Monday, May 6, 2013

"Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."

One of the most controversial decisions of the 20th Century, or any other century for that matter, was the decision to use the Atomic Bomb on Japanese cities.  President Truman's decision has been scrutinized by scholars, as well it should be.  There are many opposing views on the morality of the decision as well as the military necessity of the bombings, or lack thereof.  Read the sources on the Teaching History page.   You will notice that the essay on this site compares how different history textbooks have presented the bombings in the years since 1945.  How does our textbook's account of the bombings compare to the ones discussed in the essay? Read the other sources presented on this website (listed on the left) and decide where you stand on this historical issue. Do you believe that President Truman made the right decision?  Do you believe that the bombings were immoral or were they necessary to end the war?  Support your position with information from the sources presented.