Florida US History EOC Practice Exam

The decision to use atomic bombs against Japan during World War II was made by President Harry S. Truman. Following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1945, Truman assumed the presidency and was faced with the critical challenge of ending the war in the Pacific. The context of this decision included the desire to compel Japan to surrender swiftly in order to avoid a prolonged conflict that could result in significant Allied casualties.

Truman and his advisers believed that using the atomic bomb would be a decisive means to achieve an unconditional surrender from Japan, thereby preventing a potentially bloody invasion of the Japanese home islands. The bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender shortly thereafter.

The other presidents mentioned were not directly involved in the decision-making process regarding the use of atomic bombs during this specific event. Franklin D. Roosevelt had laid the groundwork for the Manhattan Project, which developed the bombs, but he was not responsible for their use, as he passed away before the war ended. Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy served as presidents after the war and thus had no involvement in this decision.