Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the Theory of Just War

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Historical Event: The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Was the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Just?
Conclusions
Works Cited

Introduction

War is a terrible thing. During a war, people die, cities and homes are destroyed, and the economy and infrastructure suffer a great deal of damage. Humans commit terrible crimes during a war. In a perfect world, war is never necessary. However, we do not live in a perfect world, and sometimes, taking up arms is required. What constitutes a just war? In what cases can the use of force be considered justified? Humanity has tried to rationalize war and provide moral grounds for conducting war since the dawn of time. The theory of Just War is meant to provide a philosophical framework, upon which the use of military force is justified. The theory rests on three pillars or criteria (Moseley):

Jus ad Bellum: having a just cause, using war as a last resort, having a reasonable chance of succeeding, and proportionality of the ends and the means.
Jus in Bello: the morality of actions committed by both sides during an act of war.
Jus Post Bellum: just treatment of the defeated side after the war is over.

In this paper, we will analyze the events that transpired at Hiroshima and Nagasaki through the prism of Just War theory and apply the available criteria to determine if such actions could be considered just.

Historical Event: The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The attacks on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were conducted on 6 and 9 August 1945, over a three-day interval (“The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”). The first bomb, called “Little Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima, resulting in the death of over 180,000 citizens, the overwhelming majority of them civilians. The second bomb caused marginally less damage due to the hilly geography of Nagasaki. It killed over 100,000 people, many of whom died in fires (“Atomic Bomb is Dropped on Nagasaki”). Neither of the cities was a significant military target—they did not hold any strategic value. The city of Hiroshima was protected by fewer than three battalions of soldiers (“Atomic Bomb is Dropped on Hiroshima”).

Was the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Just?

To answer this question from the perspective of the Just War Theory, we need to answer all the criteria that the theory offers: jus ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, and jus post Bellum.

Did the United States have a righteous cause for using the bomb? The answer for that is yes; the country was fighting a war it did not start, and the announced causes for the bomb’s use were just (Nichols). Was the use of the bomb a last resort? No, it was not. There was still a possibility of a landing operation, which, however, the United States wanted to avoid. Did this attack have a reasonable chance of success? No, the United States had no way to predict if Japan would surrender after the use of an atomic bomb. Did the end justify the means? This is impossible to tell, as the number of casualties during a landing operation is speculative (“Operation Downfall”).

Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki a moral act? No, it was not. Neither of these cities was a valid military target, and the attacks led to the deaths of many Japanese civilians.

Finally, did the United States treat the surrendered side justly? For the most part, they did, as there were no persecutions of innocents. Only war criminals were punished (“Occupation and Reconstruction of Japan, 1945-52”).

Conclusions

From the perspective of the Just War Theory, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not just. While the causes for committing such an act were just, the situation fails to justify itself in almost every other aspect of the theory of Just War. No war can be perfectly justified, as there will always be victims and criminals on either side. However, in this scenario, the number of wrongs was disproportionally large in comparison to the number of rights.

Works Cited

“Atomic Bomb is Dropped on Nagasaki.”History.com. 2017. Web.

“Atomic Bomb is Dropped on Hiroshima.” History.com. 2017. Web.

Moseley, Alexander. “Just War Theory.”Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2017. Web.

Nichols, Tom. “No Other Choice: Why Truman Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Japan.” The National Interest. 2015. Web.

“Occupation and Reconstruction of Japan, 1945-52.”Office of the Historian. 2017. Web.

“Operation Downfall.”The History Learning Site.2015. Web.

“The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. 2017. Web.

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Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the Theory of Just War

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