Discuss the reasons for, and significance of, US use of atomic weapons against Japan.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the reasons for, and significance of, US use of atomic weapons against Japan. Candidates may refer to military, economic and political reasons. They may cite that the US used atomic bombs to end the war as soon as possible in order to save lives and to forgo a land invasion of the mainland. Some might say Truman used atomic weapons to show the USSR the power of the US, in the hope of making Stalin more cooperative. Other reasons could be to justify the enormous cost of the bomb, to get revenge on Japan for Pearl Harbor and to gain popular support. The significance of the use of atomic weapons could be the quick conclusion of the war, though that is debatable; it began the atomic age and the arms race; and the establishment of the US as a superpower. Candidates might include other reasons and explanations of significance. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the reasons for, and significance of, US use of atomic weapons against Japan. This was a popular choice, but surprisingly produced barely adequate responses. Some were inadequate as to the variety of factors that led to the US decision, while others did not fully address the significance of the decision. There were a few who digressed into the moral issues of the US decision, thus not dealing fully with the question demands.