Truman's Decision to Drop the A-Bomb

1. Who was Harry S. Truman's Secretary of War?      

Harry S. Truman's Secretary of War was Henry Stimson.


2. Who was Truman's Chief of Staff?       

Truman's Chief of Staff was Admiral William D. Leahy.

3. Why did Truman believe nuclear bombs needed to be used?    

Truman believed nuclear bombs needed to be used because he was insistent on Japan's unconditional surrender and believed because of their culture, they would not surrender to the United States. He knew such a catastrophe would force them to end the war.  


4. Why did Admiral Leahy believe nuclear bombs didn't need to be used?      

Admiral Leahy believed nuclear warfare was not needed with the Japanese because he found the weapon to be barbarous. He also believed the Japanese would have surrendered because they were already defeated due to the effective sea blockade.


5. Why did Supreme Allied Commander and future president Dwight D. Eisenhower believe they didn't need to be used?      

Future president Dwight D. Eisenhower believed the atomic bombs were unwarranted and even immoral. He believed with Admiral Leahy, that the Japanese were already defeated and very close to surrender to the United States and didn't think the bombs were necessary. Japan had already suffered major losses due to the battles of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the firebombing of Tokyo, and Operation Starvation, and were on the verge of surrender. Therefore, dropping the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were unnecessary.


6. Critics of Truman fall into two camps. One was that he acted rashly because of his "inferior foreign policy skills" when compared to FDR. What is the other major criticism?     

While some critics thought Truman acted rashly because of his "inferior foreign policy skills," others thought the vast amount of money spent on the Manhattan Project pressured him to drop the bombs. Truman had announced that they had spent approximately 2 billion dollars on the Manhattan Project. This led not only critics, but also Truman's secretary of war, Stimson, and Admiral Leahy to believe the cost of the Manhattan Project played a role in his decision to bomb Japan.  

7. Key critics of Truman's use of the bomb weren't on the "historical fringe," but were who?      

The Key critics of Truman's use of the bomb weren't only on the "historical fringe," but were also his own secretary of war, Stimson, and Admiral Leahy. Leahy wrote in his memoir that Truman knew that scientists wanted to make this test because of the amount of money spent on the project.

8. Truman began to soften on his stance for unconditional surrender but something occurred that changed his mind for good. What was that?     

The successful Trinity test of the atom bomb in the New Mexico desert changed Truman's mind for good on his stance for unconditional surrender.

9. Besides defeating Japan what was Truman's other possible motivation for using the nuclear bombs on Japan?    

While defeating Japan was one of Truman's motivations, another was warn the Soviet's about the atom bomb the U.S had. Truman thought the bomb had a role in a looming geopolitical contest with the Soviet Union.


11. The four-power surrender ultimatum to be presented to Japan was to be written and decided upon where?    

The four-power surrender ultimatum to be presented to Japan would be written and decided upon the Potsdam Conference, set for July 1945.

12. What did the Washington Post editorialize about "unconditional surrender"?     

The Washington Post echoed the softening of Truman's surrender terms. They did not think unconditional surrender was ever an ideal formula.


13. What is the significance of Paragraph 12 in the draft copy of the Potsdam Proclamation prior to Truman setting sail on the USSAugusta? (More detail is needed for this question)     

Paragraph 12 in the draft copy of the Potsdam Proclamation was significant because it gave comfort to the Japanese with regard to the maintenance of their emperor. Paragraph 12 clearly stated that once the U.S had completed their objective, they would be withdrawn from Japan and the Japanese would be left to govern themselves. They ensured that the Japanese would be able to determine the fate of their own emperor. Paragraph 12 shows how Truman had softened the surrender terms as desired by his advisers.

14. What changed when the Proclamation was publicly announced on July 26?       

When the Proclamation was publicly announced on July 26, paragraph 12 had been altered and the passage comforting the Japanese emperor had been removed.

15. According to the author, what might have changed Truman's mind to alter the wording in Paragraph 12? (More detail is needed for this question)      

According to Jarecki, the success of the Trinity Test might have changed Truman's mind to alter the wording in Paragraph 12. After Truman was informed that the Trinity Test was successful, the bomb seemed to have shifted in his mind from a tool to end the war with Japan, to one that could establish America's primacy in the postwar global balance of power. Truman knew the United States was the only country with a weapon of mass destruction, and figured that the atom bomb would make the U.S superior over other countries including the Soviet Union. America's posture toward a postwar Soviet Union played as much a motivating force behind the atomic bombing of Japan as the desire to end the war.

