Fussell's Arguments for the United States' Use of the Atomic Bomb in 1945 Against Japan

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Japan’s Atomic Bomb
Introduction
The United States bombed two cities of Japan, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki back in the year
1945. The bomb which was referred to as the ‘Little Boy’ was released on Hiroshima. The next
bomb, ‘Fat Man’ was released on Nagasaki three days after the first bomb. It left a total
destruction of the two cities and an approximation of 110,000 people was killed; 70,000 in
Hiroshima and 40,000 in Nagasaki. The aim of this study is to examine the arguments which
Fussell provide in justification of the United States bombing Japan.
Fussell’s Arguments for the United States’ Use of the Atomic Bomb in 1945 Against Japan
Fussell is a world war II Veteran who has had an experience of the brutality which
resulted from the war. In his books ‘Thank God for the Atom Bomb and Other Essays’ he claims
that the bombs were tragic essentials. If the bombing hadn’t happened, most of the Americans
would have died from the invasion. The Japanese had resulted in fighting the white men and
making them their prisoners. This would have also killed many British assault troops. This would
have been a great loss on the Britain country as these troops are meant to protect the country
from enemies. One of the troop members claims that the invasion would have lasted for 7
months of infantry fighting. The Japanese had refused to surrender to the World War II and
therefore the atomic bombs were necessary. The Japanese had imprisoned Dutchman Laurens
together with a thousand other people (Fussell, 91). These people had been tortured and starved

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to death. Dutchman Laurens had surrendered to the Japanese because he wanted to call it a truce.
He wanted to help all the other people who had been captured during the invasion. However, the
Japanese saw this as a weakness and some type of moral garbage which resulted in torturing him
and the other prisoners. They were also torturing the people for being whites, which was
ridiculous of them.
During the midsummer of the year 1945, marshal Terauchi ordered that the prison camp
commanders kill all the prisoners. This was so inhuman of the Marshal. This also proved how
much the Japanese were willing to continue fighting. This would have resulted in more deaths of
the Americans as well as the Japanese people. The Americans, therefore, knew they had to do
something that would have a great impact on the Japanese people if they were to succeed in
ending the war and saving the lives of the prisoners (Ward, 79). The two bombs, therefore, acted
as a catalyst to make the Japanese withdraw from the war. The Americans knew that this would
strike the Japanese very hard and force them to drop out of the war. ‘The New York Reviews
Book’ provides an exchange of views on the necessity of the two atomic bombs. Joseph Alsop
who was one of the imprisoners of the Japanese claims that this was the only way to make them
surrender.
His reviews are based on the fact that War Minister Anami had insisted for the Japanese
to fight to the bitter end. The Minister wanted them to use force and tenacity in fighting for the
main pacific islands just as they had fought for Iwo and Okinawa. Alsop says that the Japanese
had a book of rules to ensure that they were undefeated. He, therefore, claims that “the decision
to drop the two bombs was wicked itself, and President Truman and all others who joined in
making or assented to this decision shared in the wickedness.” He also adds to this statement by
saying, “the true, climatic and successful effort of the Japanese peace advocates did not begin in