Summary and Thesis

Summary:

    The world was at war for two years and America was yet to find a reason to join the conflict. After the First World War, the United States grew fond of the idea of isolationism to flourish as an individual country, especially avoiding European conflicts and affairs. However, America was too internationally involved to adopt this concept. On December 7, 1941, Japan pushed America into the war with a “surprise” attack on Pearl Harbor; unknowing America’s push back would be fatal to their country. Toward the end of the war, America had been dominating the Japanese in the Pacific Theater, but the United States had one more card to play. The atomic bomb, code-named the Manhattan Project, had been in development since 1942. On April 12, 1945, the death of President Roosevelt left vice president, Harry S. Truman, with the overwhelming decision of the bomb and the fate of Japan. Truman decided to drop the bombs on August 6, 1945.

Thesis:

    The United States was not fully justified in dropping the two atomic bombs on Japan. Though their intent was for the good of the American people, they failed to understand the repercussions; the bombs not only inflicted serious damage on the Japanese, but it ultimately kick started the arms race of the Cold War.