Was World War II just?

When deciding if something is just, we are dealing with an opinion. For this question, the answer might be very different if looked at from the Japanese point of view rather than from the American point of view. I will explain why some people say, and not all Americans will agree, that World War II was just.

As World War II approached, the rise of countries with dictatorships or non-democratically elected governments was growing. These governments had become very aggressive and began to conquer other countries against their will. If there is one thing that World War II taught us, it is that aggressive actions can’t be ignored. Thus, the Allies were correct to eventually step in when Germany invaded Poland.

From the American point of view, it made a lot of sense to support Great Britain. Their government and way of life were similar to our government and way of life. We had more in common with Great Britain than with Germany, Japan, and Italy. Once we were attacked at Pearl Harbor, we had to enter the war. We couldn’t let another country attack us without a response. At that point in time, we needed to do whatever we needed to do to win the war and to save as many American lives as possible in the process of winning the war. Thus, the decision to use the atomic bomb could be viewed as a just decision because it potentially saved one million American soldiers from being hurt or killed in a potential invasion of Japan.

The fight to maintain freedom and democracy is a just fight. Winning a war and saving as many American lives as possible is also very just. Thus, World War II was a just war.