The dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan is an unnecessary step because Japan was essentially defeated, and It killed too many innocent people, including children.
Explanation:
First, some historians argue that the atomic bombing of Japan was not justified because they consider the use of the bombs to be inhumane. In general, bombs of any sort are devastating and can cause widespread damage and death. Further to the idea that the bombs were inhumane because of the injuries they caused, others have suggested that the United States was unjustified in using the two atomic bombs to end World War II because they caused excessive destruction of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 6th, 1945, the American B-29 plane, Enola Gay, dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bombing instantly killed 70,000 to 80,000 Japanese in the city and tens of thousands more due to radiation exposure. Three days later on August 9th, the United States dropped another atomic bomb, named the Fat Man, on the city of Nagasaki. The bombing of Nagasaki would kill another 40,000 people. The atomic bombs on Japan were the single deadliest weapons in all of human history and remains so still today. Beyond killing many people the atomic bombs also caused massive destruction in both cities. For instance, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945 ended in the destruction of 90% of the city. The initial blast and the resulting fires ravaged the city. It was made worse by the fact that many of the buildings in the city were constructed out of wood and paper. Crew members of the Enola Gay commented after about seeing much of the city on fire as they flew away from the city. Some historians have argued that this widespread destruction of the cities was immoral and therefore the United States was not justified in its use of the atomic bombs. In addition to the destruction of the city, some historians have argued that the two atomic bombs should not have been used because they caused the deaths of largely innocent civilians who lived in the two cities. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not military targets and as such, many innocent children and women were killed from the powerful blast of the bombs. Some people have suggested that the United States should not have used the atomic bombs for this reason and should have instead carried out smaller bombing raids which could more easily target specific military targets.
The next main reason for why the atomic bombing of Japan by the United States was unnecessary and unjustified is that some historians now suggest that Japan was nearly defeated and seeking a way to surrender. This argument holds that since Japan was on the verge of defeat, they could have been forced to give up formally through different means. For example, when the war in the Pacific Theater began in 1941, with Japan’s surprise attack of Pearl Harbor, Japan was at its height of power and controlled large sections of the south Pacific Ocean. However, by the summer of 1945 the United States had successfully pushed back the Japanese with its strategy known as ‘island-hopping’. This strategy saw the United States forces leapfrog Japanese held island in the South Pacific in order to more quickly advance to Japan’s main home islands. As such, by August of 1945, Japan was essentially limited to its main home islands and no longer had the ability to fight back in a meaningful way. Therefore, some historians have argued that the United States did not have to use the two atomic bombs to force Japan to formally surrender. In fact, some people have suggested that Japan was seeking a way to surrender while making sure Emperor Hirohito would not be removed or harmed
