Failure: Was the Use of These Bombs War Crimes?

Harry S. Truman was too eager to use the bombs, and his decision to do so was not well thought out.  Some argue that the first decision to use nuclear weapons was made in December of 1941 when the funding was approved for the bomb, yet Truman's blessing was all to easy to achieve.  Truman approved the list of A-bomb target cities and the intent to use an atomic bomb without consultation of anyone else, and wrote in his diary that the bombs would be used between July 25th, and August 10th.  He approved this even when the scientists involved in the Manhattan project and others suggested that the president invite officials of Japan to witness a bomb testing to demonstrate its power and encourage their surrender.  Without any recognition of these peoples advice, Truman approved the bombs use, and dismissed the possibility of a test on the basis that if the bomb used was a dud the Japanese leaders would simply laugh at the United States.  Instead, Truman told the Japanese to expect "A rain of ruin from the air the like of which has never been seen on this earth."
While atomic weapons gave Japan no choice but to surrender, the use of these cruel and destructive tools was unadvisable, and meant and instant end to entire cities.  The 15 kiloton bomb "Little Boy" was dropped to hastily on Hiroshima at 8 a.m.  Regardless Hiroshima had an important military base for WWII, the bomb was primarily used on a civilian population where the civilians outnumber the soldiers 5 to 1.  While the targeted military base was destroyed, 90% of the city also lay in ruins, as all buildings within a 5 kilometer radius were destroyed and set on fire. 
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"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons.

"The lethal possibilities of atomic warfare in the future are frightening. My own feeling was that in being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages. I was not taught to make war in that fashion, and wars cannot be won by destroying women and children."


Admiral William D. Leahy
Like its smaller predecessor "Little Boy," "Fat Man," a 20 kiloton bomb, was dropped in succession without warning only three days after the bomb on Hiroshima at 11 a.m. on the city of Nagasaki.  Besides the fact that Japan was given no time to respond to the initial detonation, the use of "Fat Man" was pointless because of its failure to it its targets.  "Fat Man" was originally scheduled to be dropped on the War Industries crucial for the Japanese War Machine adjacent the cities of Kokura.  Due to poor conditions and lack of sight of the target, the commander of the aircraft Major Charles W. Sweeny ordered the bomb to be dropped on the secondary target of Nagasaki, on civilian populations, instead of being dropped in the ocean or brought back home.  The bomb exploded 1,650 feet above the city of Nagasaki, and was 40% larger than "Little Boy" previously used.  Approximately 200,000 civilians were in the city when the bomb was detonated.  
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Although Japan originally refused Allied unconditional surrender, Harry S. Truman obviously put little thought into using the bombs, because they were simply unnecessary.  The Allied surrender ultimatum, the Potsdam Proclamation of July 26th, was rejected by the Japanese because unconditional surrender would mean the loss of their Emperor, and the change of traditional Japanese culture.  Historians speculate that the Allies knew Japan would not except such terms, yet they took their rejection as a justification for the use of their bombs.  With the change from unconditional, to conditional surrender (which was later accepted by the U.S) the Potsdam Proclamation would have been accepted by the Japanese, and the bombs would not have been necessary.  Even if the Japanese did not accept more reasonable terms of surrender, the U.S. did not need nuclear weapons to defeat Japan.  Before the bombs were dropped, more than 60 Japanese cities had been destroyed by war, Japanese controlled islands were blockaded by the American Navy, and Japan was experiencing economy strangulation and famine.  This shows how Japan was already weakened immensely, as it had much less than sufficient amounts of food and ammunition to continue the war for much longer.  Even Japanese officials were pessimistic of their chances in surviving American and Soviet invasions, in a culture where public pessimism towards the war was taboo.  Lieutenant Colonel Fijuwara Iwaichi even admitted that Japans defense was almost completely reliant on suicidal bravery and patriotism, as they did not possess the resources necessary to fight.  
"I am convinced that if you, as President, will make a shortwave broadcast to the people of Japan - tell them they can have their Emperor if they surrender, that it will not mean unconditional surrender except for the militarists - you'll get a peace in Japan - you'll have both wars over."  Herbert Hoover