The Dropping of the Atomic Bombs

Essay by scottascore09Junior High, 9th grade October 2006

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The dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima resulted in the death of over 100,000 people. Many people believe the United States had ulterior motives

for the dropping of the bombs, while some consider the bombing the largest and most lethal acts of terrorism in history. The United States should not have been the first to use such a devastating weapon. The dropping of the atomic bomb was unjustified and a crime against humanity.

The United States started the making of the atomic bomb after they heard of Germany's Nazi atomic bomb program. The American project was called the Manhattan Project. The project had $2 billion dollars invested into it. After years of testing and working they were able to produce an atomic bomb, a result of splitting an atom so it releases its energy. The bombs were called Fat Man and Little Boy. Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima.

Hiroshima was a communication center, a storage point, and an assembly area but was not significant enough to be targeted by the United States before the bombing. Hiroshima only contained the 2nd General Army Headquarters that commanded the defense of all of southern Japan. Critics believe the reason the atomic bomb was dropped was to justify the investment, test the weapons and perhaps to get revenge for the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

The United States had not given Japan enough time to study the radiations and other effects of the bombing of Hiroshima before the second one was dropped. The second one was dropped 3 days later on Nagasaki, a large seaport in Japan with industrial activity, which made ships and military equipment. When people in Japan suffered from radiation not even the Americans knew much about it or how to help the people. The United States would...