The document is an atomic bomb worksheet for a history class assignment that evaluates arguments for and against the use of the atomic bomb on Japan at the end of WWII. It includes profiles of 18 key historical figures and their positions, as well as documents and a grading rubric. The goal is to have students analyze primary sources to form their own opinion on whether using the atomic bomb was justified.

1. ATOMIC BOMB DOCUMENTS
Doc X – Atomic Bomb Essay Notes Worksheet
Doc A – Kevin Lee’s Guide to Historical Figures
Doc B - Bill Dietrich Pros & Cons of Using the Atomic Bomb
Doc C – Was the Atomic Bomb Necessary?
Doc D – Issue 13: Was It Necessary to Drop the Atomic Bomb to End WWII?
Doc E - The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb by Henry Stimson
Doc F - US Strategic Bombing Survey, Summary Report
Doc G – Yamaoka Michiko, Eight Hundred Meters from the Hypocenter
Essay Grading Rubric
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2. ATOMIC BOMB WORKSHEET
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3. ATOMIC BOMB ESSAY NOTES Assign #7
Initial Opinion: Was the dropping of the atomic bomb justifiable? Why or why not?
Basic Reasoning of HISTORICAL FIGURES
FOR AGAINST
A) A)
B) B)
C) C)
D) D)
E) E)
F) F)
G) G)
H) H)
I) I)
J) J)
REASONING
FOR AGAINST
A) A)
B) B)
C) C)
D) D)
E) E)
F) F)
G) G)
H) H)
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4. Your Main Points Assign #7
Your Favorite Points Associated People Why is it a good point?
1) 1)
2) 2)
3) 3)
Counter Arguments
What Counter Point can be made Associated People How would you argue against it?
against your points?
1) 1)
2) 2)
3) 3)
Final Opinion: Was the US use of the atomic bomb justifiable?

5. ATOMIC BOMB ESSAY NOTES Assign #7
Initial Opinion: Was the dropping of the atomic bomb justifiable? Why or why not?
HISTORICAL FIGURES
FOR AGAINST
A) A)
B) B)
C) C)
D) D)
E) E)
F) F)
G) G)
H) H)
I) I)
J) J)
REASONING
FOR AGAINST
A) A)
B) B)
C) C)
D) D)
E) E)
F) F)
G) G)
H) H)
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6. WWII Essay Topic
Was the dropping of the
atomic bomb justifiable?
Why or why not?
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7. FOR BOMB AGAINST BOMB
A)Truman A) Einstein
President after FDR dies Wrote Letter to President; genius
B) General Groves B) Eisenhower
Head of Manhattan Project Supreme Allied Commander in Europe
C) Oppenheimer C) Adm. Leahy
Father of Atomic Bomb Chief of Staff to Truman and FDR
D) Stimson D) Szilard
Secretary of War Physicist aided discovery of a-bomb
E) Marshall * E) Teller
U.S Army Chief of Staff Created H-Bomb
F) Churchill F) General MacArthur*
UK Prime Minister Commander of US Pacific Forces
G) General MacArthur * G) Hersey
Commander of US Pacific Forces Author- wrote about survivors
H) Byrnes H) Rotblat
Sec of State & Advisor to Truman Worked on Manhattan Project
I) Luis Alvarez I) Marshall*
Nobel Prize for Plutonium bomb, Head of US Military under FDR
Worked on Manhattan Project J) General Arnold
Aviation Tech (blockade)
K) Admiral E. King
Naval Commander, (blockade) Each One’s Basic Reasoning Back
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8. AGAINST vs FOR
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9. JAPANESE SURRENDER & BOMB SURVIVORS
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10. FOR BOMB Reasoning AGAINST BOMB Back
a) End the war a) Civilian deaths
b) Save lives of American soldiers b) Aftereffects (radiation, Hibakusha)
c) No more deficit spending on costly war c) Unethical / Immoral
d) Use it before Russia enters war d) Unimaginable destruction
e) Japanese civilians were being armed to fight e) Alternatives Available
until bitter end. - Demonstration
f) Samurai Tradition- Willing to fight until the - Blockade
end f) Japanese were going to surrender
g) Complete devotion to divine emperor g) Politicians want to use it to intimidate
h) Revenge for Pearl Harbor & Bataan Death USSR, military does NOT want to
March use it.
i) One big bomb is “cleaner”, faster and more h) Revenge on civilians is wrong.
efficient than firebombing. Dropping bomb puts US on moral
j) Few critiqued firebombing. What is low ground (same as Nazi atrocities)
difference between the bomb and i) Japan was ready to call it quits
firebombing? j) Japan was NO threat to US by the end
k) Demonstrates US power k) Nagasaki was definitely wrong
l) ) Too risky for demo (only 2 bombs) l) Bomb used to justify $2 billion budget
m) Convinced the world not to use it again m) Political decision, not military
n) Better to firebomb then be the 1st nation to
use the bomb
More Reasons For Basic Reasoning of Historical Figures More Reasons Against

