Trumans Blunder The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb

The atomic policy against Japan was closely related to the fear of Soviet expansion in Asia. U.S. leaders were strongly conscious of Russia’s agreement at Yalta to join the war against Japan three months past Germany’s surrender on May 7, 1945 (Fogelman, 124). Among the U.S. invasion of Japan planned for November 1, 1945, U.S. officials were doubtful about the cooperative mission with Russia in which Russia would have power at the peace table. However, the successful detonation at Alamogordo had transformed everything. The bomb guaranteed that the U.S. no longer required Russian aid to win in the Pacific (Wainstock, 132). In reality, Russian involvement would now only threaten American postwar interests. If successful, the atomic bomb†¦show more content†¦After the Trinity nuclear test, conducted on July 10, 1945, the nuclear weapon’s ability was shown. Even U.S. President Harry S. Truman attended the testing of the weapon (Ferrell, 189). The destruction instigated by the explosion comprised of the disintegration of a 60 foot high steel tower; additionally the bombs detonation created a crater 6 feet deep and 1,200 feet in diameter. The bomb was so powerful that a steel tower half a mile away collapsed. Even men 10,000 yards away were flung off their feet, and the men carrying out the test, as well as Truman felt the heat from the explosion on their hand 32 kilometers away from the bomb (Maddox, 154). After experiencing this Truman ought to have been more restrained regarding the use of the weapon; particularly when he stated it would be detonated on a military target not a civilian target. However, it was obvious that both targeted cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki were industrialized cities with large populations that would lead to many civilians being killed (Fogelman, 145). In addition, the United States did not look at the treat that the radiation from the bomb posed on civilians. Another reason that the bomb’s use was unjustified was that the U.S. made aware that Japan was on the verge of surrender. Japan had been blockaded by the navy and had been continuously bombed. Cities such as Tokyo were decimated and thousands of