Morality of Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Case Study of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Abstract

While widespread until the 1990s, discussions on the morality of weapons of mass destruction have rapidly declined in recent years. However, nuclear weapons remain an issue in U.S. national security and a key player in international relations, providing a nation with an elevated status and powerful deterrent against external aggression. This paper analyzes Just War Theory and applies the criteria to evaluate the morality of modern weapons of mass destruction in hypothetical situations. The criteria are also applied to the sole employment of a nuclear bomb in warfare, the U.S. against Japan in World War II, to determine if this was a moral action.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2010
Accession Number
AD1019253

Entities

People

  • Danielle M. Budzko

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Army Personnel
  • Biological Weapons
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Employment
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Military Operations
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Second World War
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons Effects
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies