After witnessing the thousands of lives lost with the American invasion of Europe, the American government wanted to prevent another long and deadly land invasion. The Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated that well over 1 million civilians and soldiers could have been killed with a land invasion.
The Use of the Bomb Shortened the War
When the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thousands of innocent men, women, and children were instantly killed. The horrific nuclear fallout would also lead to countless medical complications for years to come.
Nuclear Weapons are Inhumane and Illegal
Land Invasion Continues War For 1+ Years
Atomic Bomb Ends The War Within Two Weeks
After witnessing the World at War since 1939, the American government decided that the use of the atomic bomb could lead to a Japanese surrender and end the war as opposed to another multi-year extension of death and destruction.
According to the Hague Regulations on Land Warfare, "the attack or bombardment, by whatever means, of towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended is prohibited.” The land and people living in the areas of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not only attacked, but the lands were uninhabitable due to the contamination brought forth by the atomic bombs.