16. Regarding his diary entry of a conversation with Winston Churchill (who is call "P.M." in the entry) what does the author suggest about Truman's attitude with the bomb despite learning what he does from Churchill?      

Regarding Truman's diary entry of a conversation with Churchill, Jarecki suggests that Truman was most focused on the postwar relationship between the U.S and the Soviet Union than ending the war in the pacific. Churchill believed the Japanese would surrender soon, however, Truman was more influenced by his recognition of the strategic relevance of the atom bomb. He knew the Trinity Test was a success and was excited to use the bomb for real.


17. What does his caption on the back of the photo of Stalin and Truman suggest about the use of the bomb?      

The caption on the back of the photo of Stalin and Truman suggest that the atom bomb will be the most effective and powerful weapon of warfare.

18. "From a foreign policy perspective" what two accomplishments were made by dropping the bomb?    

From a foreign policy perspective, the use of the bombs ended the war with Japan and fired the first shot in the Cold War against the Soviet Union.

19. To give credit to Truman, why didn't he know what FDR's intentions were with the bomb?    

Truman didn't know what FDR's intentions were with the bomb because the path to Hiroshima and Nagaski began in the concentration of executive power by FDR. Since Truman was vice president, he knew little about the Manhattan Project because FDR refused to reveal anything to him. Also, Truman could not have known FDR's full intentions with the atom bomb since FDR died before Germany surrendered.

20. How did the discrepancy between the loss of 1 million U.S. soldiers lives versus 20,000 to 40,000 if Japan's mainland would have been invaded, affect the understanding of their use?           

The discrepancy between the loss of 1 million U.S soldier lives vs. 20,000 to 40,000 if Japan's mainland would have been invaded affected the understanding of the bomb's use because many believed because of the atomic bombs, this saved more lives by preventing further battles. If they hadn't dropped the atomic bomb and had to invade Japan's mainland, there would have been a lot of casualties and deaths for both sides. The end of the war would have been further away.

21. Based on your readings, this reading, and discussion in class, in a paragraph or two, answer the following: To what extent was President Truman's decision to drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?

    President Truman's decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified. Even though Churchill and many of Truman's advisers believed the Japanese were close to surrendering, they could not have been sure. The Japanese were very centered around their culture and did not believe in surrendering. They found it to be dishonorable and many would rather kill themselves then surrender. The Japanese became desperate and starting using kamikaze suicide pilots instead of surrendering. Although many Japanese lives were lost due to the bombing, many more would have died if World War 2 continued to expand and escalate. Thousands more of American, Japanese, and civilian lives would have been lost if the U.S had to invade Japan's mainland. With the surrender of Germany, it was time for the war in the Pacific to come to an end and with the creation of the atom bomb, this gave the U.S a way to end the war without sacrificing any more America lives. While killing civilians and vast amounts of them is immoral, this was a time of war and war is a brutal concept where you have to put the security of your own country first. Truman wanted the war with Japan to end and for the Soviet Union to back off the United States, and the dropping of the atomic bomb did both.     

The Potsdam Conference

1. Read Source 17 (p 68). At Yalta, Churchill and Roosevelt had agreed with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’. Do you think Source 17 is what they had in mind?    

No, I do not think Source 17 is what Roosevelt and Churchill had in mind when they agreed with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet "sphere of influence." They did not want Stalin creating such a large scale of communism in eastern Europe, which is exactly what he was doing. Stalin and his troops had already taken control over Finland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Baltic States. He had already set up a Communist government in Poland, even though Churchill and Roosevelt opposed this.  


2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.   


Roosevelt and Churchill would disagree with the views expressed by Stalin in Sources 17 and 18. Both Churchill and Roosevelt did not like the beliefs of the Communist party and did not want a communist government in eastern Europe. Stalin tried to justify his actions by stating "everyone imposes his own system as far as his army has power to do so, it can not be otherwise." The one thing Churchill and Roosevelt didn't want was another dictator in Europe. Churchill would disagree with Stalin's claim that Greece does not had a truly representative government because Britain had helped to created an anti-communist government in Greece.    


