Quote:
Originally Posted by Porn Farmer
So governments - like Dubyas - always make the correct decision?
"The Japanese had, in fact, already sued for peace. The atomic bomb played no decisive part, from a purely military point of view, in the defeat of Japan." Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
"The use of [the atomic bombs] at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender." Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to President Truman
The United States Strategic Bombing Survey, after interviewing hundreds of Japanese civilian and military leaders after Japan surrendered, reported:
"Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts, and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Survey's opinion that certainly prior to 31 December 1945, and in all probability prior to 1 November 1945, Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war, and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated."
There is no consesus on this issue like your statement implies.
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I've read books on both sides of the fence. There was no definitive answer to whether Japan would surrender. They had assasinated higher-ups who wanted surrender. They also needed a unanimous vote to surrender and begin peace talks. The military was vehemently opposed to any form of surrender.
No one knows for sure if they would have surrendered earlier, and the fact that hundreds of thousands of lives were being lost every month put a necessity to end the war quickly. As some of the quotes above state, a surrender may not have happened till November or December, at which time a million civilians would have been killed.
I'm not sure what you're trying to insinuate. That the US just dropped the bombs for fun? If the goal was to kill a lot of people, they would have dropped it on Tokyo. They chose two of the most important military cities around. Like I said, if you believe the dropping of the atomic bombs was not worth saving a million civilians (and countless military), so be it.