Although World War II ended more than 50 years ago, there is still much discussion about the events that ended the War in the Pacific. The main event that historians attribute to this purpose is the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although the bombing of these cities forced the Japanese to surrender, many people today ask, “Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?” and, most importantly, “Why was the decision made to use the bomb?” Ronald Takaki examines these questions in his book Hiroshima. The official reason given for dropping the bomb was to quickly end the war and save American lives. However, Takaki presents many different explanations as to why the decision to use the bomb was made. He disagrees with the popular belief that the decision to use the bomb was made solely to quickly end the war in the Pacific and to save American lives. Takaki presents theories such as international concerns, American sentiment, and racism in an attempt to more fully explain why this decision was made. The United States entered World War II immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The entry of the United States was a major turning point in the war because it brought the strongest industrial strength to the Allied side. The Americans helped the Allies win the war in Europe with Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945. However, the war in the Pacific continued. The war with Japan at this point consisted mostly of strategic bombing. America had recently completed the creation of the atomic bomb and was considering using this weapon of mass destruction for the first time. The goal was to force the “unconditional surrender” of the Japanese. Roosevelt had used the term “unconditional surrender” in a press conference in 1943 and this had since become one of the central objectives of the war. Truman and his staff (still feeling bound by FDR's words) demanded the unconditional surrender of the Japanese. As a result, Truman issued an ultimatum to Japan on July 26, 1945. This ultimatum stated that Japan must accept “unconditional surrender” or suffer “total devastation of the Japanese homeland.” This surrender included their emperor's abdication of the throne. Japan was unwilling to surrender its dynasty and ignored the ultimatum. On August 6 and 9, atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively..