The use of atomic weaponry against Japan in World War II was justified.

Thank you for accepting. The use of atomic weaponry against Imperial Japan in 1945 was a very difficult decision to make. I want to be clear in saying that I am in no way asserting that the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were frivolous. It is awful how many people died and how they perished. That said, it was simply the best of two very violent and bloody options. The US could have chosen between nuclear weapons or invading Japan. Why invading Japan was not the better option: 1) It would have taken a substantial amount of time: After the battle of Midway, the United States employed the method of island hopping in order to defeat the Japanese. basically it involved moving from one Pacific island to another, in order to set up bases to bring Japan within range of bombing(1). The plan was more or less successful, however it was a slow process. The Japanese were strongly established on the islands, making it a long and tedious process to dislodge them. The battles of Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, etc. were not simply victories to come by. Simply taking these islands took nearly three years of fighting to acquire. Taking the Japanese mainland would have been a similarly long process. The Japanese military was packed onto the mainland, and the tenacity of this army was legendary. While this is speculation to an extent, it is highly unlikely that the Japanese military would have easily surrendered in the event of an invasion. What many people don't know is that there was a planned invasion of Japan, called Operation Downfall(2). The plan would have extended the War in the Pacific even longer. The projections for this operation began in the summer of 1945 and continued into 1946. Bear in mind these were only projections, and the actual war could and most likely would have taken much longer. 2) Invading the Japanese mainland would have cost many more lives. Iwo Jima- 26,038(3) Guadalcanal- 7,100(4) Saipan- 16,525(5) Philippines campaign- 62,000(6) Solomon islands campaign- 10,600(7) These numbers are the total allied casualties of different battles/campaigns in the pacific theater. (These include killed and wounded). These numbers are quite high, showing that the Japanese were a very determined and effective fighting force. The other side of the casualty list is staggering. The Japanese deaths from the battles often outnumbered the Allied totals astronomically (Iwo Jima being the exception). After the war was over, 364,748 Americans were either killed or wounded in the pacific (note these are ONLY American casualties)(8) The American leaders knew these numbers, and knew that invading the Japanese homeland would cause them to sky-rocket. The previously mentioned Operation Downfall was projected to be extremely devastating. At its beginning, the estimates were that every hour 1,000 Japanese and American soldiers would die(2). This is because the invasion force for the Americas would be large, and the Japanese would be extremely hard to remove. The civilians of Japan would have also been casualties in this venture. The Japanese civilians also had a fighting force called the National Volunteer Combat Force(2). Armed with inadequate weapons, they were meant to add another factor against the Americans against whom they would stand little chance of survival. The casualties form atomic war are devastating, but invading Japan would have been much more costly. 2a) Japanese Military brutality While this alone doesn't justify the use of atomic weapons, it should be noted that the Japanese military was extremely brutal. They were legendary for their cruel treatment of prisoners, disregard for civilians, and sheer violence. The atrocities of the Japanese army are infamous, particularly in the Rape of Nanking. The Japanese shot innocent civilians, raped numerous women, as well as burning and burying civilians alive.(9) Also disturbing was their treatment of POW's. Japanese prisoners of war were treated very poorly, receiving harsh discipline and little food. The infamous Bataan Death March involved Japanese soldiers forcing POW's to march in extreme heat for many miles. even more terrifying was the use of kamikazes. Kamikaze pilots essentially flew bombs with wings and engines, which they would fly into an enemy ship, killing many at the cost of one pilot. This all adds up to mean that the Japanese were not a peaceful, civilised army that would surrender honorably to save lives. It was either victory or insanely costly defeat. Why America is justified in using atomic bombs: 3) The Japanese started the war On December 7th 1941, Japan bombed the American Naval base at Pearl Harbor. Previous to this event, the Americans had enacted several embargoes against Japan in response to their belligerency in the Pacific, which had hurt the Japanese economy. These do not justify attacking soldiers and civilians while war has not been declared. The Japanese became far too aggressive and arrogant in their invasions, and in doing so they made the fatal mistake of attacking America. They bear full responsibility for this action and the war that followed. Yes, the Americans had taken economic action against Japan, however common reason would dictate that this doesn't warrant military attacks of the nature of Pearl Harbour. The Japanese had brought these sanctions upon themselves by unjustly invading Manchuria and other territories in the Pacific. When a nation engages into a war, they must accept that the enemy must do what they can to win. In the face of the staggering resources needed to invade Japan, the Japanese left little choice for America. 4) The Japanese were warned Before the bombing on Hiroshima occurred, Americans sent out leaflets warning the people of these cities that a new weapon had been created and that they needed to evacuate. On August 1 1945, the inhabitants of Hiroshima received these leaflets and had every opportunity to evacuate as needed.(10) The Japanese had also received the Potsdam Declaration, in which the Allied leaders issued the ultimatum for unconditional surrender on the threat of destruction. The declaration was straight forward and could have been much harsher(11)* Had the Japanese been concerned with their own civilians well being, they would have heeded both warnings. They could have even avoided the entire event from unfolding. In conclusion, the decision to use atomic weapons was not an easy one. The invasion or the atomic weapons would have been devastating. However, using the weapons was a prudent and justifiable move on the part of the United States. The Japanese brought the war, and the consequences thereof, upon themselves. The US had every right to demand unconditional surrender on Imperial Japan. America may have dropped the bombs, but Japan had been slowly paving the road to that option with years of stubbornness and refusal to surrender. America isn't responsible for the blood of the Japanese civilians lost at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The government of Japan had their chance to avoid the bombings, and by denying this the government sealed Japan's fate. I look forward to your argument Sources 1)http://www.u-s-history.com... 2)http://www.kilroywashere.org... 3)http://en.wikipedia.org... 4)http://militaryhistory.about.com... 5)http://militaryhistory.about.com... 6)http://en.wikipedia.org...(1944%E2%80%9345) 7)http://en.wikipedia.org... 8)http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com... 9)http://www.nanking-massacre.com... 10)http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org... 11)http://www.princeton.edu... *actually read the text, it states "We do not intend that the Japanese shall be enslaved as a race or destroyed as a nation"