Were the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified?

Was President Harry Truman justified when he authorised the use of nuclear weapons against Japanese civilians? Did the bombings end the war with fewer deaths than an American invasion of Japan would have resulted in? Or was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki unimportant to Japanese military leaders when they decided to surrender?

Yes, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki cost civilian lives. However, ultimately it was for the greater good.

For Truman, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified

The way WWII played out meant that the bombings were the most effective ways of ending the war, preventing further destruction.

No, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not justified

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused extraordinary damage, without even causing the end of WWII.

Nuclear weapons did not end the War, the USSR did

Soviet intervention in the conflict was much more important in ending the War in the Pacific.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were indistinct from the rest of the US air campaign

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not ethically distinct from the United States' failed bombing campaign against Japan.
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This page was last edited on Friday, 17 Apr 2020 at 14:44 UTC