Harry S. Truman succeeding upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was the 33rd president of the United States from 1945 to 1953. His judgment to denote the bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been highly disputed for decades.

The bombing proved to be a catalyst in the history of the world and weaponry for better or worse. 

The decision Truman and his advisers made was the only arrangement that could have been made at that moment regarding the circumstances of World War II. 

There are three cases regularly debated against the use of the bomb in 1945.

First, to use the bomb only against Japan was deemed racist; second, the bombings were unnecessary; and third, that it was done solely for political influence that was more related to the Soviet Union rather than with the war in the Pacific. 

Although these contradictions make little sense when balanced next to the counterfactual reasoning about American alternatives.

Why is the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Contested?

For a prolonged period, a contentious debate had escalated over whether or not the United States of America was morally right to issue two atomic bombs on Japan in the concluding weeks of World War II. The first bomb, descended on the city of Hiroshima, during the 6th of August 1945, resulting in a death toll of approximately 135,000. The second hit Nagasaki on the 9th of August 1945 and produced an estimated death toll of around 50,000 people. 

Dispute in Japan

The discharge of the atomic bombs in August 1945 resulted in a horrific amount of casualties. The long-term consequences of radiation exposure also heightened cancer rates in the survivors. But public observation of the rates of cancer and birth-defects amid survivors and their children is greatly magnified when contrasted to the reality exposed by extensive follow-up studies. Approximately 200,000 perished in the bombings and their immediate aftermath, primarily from the explosive detonation, the firestorm it sparked, and from acute radiation poisoning. Around half of the those who survived consequently took part in studies regarding their health over their complete lifespan. These studies began in 1947 and are now conducted by a dedicated agency, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), with funding from the Japanese and U.S. governments. The project has accompanied approximately 100,000 survivors, 77,000 of their children, plus 20,000 people who were not exposed to the radiation.