Support or Refute this statement: The United States was justified in using the atomic bombs against Japan in 1945.

WWII can be proclaimed as one of the most detrimental events in Unites States history. Caused by a thirst for Facism, dictators such as Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Muzzolini(Italy), and Joseph Stalin(Russia/USSR) allied themselves to conquer the world. It was Hitler's hunger and selfishness that eventually led the USSR to join the Unites States and Europe. During the war, America practiced a neutrality policy to keep themselves out of war. American citizens and government officials did not want to concern themselves with the consequences of yet another world war. America soon recognized Japan's plans to dominate all of Eastern Asia and the Pacific. As the Japanese made its way around Asia, Britain and America decided to impose a trade embargo on Japan. This resulted in resources being cut off that were necessary towards furtherment of Japanese industries and military, resources include rubber and oil. America and Japan tried to negotiate terms without resulting in war, yet the Japanese felt, an attack was necessary to penetrate stubborn American minds. This suprise attack came December 7, 1941,as the Japanese dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In the words of President FDR, "a day which will live in infamy". This attck caused an uproar throught the country as isolationist finnaly came to realize war was the only way. This attack launched America into WWII leaving the already gone neutrality goal(due to lend-lease for Britian against Axis powers, showing America had chosen a side) further in the dust. During WWII, President Truman made orders to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a decision that is argued today. Truman's decision to have the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was wrong and immoral because Japan's army was already feeble, and would not have been able to fight, innocent Japanese citizens were killed, including children, and it showed American desperation.

By 1945, after so many lost battles and loss of men, the Japanese army had become weak. The once formidable military had lost its glory. The Japanese Navy had been neutralized. Japan's merchant fleets had all been practically destroyed. Millions of surviving Japanese soldiers had been isolated to China and could not have been restored into war. Also, the Japanese Air Force had become desperate and felt the need to use kamikaze pilots.

These pilots were concedered suicide pilots and were willing to die in honor and kill themselves, as long as they recieved the chance to guard their homeland. Also, by this time in war, Japan was torn to shreds. Every major military target in Japan had already been bombed at least once. This means that if America decided to attack Japan on foot, they still had higher chances to prevail over the Japanese. The atomic bomb was dropped as a means to show the USSR how powerful America had become.

Many innocent Japanese citizens were killed as result of the bombing on Hirosima and Nagasaki. The bombing on Hirosima killed 140,000 people. The bombing on Nagasaki killed 80,000. Unfortunately, the atomic bombs dropped sent radiation throughout Hirosshima and Nagasaki. Since then, thousands have died from injuries or illness caused by exposure radiation released by the bombs. In both cities,majority of the dead were civilians.

The bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed American desperation. It showed how badly America needed the Japanese to forefit the war. The atomic bomb was the only sure way to know that America could not lose to Japan. This is a sign of cowardace. America was afraid to attack and give the Japanese any chance to fight back. There were too many possibilities. The fact that the bombs were dropped showed America feared the Japanese or even the Soviet Union attacking the U.S. on its own land.

In Conclusion, WWII opened the gates to the Cold War, another war that would leave an imprint on American history. Though it was WWII's need for mass munition production that finally pulled society out of the Great Depression, WWII had more negatives than positive. Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was wrong and immoral. It targeted an already weakened army, innocent people, and showed the desperation of America. This was not a good decision for yes Japan foriet the war days later, was a bomb so devastating necessary to reel the Japanese to surreder?

The Great Depression and its affect on America's Social Fabric.

The Great Depression (1929-1941) was the brick wall that brought the liveliness of America during the "Roaring Twenties" to a devastating stop. The Great Depression was
caused by several factors such as, unequal distribution of wealth, undersonsumption, rise of tariffs, poor capital investment, fragility of the banking system, and even the rise of technology. The Great Depression tore the nation's economy to pieces and Republican president Herbert Hoover did very little to pull the nation out of this turmoil. Hoover believed in three main factors, Localism, Voluntarism, and Rugged indiviualism. He believed that the people should "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and fix their issues alone, without government intervention. The Great Depression severly affected and injured America's social fabric from severe economic droughts and lack of trust towards capitalism, lack of jobs and homes, and even leading to desperation by the people.

The capitalist world expierenced a colosal collapse. In the U.S., nearly 85 thousand businesses closed. The GNP (Gross National Product) fell from $104 billion in 1929 to $56 billion in 1933. Per capita disposable income fell from $678 in 1929 to $369 in 1933. Farmers' income declined from $5.7 billion in 29' to $1.7 billion in 33'. Four hundred thousand farmers lost their land under foreclosures. In 1932, it was popular for farmers to destroy their own crops to rise prices. Building construction fell from $300 billion in 29' to $500 million in 33'. In 1928 and 1929, bank failures averaged 550 per year.

Unemployment increased from 1.5 million in 1929 to 12.8 million in 1933. This was actually 25% of the working population. In 1931, 75% of the nation's cities banned married women from holding jons as teachers while children were forced to look for work. Hunger, homlessness, mental depression, and other social maladies icreased. Throughout the nation, homeless families lived in makeshift shacks and tents on the outskirts of towns and cities. These communities were eventually known as "Hoobervilles". Soon, the frustration and despair caused the American people to take matters into their own hands.

Two dramatic instances that clearly show the peoples' desperation and anger include The Bonus Army and The Farmers' Holiday Association. In the case of The Bonus Army, over fifteen thousand WW1 veterans camped in the nation's capital. They hoped they could persuade Congress to allow them to cash in their bonus certificates given to them in 1924. On orders from Hoover, the U.S. Army, uner the comman of General Douglas MacArthur, destryoed the primary encmpment at Anacostia Flats. As in The Farmers' Holiday Association, this group was created to bring an end to foreclosures and controls for farm commodities.

These factors had conviced many that the Great Depression was the ultimate fall of the capitalist system. By this time, the majority of Americans were fed up with Hoovers poor choices on rebuilding the economy. They were ready for a political change. It would soon come when Democratic governer of New York, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was elected president.

It was FDR and his hand advisors also known as the Brain Trusts that brought a revival to the nations' economy. FDR was focuse on the 3Rs of bringing change to the nation. The 3rs stood for relief(short-term), recovery(long-term), and reform of the nation. His idea of the New Deal brought life back to America and created jobs and began to bring money back into the nation. This was finally the key to ending the Great Depression which tore the nations social fabric through severe economic droughts and lack of trust towards capitalism, lack of jobs and homes, and even leading to desperation by the people. It was the end of the nations' agony until the awful WW2.