Very few really know WHY the bomb was dropped:
As the war went on, the allies observed the land grab going on by Stalin in Eastern Europe —would Stalin later LEAVE? A lot of folks had doubts.
The Yalta Agreement required that after the eventual fall of Hitler, Stalin would HAVE to be in on the fall of Japan:
That could mean a land-grab on the Japanese islands, too.
A post-war look at West/East Germany for 50 years, and another look at Korea to this very day shows such fears were warranted.
If the Japanese had not been induced to surrender quickly in a very special way, we would probably have a divided Japan to This Very Day.
The Emperor also would have been executed, with a long insurgency then taking place.
The bomb was dropped to keep Stalin’s grubby hand off of Japan.
The real reason we dropped the atomic bombs on Japan? Simple. 1) We were at war with Japan, and 2) we had them in our arsenal.
The real reason we dropped the atomic bombs on Japan? Simple.
1) We were at war with Japan, and
2) we had them in our arsenal.
Absolutely correct. The bomb was not dropped on Japan to save American lives fighting Japanese. The bomb was dropped to serve notice to Stalin and the Soviets to stay away from Japan and remain at the 38th Parallel in Korea. The atomic bomb was dropped a day before the Soviets were to invade Japan, per Stalin's agreement with Roosevelt at the Yalta Conference of February 1945 (not to invade prior to the passing of six months). One day was a slim margin, and the Americans rushed the atomic bomb to Japan to beat the deadline. The Soviets were pissed at losing the chance to divide a piece of Japan for themselves, but feared our atomic bombs would be directed at them next.