August 6, 1945- the atomic bomb was first used in combat as it was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. The raw explosive power of the weapon was displayed. Within a few days, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. The atomic bomb was one of the most destructive weapons of war ever used in combat. The bomb was the weapon that ended the second World War. However, the bomb"s use was a source of debate. President Harry Truman decided to put many years of nuclear warfare research to use when he chose to use the new weapon. The use of the atomic bomb was very beneficial to the American cause in World War II and allowed the Allied Forces to defeat Japan with far fewer lives lost than if the bomb had not been used.

             The use of the atomic bomb ended a horrific war quickly and without the loss of many American lives. The atomic bomb was built as a weapon of war. Henry L. Stimson wrote, "The entire purpose was the production of a military weapon." America was at war and Congress had allowed spending of two billion dollars on the project. If the United States was not to have used this weapon, an asset, as well as a lot of money, would have been wasted. By using the bomb, President Truman showed the Japanese that the United States and its allies were not going to allow them to run around the Pacific Rim and take over islands. The atomic bomb was obviously the deciding factor in World War II. The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 8, 1945. Japan announced its surrender six days later and ended the war. Both targets of atomic bombs were strategic military centers and by destroying these cities the Allies crippled the Japanese military.

             The fact is that many people died as a result of the atomic bomb, but the amount of people saved is far greater. An estimated 130,000 people died in the Hiroshima bombing and 66,000 in Nagasaki. These people, however, were victims of war. If a government chooses to have war, then that government realizes that some of its people will die.