Why America Used Nuclear Weapon on Japan?

On December 7, 1941, history reached a turning point. It was a day after which the map of the world was going to change forever. A disaster was about to strike a naval base—one that no one could have imagined.

On one of the battleships, an African-American young sailor named Doris Miller was serving breakfast to Navy officers early in the morning. After finishing, he went to collect laundry from the officers.

At 7:57 a.m., Miller suddenly heard a siren — a siren that no one in military service ever wants to hear.

He rushed outside and was shocked by what he saw. The sky was filled with Japanese bomber aircraft. Within seconds, chaos erupted across the entire naval base. It felt as if doomsday had arrived.

Japanese aircraft began attacking American ships one by one, destroying them rapidly.

This attack was carried out on the Pearl Harbor naval base, and today we will learn:

Why Japan dared to attack a powerful country like the United States

Why a cook named Doris Miller received one of America’s highest awards

And why the United States later carried out nuclear attacks on Japan.

The Situation Before the Attack

Our story begins in 1941, during World War II.

At that time, the war had already been going on for three years.

On one side were Germany and Italy, while on the other side were Britain, the Netherlands, and France.

The United States was not involved in the war yet. It wanted to remain neutral because it had already suffered heavy losses in World War I and did not want to be dragged into another major conflict.

However, there was one country that kept causing problems for the United States — Japan.

Japan lacked natural resources, so it began expanding and occupying nearby territories to secure resources. It had already taken control of Korea, Taiwan, and large parts of China.

Japan also had its eyes on the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

But there was a problem:

Malaysia was a British colony

Indonesia belonged to the Netherlands

The Philippines was controlled by the United States

Because of Japan’s aggressive expansion, these countries became concerned.

America Stops Oil Supply

In July 1941, the United States decided to stop supplying oil to Japan.

This was a huge problem for Japan because 80% of its oil came from the United States.

America said that Japan could only receive oil again if it withdrew from China.

For Japan, this was a very difficult decision. If it withdrew from China, it would look weak in front of the world.

But without oil, Japan’s military would eventually collapse.

So Japan decided not to withdraw from China. Instead, it secretly planned to capture Indonesia, which had rich oil resources.

However, to reach Indonesia, Japan first needed to capture the Philippines, which was controlled by the United States.

Japan knew that if it attacked the Philippines, the U.S. Navy stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii would respond.

So Japan made a bold decision — attack Pearl Harbor first.

The Surprise Attack

Japan secretly prepared a massive attack force.

It included:

2 battleships

39 submarines

30 destroyers

414 bomber aircraft

6 aircraft carriers

Meanwhile, the American forces at Pearl Harbor had:

8 battleships

59 ships

submarines

about 390 aircraft

America had enough power to defend itself — but only if it knew about the attack in advance.

Japan made sure the attack remained completely secret.

Their fleet traveled nearly 8,000 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean without sending wireless signals.

When they were 370 kilometers away from Pearl Harbor, the aircraft were launched.

The Attack Begins

On the morning of December 7, 1941, at 7:57 a.m., around 350 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor in two waves.

The Americans were completely unaware.

The first wave dropped bombs and torpedoes, attacking ships and airfields. The assault lasted 45 minutes.

Just when it seemed the attack was over, a second wave of bombers arrived and continued the destruction.

The attack lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes.

By the end:

20 naval vessels were destroyed

8 battleships were damaged or sunk

more than 300 aircraft were destroyed

The Hero: Doris Miller

During the attack, Doris Miller, who was working as a cook on a battleship, heard the siren.

Before he could react fully, a Japanese torpedo hit the ship.

Many officers, including the captain, were injured.

Miller helped carry the wounded sailors to safety. Then, even though he had no formal training, he operated an anti-aircraft machine gun and fired at Japanese aircraft.

He managed to shoot down several enemy planes.

For his bravery, he was awarded the Navy Cross, one of the highest honors in the U.S. Navy.

America Enters the War

Although the Japanese planes returned home, they had done something huge — they had pulled the United States into World War II.

The very next day, the United States declared war on Japan.

For the next three months, America worked to repair the damaged Pearl Harbor base.

Many ships had sunk in shallow water and were later repaired.

In April 1942, the United States carried out its first retaliatory strike by bombing Tokyo.

The War Continues

For the next four years, the war between the United States and Japan continued across the Pacific.

Gradually, Japan became weaker but still refused to surrender.

Finally, in August 1945, the United States decided to use a devastating weapon.

The First Nuclear Attack

On August 6, 1945, a Boeing B‑29 Superfortress bomber flew over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

It dropped a nuclear bomb called Little Boy nuclear bomb.

About 43 seconds later, a massive explosion occurred.

A huge fireball rose into the sky, and the temperature on the ground reached nearly 5,000°C.

Nearly 80% of the city was destroyed.

Three days later, on August 9, 1945, another nuclear bomb called Fat Man nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

Both cities were devastated.

These remain the only nuclear weapons ever used against humans in war.

Soon after, Japan surrendered, and World War II finally came to an end.

Questions for Readers / Viewers

1️⃣ Why do you think Japan decided to attack Pearl Harbor even though it knew the strength of the United States?

2️⃣ Do you think the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary to end World War II?

3️⃣ If the Attack on Pearl Harbor had never happened, do you think the United States would have joined the war?

4️⃣ Was the bravery of Doris Miller an example of how ordinary people can become heroes during war?

5️⃣ What lessons do you think the world should learn from World War II to avoid such destruction in the future?