Posted on 08/07/2022 5:42:06 AM PDT by hardspunned
The decision to lash Japan with nuclear weapons stands as the most momentous decision of President Harry S. Truman. It also remains as the greatest and most enduring controversy of the Pacific War. In the famous words of Secretary of War Henry Stimson, it was the "least abhorrent choice" of a dreadful array of option facing American leaders. Virtually all Americans in 1945 and for two decades thereafter believed fervently that atomic bombs not only ended the war, but also saved countless lives. But beginning in the mid-1960s, various scholars and writers mounted multiple challenges to what one of them labeled the "patriotic orthodoxy." These challenges contain many diverse threads, but they all rest upon a common foundation. That foundation is comprised of three premises:
First, that Japan's strategic position in the summer of 1945 was catastrophic;
Second, that her leaders recognized that the nation's situation was hopeless and they were seeking to end the war;
And third that American decision-makers, thanks primarily to decoded Japanese diplomatic communications, understood that the Japanese knew they were defeated and were striving to end the war.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalchurchillmuseum.org ...
The Japanese Imperial Army would have put up unending resistance and fought to the end. The bombing put a quick end to the war. That was the general consensus at that time.
The Japanese BELIEVED THEIR EMPEROR WAS GOD. They would have fought to the last man, woman and child; they would have fought with KITCHEN KNIVES. The ONLY solution was to get the Emperor to submit, and the only way was an overwhelming show of force. America had given a GENERATION of sons, fathers, and uncles in WWII; we would have lost 200,000 GI’s in a land invasion. It is SO easy to Monday-morning-quarterback this from three generations and 70+ years away. The answer is, yes. We dropped it. TWICE, before clarity appeared in the brains of Hirohito’s generals and unlimited surrender was given. Go review the Bataan death march, the other Japanese atrocities committed against America and the Allies, THEN go rethink yourself. The Bomb was so unthinkable that here, SEVENTY-SEVEN YEARS LATER even INSANE leaders are scare to use it. We did the right thing.
Harry Truman is one democrat I won’t find fault with. My Grandfather was a Marine in the Pacific, and would have ended up in the invasion of Japan if Harry Truman hadn’t dropped the bomb.
“But beginning in the mid-1960s, various scholars and writers”
These are the people, agendas, and influencers a particular Senator spoke about. There was also a Congressional Committee looking into it.
He was right then. They were on target then.
Now, The Left doesn’t hide, every day they promote their Anti-American agenda in Congress.
One of the better Pacific War historians ever. His Guadalcanal book is good.
As I think about naval warfare in the Pacific with China, I have a question?
If the atomic bomb had been tested in 1940 and we had six or seven, would Japan have been attacked with them in December 1941, or not?
The fact that Japan’s government didn’t surrender within 48, or even 24 hrs after the first bomb, shows how fanatical/radical their leadership was at domination at any cost.
Now we have fanatical/radical globalists that are obsessed with domination at any cost.
Me and my brothers and sisters are alive due to the bombing of Japan. Having just completed their fighting in Italy, my fathers unit were preparing to be moved to staging areas for the invasion of the Japanese mainland. The death toll estimates were in the millions as everyone fully expected the Japanese to fight for every inch of their island. Bombs away I say.
There is some evidence that the Japanese were on the verge of completing an atomic weapon of their own. Had they done so before the U.S., is there anyone who doesn’t think they would have used their weapon against the Allies?
This kills the argument still espoused by some to this day, that we should have detonated a "demonstration" bomb and given the Japs a chance to surrender prior to using it in combat.
Correct. Sorry. If you don’t surrender after 1 of those, the second is warranted. Thank God they did, because we didn’t have any more.
That’s the first I’ve heard of fears of a Japanese bomb at that late date. It’s my understanding they gave their effort up mid-war due to the inability to produce fissionable material. That’s the main reason the Japanese refused to concede the Americans more than a couple of bombs. They were right. The third and last prior to invasion was to be dropped on the 16th or 19th.
“But beginning in the mid-1960s, “
Huh... so after 20 years of careful examination they started to think there might be a better way...
Truman didn’t have 20 years to think about it.
There is evidence that Japan and Germany were both working on atomic bombs, not together but separate research programs.
Germany would have a better chance of using one than Japan, simple geography would dictate that.
It’s one thing to have a bomb, it’s another totally different situation to deliver it.
It took a B-29 loaded with one bomb flying from Tinian for the Americans to use it.
What delivery mechanism did the Japanese have, to my knowledge they had no heavy bombers and were so far from any strategic target except in China to drop the bomb it would have been nearly impossible for them to deliver the bomb against American targets.
Remember ICBMs did not really exist neither did submarine launched missiles, and the early bombs were huge and very heavy.
I'd say that estimate is low.
... before clarity appeared in the brains of Hirohito’s generals and unlimited surrender was given.
I think Hirohito ordered them to surrender.
“It also remains as the greatest and most enduring controversy of the Pacific War”
I quit reading right there.
The word “controversy” is now used to infer that the subject of the story was wrong.
Nothing controversial about saving countless lives.
Can you imagine the hate from the left if it had been a Republican president who made the decision?
We dropped one atomic weapon and they did not surrender.
We dropped a second atomic bomb and they then knew we were willing and able to render Japan unto death, starvation, and great sufferings. They surrendered. We only had two bombs ready to go. Many more were in the production pipeline.
Excellent article without the revisionist history.
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