The Atomic Bomb and Japan On August 6th, 1945, 70, 000 lives were ended in a matter of seconds. The United States had dropped a bomb on Hiroshima. Looking back on Truman's decision. Today, it is not thought of as such a good idea. It introduced a weapon of mass destruction that could eventually be used against us, it provided Japan with very long-lasting damages (radiation), and it is thought to have not been the reason Japan surrendered. Japan surrendered because of a combination of things (conventional air power, naval blockade, Soviet intervention). However, in 1945, dropping the bomb