11. USE IT NOW STOP ENOLA GAY
1) The war was literally costing millions of 1) Countless civilian deaths would occur.
dollars per day. 2) Japan was ‘ready to surrender’
2) The invasion force would include over 5 3) Blockade would choke off the
million coalition troops; casualty estimates resistance
were 30-40%+
4) Were discussing terms to a surrender
3) Projected Civilian deaths in invasion with USSR.
numbered in the millions
5) Aftereffects of the bomb: radiation,
4) The Soviet Union was supposedly building mutations, emotional distress.
a bomb also.
6) Ethical, moral concerns
5) Too much economic and social pressure to
prolong the war 7) Japan had no more resources to fight
the Allies
6) Estimated Invasion ‘time’ was 2-4 years of
active combat.
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12. S = Scientist
P = Politicians
M = Military
W = Writer
Primary Source Documents Back
This is a TOC of 18 primary source documents. Each document will be completely available in class.
# Name Background For or Against Reasoning
1 Leo Szilard S Against Wrote a petition signed by 69 Scientist of the Manhattan Project asking
Truman not to use the bomb
2 Henry Stimson P For Japanese always fight to the end & have a 5 million man army in Japan
3 Edward Teller S Against Regrets not signing and passing on petition; proposed a demonstration in sky
4 Combined Intelligence M Against British & American military experts claim Japan was about to surrender
Committee
5 Albert Einstein S Against Pacifist once weapon is used, it will be used again
6 Oppenheimer S For Bomb is good because it will prevent wars in the future.
7 Luis Alvarez S For Ended the war quickly and lessened the risk of WWIII
8 Gen. Eisenhower M Against Did NOT want US to be 1st to use this ‘barbaric’ weapon
9 Gen. Groves M For True bomb was NOT needed to win war, but needed to save American lives
Criminal to have bomb and NOT use it to end war quickly
10 Admiral Leahy (Same as 15) M Against Morally wrong to use; Blockade was working and Japan was about to quit
11 Harry Truman M For Drop bomb = no regret; Many American soldiers would die during invasion
12 Sec of State Byrnes P For Concern about Russia and bomb use would make Russia more manageable
13 Gen. Marshall M Both 1st Invasion (63,000 casualties) then changed to Bomb (1 million casualties)
14 Gen. MacArthur M Both Invasion; was NOT consulted about bomb
15 Admiral Leahy M Against Japanese were already defeated; Other alternatives – air and sea blockades
16 Admiral King M Against Naval blockade. Invasion or A-bomb is misleading. Neither was needed
17 Gen. Arnold M Against Air Force Commander; No bomb needed. Japan was going to surrender
18 John Hersey W Back Book Hiroshima interviewed 6 A-bomb survivors

13. Essay Grading Rubric
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14. FOR BOMB AGAINST BOMB
A)Truman A) Einstein
President Wrote Letter to President; genius
B) General Groves B) Eisenhower
Head of Manhattan Project Supreme Allied Commander
C) Oppenheimer C) Adm. Leahy
Father of Atomic Bomb Chief of Staff to Truman and FDR
D) Stimson D) Szilard
Secretary of War Physicist aided discovery of a-bomb
E) Marshall E) Teller
U.S Army Chief of Staff Discovered H-Bomb
F) Churchill F) General MacArthur*
UK Prime Minister Commander of US Forces…
G) General MacArthur G) Hersey
Commander of US Forces in the Author- wrote about survivors
Pacific H) Rotblat
H) Byrnes Worked on Manhattan Project
Advisor to Truman I) Marshall*
I) Luis Alvarez Chief of Staff under FDR
Nobel Prize for Plutonium bomb, J) General Arnold
Worked on Manhattan Project Aviation Tech (blockade)
K) Admiral E. King
Naval Commander, (blockade) Back

15. Atomic Bomb Fact Gathering
Name and background Main Point Based on what info? Agree or disagree?
1)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
2)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
3)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
4)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
5)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR

16. Atomic Bomb Fact Gathering
Name and background Main Point Based on what info? Agree or disagree?
6)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
7)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
8)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
9)________________ AGAINST or FAVOR
10)_______________ AGAINST or FAVOR

17. S = Scientist
P = Politicians
M = Military
W = Writer
Primary Source Documents Back
This is a TOC of 18 primary source documents. Each document will be completely available in class.
# Name Background For or Against Reasoning
1 Leo Szilard S Against Wrote a petition signed by 69 Scientist of the Manhattan Project asking
Truman not to use the bomb
2 Henry Stimson P For Japanese always fight to the end & have a 5 million man army in Japan
3 Edward Teller S Against Regrets not signing and passing on petition; proposed a demonstration in sky
4 Combined Intelligence M Against British & American military experts claim Japan was about to surrender
Committee
5 Albert Einstein S Against Pacifist once weapon is used, it will be used again
6 Oppenheimer S For Bomb is good because it will prevent wars in the future.
7 Luis Alvarez S For Ended the war quickly and lessened the risk of WWIII
8 Gen. Eisenhower M Against Did NOT want US to be 1st to use this ‘barbaric’ weapon
9 Gen. Groves M For True bomb was NOT needed to win war, but needed to save American lives
Criminal to have bomb and NOT use it to end war quickly
10 Admiral Leahy (Same as 15) M Against Morally wrong to use; Blockade was working and Japan was about to quit
11 Harry Truman M For Drop bomb = no regret; Many American soldiers would die during invasion
12 Sec of State Byrnes P For Concern about Russia and bomb use would make Russia more manageable
13 Gen. Marshall M Both 1st Invasion (63,000 casualties) then changed to Bomb (1 million casualties)
14 Gen. MacArthur M Both Invasion; was NOT consulted about bomb
15 Admiral Leahy M Against Japanese were already defeated; Other alternatives – air and sea blockades
16 Admiral King M Against Naval blockade. Invasion or A-bomb is misleading. Neither was needed
17 Gen. Arnold M Against Air Force Commander; No bomb needed. Japan was going to surrender
18 John Hersey W Book Hiroshima interviewed 6 A-bomb survivors