Translation: Too bad we won World War 2.
Translation: Too bad we won World War 2.
Advocates often cite casualty avoidance for dropping the atomic bombs. People extrapolate from 48,000 American and 230,000 Japanese losses at Okinawa to 500,000 American and millions of Japanese casualties for mainland invasions.
Those estimates could have vastly understated causalities. Japan at 374,000 mountainous square miles mathematically enables over 500 defensive redoubts comparable to General Ushijima’s construction inflicting most Okinawa losses. Japanese would defend cities as Russians defended Stalingrad.
The War Faction adopted the motto of “100 million Japanese deaths” for planning final mainland battles. Besides kamikazes, redeployed Kwantung divisions, and bamboo spears for civilians, allies faced biological warfare. Occupation searchers uncovered large stockpiles of viruses, spirochetes, and fungus spores throughout rural Japan. One delivery plan directed Japanese to infect themselves then surrender.
The “Greatest Generation” and their parents would have been enraged to discover a cabal satisfied personal moral orthodoxy by condemning over 500,000 Americans who might otherwise have been saved.
I have not seen mentioned the critical role Kokutai played in surrender. Any prominent Japanese lived out this spiritual combination of Emperor, citizen, land, ancestral spirits, government, and Shinto religion. Hirohito appointed a Peace Faction in January 1944, but he and advisors debated through twenty months of continuous defeats and 1.3 million additional Japanese deaths. The atomic bombs removed the “Final Battle” argument, allowing the War Faction to relent, Hirohito to assume his unprecedented roll, and no one to lose face. They remained within the fabric of Japanese from all eras who had sacrificed for Emperor and Empire.
I have also heard that Japan was in the process of surrendering, but neither Japanese nor Russian actions testify negotiation initiatives made dropping atomic bombs unnecessary. Supposed negotiations cite proposals Foreign Minister Togo directed Ambassador Sato offer to Molotov. Japan intended bribing Russia into neutrality, and having it mediate settlement for Imperial visions of “peace with honor”. The first June 29 contacts ignored surrender with proposals the Russians considered too vague to answer. The August 2 proposals accepted the Potsdam Declaration as one basis for further study regarding terms. When Ambassador Sato finally saw Molotov on August 8, two days after Hiroshima, he received a war declaration instead of answers to proposals.
The Japanese Cabinet debated “Final Battle” arguments into utter physical and mental exhaustion for eleven hours following Nagasaki on August 9. In the final meeting of Hirohito and his Cabinet, Barron Hiranuma reproved Foreign Minister Togo for never making concrete proposals to the Russians. Minister Togo had no answer. At impasse Hirohito, the god-king, spoke the “Voice of the Crane” in the 30’ by 18’ sweltering, underground bunker. He would bear the unbearable, conclude the war, and transform the nation. Only then did Japan contact Swiss and Swedish foreign offices to commence negotiations with allied belligerents.
A final point says the bombs accomplished little, because Roosevelt’s decree of unconditional surrender was compromised away by allowing Japan to keep their Emperor. However, Imperial Japan abandoned its heritage by accepting Potsdam Declaration provisions demanding the Emperor’s and government’s authority be subject to the Supreme Allied Commander. The Japanese people’s free expression determined ultimate government eradicating multi-millennial Imperial characteristics. The only approximate Western historical disruption would be displaying the bones of Jesus at the Vatican.
It was the right decision then, and still the right decision now.
Now, now. Nancy knows what it is like to be a bomb victim. She became one after she released her book...