3.  Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.

1 Stalin’s armies were occupying most of eastern Europe: This development might affect relationships at Potsdam because Churchill and Roosevelt did not want Stalin taking over most of eastern Europe because of his communist beliefs. Even though they were suppose allies, Stalin denied Britain and the United States' wished to takeover Poland.
2 America had a new president: Once Roosevelt died, he was replaced with his vice president, Truman. This could affect the relationship at Potsdam because Churchill and Stalin don't know him very well and Truman was much more anti-communist than Roosevelt. He was very suspicious of Stalin and his anti-communism and suspicion could offset the alliance between all three.
3 The USA had developed an atomic bomb: This gave the U.S an advantage over other countries. This also made other countries jealous and worried as they felt threatened with this new weapon of warfare. The trust and alliance they had was on the edge with a weapon that could wipe out cities and created massive damage.

Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference

1. Choose two points of agreement from the list and explain why they were significant for the future peace of Europe.      

First Point:     During the Yalta Conference, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill agreed that as countries were liberated from the German Army, they would be allowed to hold free elections to choose the government they wanted. This was very significant for the future peace of Europe, because it ensured democracy in Europe and set to prevent the rise of any totalitarian government or dictators. 



Second Point: The Big Three also agreed to hunt down and punish war criminals who were responsible for the genocide during the holocaust. This was significant because it ensured Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill were serious in working together to ensure the end of Nazism in Europe, and to provide protection and keep the peace in Europe against war criminals.   

2. Read Sources 2 - 11 on pages 320 and 321. What is your overall impression of the Yalta Conference based on these sources?

My overall impression of the Yalta Conference was that all three leaders wanted to work together and had a genuine alliance with each other, however, neither of them fully trusted each other. It seemed Britain and the United States had a stronger alliance with each other on behalf of their hatred for Communism. It seems that Stalin thought Roosevelt and Churchill especially could be easily taken advantage of and looked down upon him. Overall, the Big Three seemed to have a genuine alliance while keeping a distance from each other.  

America Enters World War II

1. What impact did the outbreak of war in Europe have on U.S. foreign and defense policy?   

     When the war broke out in Europe, President Roosevelt asked Congress to increase spending for national defense. Although the United States wanted to stay out of the war, Nazi victories changed U.S thinking, and there was a boost for defense spending. Congress passed the nation's first peacetime military draft, called the Selective Training and Service Act. Under this law, 16 million men were registered. Of these, 1 million were to be drafted only to serve in the Western Hemisphere.
 
2. Why did Roosevelt take one “unneutral” step after another to assist Britain and the Soviet Union in 1941?    

     Roosevelt took one "unneutral" step after another to assist Britain and the Soviet Union in 1941 because he wanted to lend support to any country whose defense was vital to the United States. By late 1940, Britain had no more cash to spend. Roosevelt responded by suggesting a new plan that he called the lend-lease policy. Roosevelt thought this was the only sensible thing to do to prevent U.S involvement in the war. Roosevelt also began sending lend-lease supplies to the Soviet Union when Hitler broke his agreement with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union.

3. Why was the Atlantic Charter important?   

     The Atlantic Charter was so important because it gave the United States and Britain collective security, disarmament, self-determination, economic cooperation, and freedom of the seas. The Atlantic Charter became the basis of the "Declaration of the United Nations." The United Nations consisted of 26 nations who fought the Axis powers.
     

4. Why did the United States enter into an undeclared shooting war with Germany in fall 1941?   

     The United States entered into an undeclared shooting war with Germany in fall of 1941 because a German submarine fired on the U.S destroyer Greer in the Atlantic. Roosevelt quickly responded by ordering the navy to shoot the German submarines on sight. Weeks later, an American merchant ship was sunk and a U-boat torpedoed the U.S. destroyer Kearny. Days later, German U-boats sank another U.S. destroyer, killing more than 100 sailors. As the death toll continued to rise, the Senate repealed the ban against arming merchant ships and a formal declaration of a full-scale war was inevitable.
 
5. How was oil a source of conflict between Japan and the United States?   

     Oil was such a source of conflict between Japan and the United States because Japan needed oil and the United States cut off trade with Japan. One Japan started taking over French military bases, The U.S protested a new act of aggression by cutting off trade with Japan. This included embargoed goods such as oil, which Japan could not live without. Without oil, Japan could not fuel their war machines. The leaders declared that Japan must either persuade the U.S to end its oil embargo or go to war.  
  
