RE: What goes unsaid in these discussions is the politically IMPOSSIBLE position that deciding NOT to use the atomic bomb would have put President Truman in at the time.
_______________________________
Who woulda thought that a one time small town Haberdasher could have stopped a war that killed millions with one fateful decision?
Actually, despite the supposed Japanese peace overtures via the Soviets and the likely effects of the sea blockade of Japan, he really didn’t know what would ultimately be required to compel the Japanese to lay down their arms, to surrender unconditionally. When he made the decision to drop the bomb, Operation DOWNFALL was still on.
Truman, I would argue, was duty bound to try the bombs whether or not they worked (that is, made the Japanese surrender) so that he could honestly tell the American public he had tried everything in his power to get the Japanese to surrender before ordering the Operation OLYMPIC landings (Phase 1 of DOWNFALL) scheduled for November 1945.