U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey Summary Report
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.
At the cost of how many millions?
They didn’t breach that question now did they?
Maybe they are the same strategic planners who came up with the concentration camps that thousands of American citizens were thrown into just because of their heritage and not only Japanese whose families were here for generations.
Detailed investigations in hindsight are always 20/20. All we had to make that decision on was what we knew at the time but you want to cite an “investigation” on woulda, coulda, shoulda.
The reality is that we will never know any more than we knew at the time on the ground to make a decision with. Accept it, learn from it, and move on.
"All the facts" probably includes "Several hundred B-29s coming over every night shoveling out several thousands of tons of fire on every city, town, village and hamlet that hadn't already been burnt to the ground".
The surviving Japanese may have said that after the war.
To capture Iwo, we had to kill 99% of the defenders.
To capture Okinawa, we had to kill 90+% of the defenders.
We're really supposed to believe the main islands of Japan would just roll over and surrender?