Fifty years after the bombing, the decision to use the
atomic bomb is still hotly debated. On one side are those
one side are those
who believe the bomb spared American lives and was
necessary to end the war; on the other, those who believe
the bombing was delivered as a warning to the Soviet
Union, rather than to defeat Japan.
According to Gar Alperovitz, a historian critical of the
decision, "The president fully understood and was
advised that there were other ways to end the war."
Another historian, Robert Cowley has a different opinion.
"If you were in Truman's shoes and had this weapon and
had the chance to end the war then and there, there's no
question you would use the bomb. The problems of
continuing the war were enormous."
Professor Barton J. Bernstein of Stanford University,
however, says that people should be careful to judge the
decision within the context of its time. Many questions
raised now "often fail to recognize that hefore Hiroshima
What is the main idea of this passage?
Historians still debate whether using atomic bombs
on Japan was morally wrong.
o Historians still debate whether the Soviet Union was
also planning to bomb Japan.
o Historians agree that using atomic bombs on Japan
was morally wrong.
O Historians agree that President Truman was a great
leader.