Survival of the Fittest

                                                                                                07 May 2007

                                                                            

  

Protection and Survival At A Cost: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the United States

 

“Praise [The United States] for their efforts to avert war” rings an American opinion in response to their involvement in World War II.  The ultimate responsibility for an unprovoked act of aggression rests with Japan (Roosevelt Exonerated).  Japan first, sought survival for its Empire and then reaped devastation.  Historians are “still divided over whether it was necessary to drop the atomic bomb to end World War II” (Dietrich).  It has been debated for years and only unto further debate.  The U.S. holds that it ended the war months sooner and saved lives that could have been lost invading Japan.  Japan holds “that the bombings were unjustified and that knowingly inflicting harm of this magnitude on civilians was inherently immoral” (Asada).  A country is responsible for its people’s survival and World War II is evidence that it comes at a cost.  It may leave no other choice than taking others lives.  Both attacked to protect and survive.  

There is no doubt that World War II is “the most horrific conflict in history” (Atomic Bombing of Japan Ends WWII).  All of the attacks resulted from authoritarian leadership on the basis of protection and survival.  Germany was protecting a certain race, territory, and by waging war leaving surrounding countries no choice by to act in self-defense.  Japan was competing for natural resources in the Pacific and China also seeking to be recognized as a colonial power.  This power would bring respect and expansion.   Politicians and militarist leaders promoted the idea that they had a right to conquer Asia and unify it.

Invasions began first in China with the intent to “bolster natural resources, to relieve Japan from population pressures, and to extend its colonial realm” (World War II).  It wasn’t until later that war meant survival.  As the Western Powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands, who controlled the oil of the Dutch East Indies responded to Japan’s invasion by “instituting embargoes on exports of natural resources to Japan” and by providing military assistance (World War II).  With every action there is a reaction.

Now with limitations and the responsibility of its people, Japan was faced with choices.  They saw that they could withdraw from China as the Allies were asking to again receive resources from the Dutch East Indies, negotiate some compromise, buy resources elsewhere, or go to war to conquer territories that contained what they needed.   Japan’s leaders presumed that the Allies were preoccupied with Germany so they “proceeded with its plans to wage war in the Pacific by launching nearly simultaneous attacks on Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Wake Island” (World War II).  Each of these locations was rich in the natural resources Japan needed to continue expanding. 

On December 7, 1941 the U.S. experienced the terror of Pearl Harbor.  “The surprise attack crippled the U.S. naval presence in the Pacific” and was a stunning success for the Japanese (World War II).  The following day Roosevelt asked “that Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, a state of war has existed between the U.S. and the Japanese Empire” and it was granted (The U.S. Declares War On Japan).  The Japanese attacks on the Pacific were relentless.  This now began the U.S. fight for protection. The initial bombing runs on the Japanese homelands had little effect, which ultimately lead up to the dropping of two atomic bombs and the Japanese surrender.

It wasn’t until the Potsdam Conference that the Allies reached agreements on an ultimatum “for the unconditional surrender of Japan” (World War II).  President Harry Truman decided to use “the new atomic weapon to bring the war to a swifter end” (World War II).  On August 6, 1945, the nuclear weapon “Little Boy” was dropped on the city of Hiroshima followed on August 9, 1945 by the “Fat Man” over Nagasaki (Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki).  He followed the spirit of Roosevelt’s War Message, “As Commander and Chief I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense…  With confidence in our armed forces- with the unbounding determination of our people- we will gain the inevitable triumph- so help us God”(U.S. Declares War on Japan). 

Isoroku Yamaoto’s comment “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve” is blatant.  World War is called such because it affects the entire international community.  Wherever the blame lies, the war has happened and lives have been lost.  Survival comes at a cost and every action has a reaction.  What could have been the best reaction?  I don’t know.  Like Macarthur,

“It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past—a world founded upon faith and understand; a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish: for freedom tolerance and justice…We have our last change.  If we do not now devise some greater more equitable system Armageddon will be at our door.  The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character.” 

So help us God.

                     

Bibliography

 

1.)    (8)Asada, Sadao.  “The Mushroom Cloud and National Psyches: Japanese and American Perceptions of the Atomic-Bomb Decision, 1945-1955,” in Laura Hein and Mark Selden, eds.:  Living with the Bomb: American and Japanese Cultural Conflicts in the Nuclear Age.  East Gate Book, 186.  2007.

2.)    (7)“Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”  Wikipedia.  29 April 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org./wiki/Atomic_bombing_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki.

3.)    (10)Dietrich, Bill.  “Dropping the Bomb.”  Seattle Times Trinity Web.  29 April 2007.  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/trinity/supplement/procon.html.

4.)    (6)”From the Archives (1940-1979): Japan Signs Surrender Agreement (1945).”  Facts.com Facts On File News Services.  Brandell Library, Chicago, IL.

5.)    (5)”From the Archives (1940-1979): Roosevelt Exonerated Pearl Harbor Inquiry (1946).”Facts.com.  Facts On File News Source.  Brandell Library, Chicago, IL.

6.)    (2) ”From the Archives (1940-1979): U.S. Declares War on Japan (1941).” Facts.com.  Facts On File News Source.  Brandell Library, Chicago, IL.

7.)    (9)”History Event (1940-1979): Atomic Bombing of Japan Ends World War II (1945).” Facts.com.  Facts On File News Source.  Brandell Library, Chicago, IL.

8.)    (4) )”History Event (1940-1979): Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor Brings U.S. into World War II (1941) Facts.com.  Facts On File News Source.  Brandell Library, Chicago, Il

9.)    (3)”Just War.” Wikipedia.  26 April 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_War_Theory.

10.)(1)”World War II.” Wikipedia.  26 April 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/world_war_2.