The world changed in August. On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and then again, on August 9, 1945, on Nagasaki. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb when the conflict with Japan was worsening. Truman chose to save his soldiers, his blood, instead of trying to achieve mutual peace. The United States was not justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan because approximately 140,000 innocent civilians died on the spot, it cost the United States billions of dollars, and it left Hiroshima and Nagasaki radioactive for several more years. The world was already at war when Imperial Japan attacked US military bases in Hawaii. Adolf Hitler had conquered much of Europe and Britain was left almost alone against Germany. On the other side of the world, Japan was looking for more land. Japan had strong interests in territorial expansion with the aim of obtaining more crucial raw materials to support its war machines. The United States had feared the aggression shown by the Japanese and had imposed an embargo on oil and other resources. These resources were vital to Japan. Therefore, when negotiations with the United States failed, Japan prepared for war. On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the United States naval bases. This attack crippled the American Pacific Fleet. As stated by Edward T. Sullivan, “the Japanese military knew that their country could not match the economic and technological might of the United States, but they bet that the psychological impact of the Pearl Harbor disaster would leave Americans without the stomach for fight” ( Sullivan 8).Pearl Harbor was not the only place to be attacked. Japan had simultaneous invasions and…half of paper…d to provide. Furthermore, more than 100,000 people helped create the bomb without even realizing it (Truman). The development of the atomic bomb brought together the brightest minds, scientists from all over the country. The United States spends two billion dollars developing atomic bombs. Yet the big topic is; Was the bomb necessary? Instead of spending two billion on the development of nuclear weapons, the United States could have developed defensive equipment. With this the American soldiers could hold out long enough for Japan to surrender. Yet the United States wanted to demonstrate how much power it had. Therefore the United States was not justified in using the atomic bomb on Japan. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan was unjustified because it killed thousands of innocent civilians, cost billions of dollars to develop, and left Japan radioactive for many years to come..