Moral Calculus

I recently viewed the movie Oppenheimer; what an incredible film! I think the movie, especially the third act, does a great job depicting Dr. Oppenheimer’s struggle with his reputation as the father of the atomic bomb.  Today marks 79 years since the introduction of atomic weapons into modern warfare.

Growing up in the 80s, the threat of nuclear annihilation was always present. I know for my parents’ generation, the “silent generation” and for the “boomers” immediately preceding us Gen X folk, the specter of nuclear war was even more prevalent. I am not sure the themes in Oppenheimer resonated as hard with viewers from younger generations. Regardless, the movie was excellent!

I have always found the topic of atomic weapons interesting. In fact, when I attended the National War College, I chose to examine the decision to use an atomic weapon in WWII for one of my research papers. My thesis was to explore the strategic decision-making process, if any, that went into the United States use of atomic weapons. I discovered that there was relatively little “moral calculus” that occurred. Essentially, after the decision to initiate the Manhattan Project, it was a foregone conclusion that atomic weapons would be used either on Germany or Japan.

Fortunately, I found an amazing book that provided much of my source material for analysis. Rev. Wilson D. Miscamble’s book, The most controversial decision: Truman, the atomic bombs, and the defeat of Japan is an outstanding, informative read on this topic. I highly recommend it if you want to learn more on the monumental decision to use atomic weapons in WWII.

The following are excerpts from my research paper. I really enjoyed learning about a decision that intrigued me for a long time.

Before beginning an analysis of President Harry Truman’s decision to employ atomic weapons it is prudent to review at a very broad level the most basic factual outcomes of the decision.  At Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6th and 9th of August respectively, 135,000 Japanese were killed instantly and the cities razed to the ground.  Many more Japanese died in the following years of radiation sickness.   Less than a week after the attacks, Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrendered to the Allied powers effectively ending WWII, a war that by some estimates cost 50 million lives across the globe during the course of the conflict. 

It is the diagnosis of this second outcome through the lens of Thucydides’ three motivations for war – fear, honor, and interest, that this study asserts President Truman made the correct decision to employ atomic weapons.   Solely based on an analysis of his military strategy, President Truman made the necessary choice as it successfully achieved US vital national interests, allayed American fears about prolonging the war, and played to America’s desire for honor following its significant contribution to ending WWII. 

By merely considering the violence that befell cities such as Shanghai, Nanking, Leningrad, Rotterdam, Coventry, London, Hamburg, Dresden, and Tokyo many WWII scholars suggest that in 1945 the world already crossed a “moral Rubicon” long before the atomic blasts in Japan.  History shows that Truman’s analysis of the facts in 1945 led to his assumption that the net death toll and destruction would be far greater the longer the war dragged on and that the bombs could hasten the end of the war.  In terms of human loss and suffering Truman most likely felt the use of atomic weapons was the correct moral choice between the “lesser of two evils” to expedite the end of the war.  

First and foremost, there was very little objectivity in Truman’s decision to employ atomic weapons as group think prevailed within his administration.  Perhaps due to steadfast loyalty to the goals and memory of the iconic F.D.R., the decision to drop atomic bombs was mostly a foregone conclusion when Truman took the oath of office.  There was little or no consideration of critics against employing the weapons.  Although the overall outcome was successful, this episode of rampant group think at the highest levels could have potentially produced an equally disastrous outcome. 

Closely related to the lack of objectivity was a certain naivety that the foreign relation adverse Truman and consequently those diplomats he surrounded himself with possessed.  As history showed Truman (and F.D.R’s) assumptions about the Soviet Union as well as China’s post war intentions and dispositions could not have been more wrong.  A memorable quote from Truman that captures a blindness to the future geopolitical situation occurred on the evening of August the 14th as he announced the Japanese surrender on the White House lawn by proclaiming, “this is the day for free governments in the world.  This is the day that fascism and police governments cease in the world.” 

Lastly, President Truman and his key staff did not fully consider the unintended consequences both positive and negative from his decision to employ atomic weapons.  Some suggest the use of atomic weapons gave the Emperor of Japan an “honor out” he needed to end the war ultimately resulting in a beneficial post war peace with Japan. This led to an invaluable ally in the Pacific region completely committed to anti-communism, democracy, and capitalism. 

But the most significant unintended consequence remains the fact that President Truman’s decision ushered in an atomic age which led to the creation of countless terrifying weapons that held the world in a delicate balance for decades.   The enduring debate will undoubtedly remain. Whether President Truman’s strategic decision to employ atomic weapons that achieved national interests, quelled American fears, and promoted U.S. honor in the summer of 1945 was worth the cost of initiating a landmark revolution in warfare that exists to this day.

The fact that Hollywood made a big production movie about this very topic in 2024 is incredibly telling. I think our nation and the world will grapple forever with the decision to introduce these terrifying weapons into our world. I am just hoping that someday, discussion of the topic will be in a purely historical context, rather than a current danger. 

The views, opinions and biases expressed in this blog are the authors and do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or Department of Defense.

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