World War II was a disaster, a worldwide problem that affected every part of the earth. After VE Day in Europe, the war lasted over 3 months, until VJ Day in mid-August 1945. This war in Japan ended shortly after the nuclear siege of two cities in Japan. Nonetheless, the decision to drop a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima was a diplomatic measure intended to scare the Soviet Union in the post-World War II period, rather than a strictly military measure designed to pressure Japan into unequivocal surrender. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe United States at the time of the bombing of Hiroshima was led by Harry S. Truman, who had been thrust into the leadership position by the passing of Roosevelt. The nuclear attack occurred nearly three months after Germany's annihilation in Europe. This date is of great importance when considering the connection between the dropping of the bomb and the impact on Russia, due to part of the agreements made at the Yalta Conference (the meeting of the "Big Three" - United States, Soviet Union, and Great Britain - to discuss plans to win the war) At this meeting, the Soviet Union promised to begin helping in the fight in the Pacific Theater three months after the annihilation of Germany. At the time it was not even known whether a nuclear bomb was possible and above all made in time for use as an offensive means in the war. Just as the date of this atomic bomb was set, only 2 days before the attack of the Red Army was to participate in the war, it would seem to show that the United States dropped the bomb to end the war without needing Soviet assistance. Japan at the time of the bombing of Hiroshima was a nation in confusion. Allied sieges had destroyed more than 2 million homes, and much of Japan's industry had just been destroyed (Document B). By 1945, James Byrnes knew "that Japan was essentially defeated and that [the United States] could win the war in another six months (Document F)." Both of these documents would appear to state that dropping a nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima was not necessary as a purely military strategy. Japan had been fighting a two-front war against China and the United States for three years, and with mining posts preventing the arrival of needed supplies (Document B), numerous industries were not ready to produce the tools the Japanese forces needed to continue to fight. Based on this data, Japan was now on the verge of floundering and it was not necessary to drop the bomb as a strictly military measure. The United States did not need the Soviet Union to go to war in Japan. As General Eisenhower indicated, battlefield reports showed "Japan's imminent collapse" and the United States "should not place itself in a position to ask or beg for Soviet aid (Document C)." The United States did not need Russian interest in the war against Japan (Document E). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This was for multiple purposes; one reason was the fear that the Soviets would have to extend their communist ideas into the China area and Eastern European countries. The US government was "concerned about the spread of Russian influence in Europe (Document F)" if Red Army forces joined US forces in an assault on Japanese territory. As Churchill recalled in 1953, it could not be expected that i.