an idea. I was fascinated to learn about the US plans to end the war and whether it was an ethical decision. I pondered this and decided to do a little extra research and found the history is much more clouded than Barbie or Oppenheimer seems to suggest (I still can’t believe these films were on the same day). So, here is my assessment on the events of August 1945.

The bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima are one of the most influential moments in human history and one of the most debated. Many argue it saved lives and ended the war whereas some believe it was an unneeded act of violence

Reasons for the bombing:

Quick end to the war- many believe that without the bombings, Japan would not have surrendered, and the USA would have had to mount a full-scale invasion which could have potentially killed many more
Saved lives- People also believe that although the bombings killed 200,000, it may have saved lives in the long run by ending the war earlier
Japan’s reluctance to surrender- Even after a lot of losses, Japan would not surrender until the leaders were forced to after the bomb was dropped
Shock Factor- The bombing forced immediate attention and action and showed the strength of America and their resolve

Reasons against the bombing

Japan was weak- Japan’s navy was ruined, cities destroyed already and al their resources were drained. Many historians argue that surrender was soon- especially if the Soviets had joined the war
Moral Concern- Dropping nukes caused horrific suffering, radiation, firestorms and long-term health affect- not to mention that most killed were innocent civilians and some argue that by doing this, the USA had stepped into war crime territory.
The USA should have used demonstration- Critics and historians believe that the US could have demonstrated the bomb on a n uninhabited area or military target to scare Japan into surrender without killing innocent people
Japan was used- It is likely that the real target was not just Japan but also the Soviet Union. Some see it a s a show of power and a warning to the soviets form the us which they had unfairly inflicted on Japan

My verdict

I think that the war had to be ended but in a better way. I believe that the US should have demonstrated its power on a military target or uninhabited area. This would have then prompted Japan to surrender without committing what is seen by many a as war crime and limited the amount of deaths.

By William A