6. What problem would the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor solve for Roosevelt? What new problems would it create?  

   The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor solved the problem of isolationism for Roosevelt. Many who had formally been isolationists now supported an all-out American effort. After the surprise attack, many isolationists believed the only thing left to do was go to war. The attack on Pearl Harbor, however, created several new problems for the United States. The Japanese had killed 2,403 Americans with their surprise attack. The raid had sunk or damaged 21 ships, including 8 battleships, which was nearly the whole U.S Pacific fleet. More than 300 air crafts were severely damaged or destroyed which constituted greater damage than the U.S Navy suffered in World War 1. The surprise attack at Pearl Harbor sent the United States to war with Japan. After Congress approved of Roosevelt's request to rage war with Japan, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, officially bringing the U.S into World War 2.

Dictators Threaten World Peace

1. Why did the new democracies set up after World War I fail? (And yes, I am aware the answer is in the reading so make sure your answer is in your own words.)      

     The new democracies set up after World War 1 failed for many reasons. For one, the postwar years brought powerful dictators to rise who were driven by the belief in nationalism and the desire for territorial expansion. Another reason was the failure of the Treaty of Versailles which Germany found unfair. These problems overwhelmed the Weimar Republic and the peace settlement did not fulfill Wilson's hopes of a world "safe for democracy." Without democratic traditions, people turned to authoritarian leaders to solve their countries' problems. The new democracies collapsed the dictators were able to seize power.  

2. What are the characteristics of a totalitarian state?     

     A totalitarian state is a country with a government that maintains complete control over its citizens. Individuals have no rights, and the government suppresses all opposition. By 1939, Joseph Stalin had established a totalitarian government. Stalin took control over everything and was determined to eliminate anyone who threatened his power, even his most faithful supporters. 


3. What factors led to the rise of Fascism in Italy?     

     By 1921, Benito Mussolini had accomplished creating a fascist regime in Italy. In 1922, Mussolini marched on Rome with thousands of followers wearing black uniforms. Their uniforms gave them the name "black shirts" Once the important government officials, police, and  army sided with the fascist party, Mussolini was appointed head of the government. 

4. What were the key ideas and goals that Hitler presented in Mein Kampf ?      

     In the book Mein Kampf, Hitler set fourth the basic beliefs of the Nazism that became his plan of action for the Nazi party. Nazism is based on extreme nationalism. Hitler dreamed of uniting all German speaking people in a German Empire. He also wanted to enforce racial "purification" in Germany. Hitler believed in an Aryan race, preferably blue-eyed blonds. Hitler had a dislike for anyone who wasn't white, especially Jews. Another element of Nazism was national expansion. Hitler believed in order for Germany to thrive, they needed more land. 

5. Why did Japan invade Manchuria?     

     Japan decided to invade the Chinese province of Manchuria with a surprise attack  in 1931. In Japan, nationalist military leaders were trying to take control of imperial Japan. They believed in the need for more land for a growing population, same as Hitler. In need of more land, Japan invaded Manchuria. Within several months, Japanese troops controlled the entire province. 

6. What foreign countries were involved in the Spanish Civil War?     

     In 1936, a small group of Spanish army officers rebelled against the Spanish republic. Led by Francisco Franco, this became known as the Spanish Civil War. Fighting against Franco were the Americans. The Americans formed the Abraham Lincoln Battalion consisting of over 3,000 troops. Among these troops were African Americans still bitter about Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia. Franco, however, was backed by Hitler and Mussolini who sent troops, weapons, tanks, and fighter planes. Franco's victory in 1939 established him as the fascist leader of Spain.   

7. What factors contributed to America's growing isolationism?     


     There were many factors that contributed to America's growing isolationism. Most Americans were alarmed by the international conflicts of the mid 1930's but believed they should stay out of it. Public outrage over a flood of books that argued that the United States had been dragged into World War 1, led to the creation of a congressional committee. The Nye committee made the controversy even worse by documenting large profits that banks and manufacturers made during the war. Americans because more determined than ever to avoid war. The Girl Scouts of America even changed the color of their uniforms to appear less militaristic.