Was the US Just in Dropping Atomic Bombs in Japan

[Gohron]

"...the Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing."

Dwight Eisenhower, Newsweek, 11/11/63

"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons."

William Leahy (Chief of Staff to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman), I Was There, pg. 441.

"...the Japanese were prepared to negotiate all the way from February 1945...up to and before the time the atomic bombs were dropped; ...if such leads had been followed up, there would have been no occasion to drop the [atomic] bombs."

Herbert Hoover, Judgment at the Smithsonian, pg. 142

"Yeah, we were, like, totally justified in dropping the bomb."

Random forum poster

The Emperor Hirohito was ready to surrender and wanted to negotiate, however at this time he held no power in the country whatsoever. His generals were not going to surrender unless they had a damn good reason, and an ocean blockade wasn't one of them.

[g0zen]

"...the Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing."

Dwight Eisenhower, Newsweek, 11/11/63

"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons."

William Leahy (Chief of Staff to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman), I Was There, pg. 441.

"...the Japanese were prepared to negotiate all the way from February 1945...up to and before the time the atomic bombs were dropped; ...if such leads had been followed up, there would have been no occasion to drop the [atomic] bombs."

Herbert Hoover, Judgment at the Smithsonian, pg. 142

It's easy for them to say that in retrospect, but where were the voices of descent in the White House and the Joint Chiefs when it was time to make the decision?

[Calliander]

If the admins around here had any balls at all, Almaci would have been banned long ago. However, equity has never been the governing principle around here. Personal attacks that would get one user banned are continually tolerated when made by the privileged.

Do you have boobies?

[Fe 26]

is it locked?

[Fe 26]

"...the Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing."

Dwight Eisenhower, Newsweek, 11/11/63

"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons."

William Leahy (Chief of Staff to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman), I Was There, pg. 441.

"...the Japanese were prepared to negotiate all the way from February 1945...up to and before the time the atomic bombs were dropped; ...if such leads had been followed up, there would have been no occasion to drop the [atomic] bombs."

Herbert Hoover, Judgment at the Smithsonian, pg. 142

"Yeah, we were, like, totally justified in dropping the bomb."

Random forum poster

[gameoverDude]

I can understand dropping the first bomb as a means to cow Japan into surrendering. But TWO? Ugh. That's killing more civilians than was probably necessary.

The US should have said "Surrender, or there's more where that came from". Just the threat of another bomb may have been enough to get Japan to pack it in. No surrender? Get ready for round two.

At least using the bomb achieved the goal. It's a shame that noncombatant civilians had to be dragged into the war, but we probably saved more lives in the end- especially if Japan had been preparing to launch the plague against the US.

[AstroBlue]

The US should have said "Surrender, or there's more where that came from". Just the threat of another bomb may have been enough to get Japan to pack it in. No surrender? Get ready for round two.

I'm pretty sure they did do that. Weren't there 3 days between each blast, and the Americans comunicated to the Japanese generals during that gap? I'm not 100% sure.

[MVS]

"...the Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing."

Dwight Eisenhower, Newsweek, 11/11/63

They rejected the Potsdam Declaration which was on August 2nd, 1945, which, didn't have 'unconditional surrender' and would let them keep the emperor.


"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons."

William Leahy (Chief of Staff to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman), I Was There, pg. 441.


They weren't going to surrender, as per above. That leaves invasion or blockade.

"Admiral Leahy recalled that troops on Okinawa suffered about 35% casualites, and that this was a reasonable estimate for Kyushu. With 767,000 men scheduled to participate in the campaign, this would mean around 268,000 dead and wounded."
Eagle Against The Sun, R. Spector, p. 548



"...the Japanese were prepared to negotiate all the way from February 1945...up to and before the time the atomic bombs were dropped; ...if such leads had been followed up, there would have been no occasion to drop the [atomic] bombs."

Herbert Hoover, Judgment at the Smithsonian, pg. 142

Again, they rejected the Potsdam Declaration, to the point of not even acknowledging it in public. That = No Surrender on Aug 2nd, 1945. Unless of course the civilians were being taught how to welcome the American invasion with nice pointy sticks for the hell of it.

"Yeah, we were, like, totally justified in dropping the bomb."

"We sure were."

[MVS]

"...the Japanese were ready to surrender and it wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing."

Dwight Eisenhower, Newsweek, 11/11/63

They rejected the Potsdam Declaration which was on August 2nd, 1945, which, didn't have 'unconditional surrender' and would let them keep the emperor. This was implied with the text 'allow the japanese to elect a free government of their will' or so.


"It is my opinion that the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender because of the effective sea blockade and the successful bombing with conventional weapons."

William Leahy (Chief of Staff to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman), I Was There, pg. 441.


They weren't going to surrender, as per above. That leaves invasion or blockade.

"Admiral Leahy recalled that troops on Okinawa suffered about 35% casualites, and that this was a reasonable estimate for Kyushu. With 767,000 men scheduled to participate in the campaign, this would mean around 268,000 dead and wounded."
Eagle Against The Sun, R. Spector, p. 548



"...the Japanese were prepared to negotiate all the way from February 1945...up to and before the time the atomic bombs were dropped; ...if such leads had been followed up, there would have been no occasion to drop the [atomic] bombs."

Herbert Hoover, Judgment at the Smithsonian, pg. 142

Again, they rejected the Potsdam Declaration, to the point of not even acknowledging it in public. That = No Surrender on Aug 2nd, 1945. Unless of course the civilians were being taught how to welcome the American invasion with nice pointy sticks for the hell of it.

"Yeah, we were, like, totally justified in dropping the bomb."

"We sure were."

[Diff-chan]

I can understand dropping the first bomb as a means to cow Japan into surrendering. But TWO? Ugh. That's killing more civilians than was probably necessary.

The US should have said "Surrender, or there's more where that came from". Just the threat of another bomb may have been enough to get Japan to pack it in. No surrender? Get ready for round two.

At least using the bomb achieved the goal. It's a shame that noncombatant civilians had to be dragged into the war, but we probably saved more lives in the end- especially if Japan had been preparing to launch the plague against the US.

The US, I believe, warned Japan of something devastating to happen. They didnt do anything. The US dropped the first bomb and gave them three days to surrender. They didnt do anything.

In all honesty if they were going to surrender dont you think they would have after the first bomb (and the firebombings)?

The Japanese warmongerers were stubborn, murderous, evil fucks. End of story. Eisenhower can say whatever he wants in retrospect but the facts tell the whole story.