Why did the U.S. government target Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 Research Paper

Why did the U.S. government target Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 - Research Paper Example Why did the United States choose to bomb Japan, and what factors led to the targeting of these particular cities, and the consequential high loss of human life? One argument for this use of deadly force is that the United States wanted to end the war with Japan quickly, before the planned invasion which was to occur a few months later. The bombs acted as a show of strength, as well as devastating the resources of the cities that were targeting and dealing a severe blow to the morale of the Japanese people. Understanding the factors that influenced the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is important, as the world is currently in a nuclear age, where many countries have nuclear capability but other countries do not. Additionally, understanding the behavior of the United States, and what influenced the decisions that occurred during this period is crucial, as the United States currently exists as the primary world superpower. This essay discusses the factors that drove the United States to use nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with the focus that these attacks were focused on the nuclear weapons in Japan, rather than the citizens. How are nuclear weapons currently perceived? Nuclear weapons are extremely powerful, and have the ability to decimate cities, destroying buildings and killing people with no prior warning and no method of defense (Krieger 2003, 3) The devastation that occurred from Hiroshima and Nagasaki