Even though World War II ended over 50 years ago, the events that ended the Pacific War are still widely discussed. The main event that historians attribute to this end is the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although the bombing of these cities forced the Japanese to surrender, many today ask, "Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?" and more importantly: “Why was the decision to use the bomb made?” » Ronald Takaki examines these questions in his book Hiroshima. The official reason given for dropping the bomb was to quickly end the war and save American lives. However, Takaki presents many different explanations as to why the decision to use the bomb was made. He disagrees with the popular belief that the decision to use the bomb was made solely to quickly end the war in the Pacific and save American lives. Takaki presents theories such as international concerns, American sentiment, and racism to attempt to further explain why this decision was made. The United States entered World War II immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The United States' entry was a major turning point in the war as it brought the largest industrial force in the allied side. The Americans helped the Allies win the war in Europe with Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945. However, the war in the Pacific continued. At that time, the war with Japan consisted mainly of strategic bombing. America had just developed an atomic bomb and was planning to use this weapon of mass destruction for the first time. The goal was to force the “unconditional surrender” of the Japanese. Roosevelt had used the term "unconditional surrender" at a press conference in 1943 and it had since become a central war objective. Truman and his team (still feeling bound by FDR's words) demanded an unconditional surrender from the Japanese. As a result, on July 26, 1945, Truman issued an ultimatum to Japan. This ultimatum stipulated that Japan must accept "unconditional surrender" or suffer "total devastation of the Japanese homeland." This surrender included the abdication of the throne by their emperor. Japan was not willing to give up its dynasty and ignored the ultimatum. On August 6 and 9, atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively...