|
Hunter Driscoll
June 1, 2008
Hist 4000
A Review of Hiroshima: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb
It is
a commonly
held belief that Harry Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs
on Nagasaki and Hiroshima to avoid an invasion of Japan and save half a
million lives. Ronald Takaki, an ethics professor at the University of
California at Berkeley, in his book, Hiroshima: Why America Dropped
the Atomic Bomb, believes that the use of atomic weapons on Japan
was partly a demonstration of force, designed to control the expanding Soviet
Republic. Takaki also does an expert job of presenting many other
factors that could have influenced the decision to authorize use of
atomic weapons. In his analysis of Truman’s decision, Takaki brings up
the racial mindset of America, Truman’s own personal weaknesses, and the
emerging Russian threat.
Any
discussion about the atomic bomb with my grandfather would promptly
bring up the fact that the bomb ended the war and saved half a million
lives by not requiring an invasion of the Japanese mainland. To counter
this long-held belief, Takaki brings up a report dated June 15, 1945
that estimates the casualties from an invasion of the Japanese main
islands at 40,000, not 500,000. In another of his points Takaki reviews
racial stereotypes held by Americans, and the racial beliefs of
President Truman. He also reviews how Truman became president riding on
the coat-tails of Roosevelt and Truman’s trouble youth. But the heart
of his book comes from his discussion over the Russian issue. Truman
was very aware of growing tension between America and the Russians.
Takaki puts forth the idea that the main reason for Truman ordering the
use of the atomic bomb was to show the Russians how powerful America had
become. I believe whole-heartedly that the use of the atomic bomb was
only to prevent an invasion of Japan. I also believe that Takaki could
have gone one step further and said that the use of the bomb was to
prevent Russia from invading Japan and claiming part of it for its own.
The use of the atomic bomb was to create a US friendly country in an
Asia that was growing with communism. Takaki hints at this throughout
his chapter about the Russians. He says that Truman was worried about
what Russia would do with Poland and also how concerned Truman was with
a growing Red presence in the rest of Eastern Europe. All of Takaki’s
examples accurately defend his points, but I believe that he takes many
of the examples out of clear context and uses them for his own
arguments.
As to where
Takaki gets his other ideas as to why the bomb was dropped are well
beyond my reasoning. I do not think Truman was any more apt to bombing
the Japanese than the Nazis. The misrepresentation of the Japanese
people as evil and racially inferior, compared to only the Nazis being
construed as evil, was for two reasons. The first reason is that Japan
was a relative new comer to the world stage and most Americans were
quite unaware of Japanese culture. Secondly, the Nazis never directly
attacked the US on American soil. All attacks from Nazis were in
Europe, it was much less personal than the attacks. But this revenge
aspect still does not justify Truman’s decisions.
Takaki’s
other point on Truman’s own self-image and psychological issues is quite
off base. Truman is a politician and a grown man. He is capable of
making completely rational decisions based on facts. I would find it
difficult to imagine the leader of our country, elected or not,
resolving major decisions using emotion, subconsciously or not.
By the end of
the book, Takaki has done a very thorough job of stimulating the reader
into rethinking the motives behind the dropping of the atomic bomb.
Whether or not the reader believes in Takaki’s points, he or she will
begin to have doubts about their own beliefs. Takaki does such a
wonderful job that even the most stubborn of readers will rethink their
position.
|