The Opening Act of the Cold War. The Atomic Bombs as a Demonstration of Power

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject History - America, grade: 1, , course: Senior Seminar, language: English, abstract: Why did President Harry S. Truman decide to use the atomic bombs on Japan? It is easy to find an American historian or politician claiming the bombs ended the war against Japan and saved American lives. However, over the last couple of decades many documents pertinent to this topic have been declassified.

This paper will analyze these documents along with other research. Prior to the analysis, information on the background of developing the bomb, how the leaders of the United States felt about using it and thoughts on Japan surrendering are examined to conclude in a less accepted interpretation. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not necessary to attain a Japanese surrender, even without a land invasion, therefore the bombs were dropped to test different bombs worth billions of dollars, avenge Pearl Harbor, and keep the Soviet Union from gaining territory and spreading communist influence in Asia and Europe.