There was considerable debate about how to quickly defeat Japan and end the war. Some advisors supported using conventional tactics, such as an Allied military invasion of the Japanese homeland. Others argued that using atomic weapons was the only way to force Japan to surrender, quickly end the war, and save both Allied and Japanese lives.
–Dwight D. Eisenhower, former U.S. president and Supreme Allied Commander Europe during World War II, 1963
–President Truman, late 1945
Click on each Highlight It button below. Read through the evidence presented and use the Highlight It tool to highlight the arguments you find most persuasive.
Harry S. Truman.
Based on the information about strategies for ending the war with Japan, do you believe that President Truman was correct in his decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? List two to three pieces of evidence to support your position.