[Mike Fieschko]

I don't know what went into the casualty projections for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. But on Iwo Jima from February to March 1945, some six months and less before the atomic bombs were dropped, the Japanese fought with unbelievable determination. I've seen it written that the Japanese considered Iwo Jima 'part of Japan'.

How much harder would they have fought if we had to invade the mainland?

[bonesmccoy]

Mike,

You are taking the view that all of Japan was equally behind the Emperor.

The reality is that the two atomic weapon targets were cities in Southern Japan.

That's like saying that nuking Atlanta and Dallas will cause the surrender of the Union in 1865.