“During his recitation of the relevant facts, I had been conscious of a feeling of depression and so I voiced to him my grave misgivings, first on the basis of my belief that Japan was already defeated and that dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary, and secondly because I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. It was my belief that Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of ’face’. The Secretary was deeply perturbed by my attitude…”
Most seem to agree that Japan had already lost before the nukes. Whether it would have been “better” than dropping the bombs and how long it would have taken is the bigger debate.
How far would Russia go once it turned its eyes on Japan? And once, or if, they began pushing the Japanese out of mainland Asia would that change US strategy?
How long would the Japanese populous endure famine and starvation before revolt? Would they even revolt?
Would the US do a land invasion after seeing how much, and how long, Iwo Jima and Okinawa took? Or just bomb and blockade?
Would any of the three even try and get the others to a table to negotiate some form of peace?
Nah, that’s what happened but Japan was on the ropes already. It just would have been a much longer, much bloodier war.
Everybody always says that without any evidence anytime this comes up.
What type of evidence are you looking for? Every firsthand account of people involved in the decision makes it clear that:
They’re perfectly capable of wanting to prevent an invasion and wanting data.
How about Eisenhower? I feel like this is fairly good evidence.
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/lesson-plans/re-thinking-dropping-atomic-bombs-lesson-2
Not who you’re talking to, but I’d never heard his take on that before. Thanks for sharing it.
Most seem to agree that Japan had already lost before the nukes. Whether it would have been “better” than dropping the bombs and how long it would have taken is the bigger debate.
How far would Russia go once it turned its eyes on Japan? And once, or if, they began pushing the Japanese out of mainland Asia would that change US strategy?
How long would the Japanese populous endure famine and starvation before revolt? Would they even revolt?
Would the US do a land invasion after seeing how much, and how long, Iwo Jima and Okinawa took? Or just bomb and blockade?
Would any of the three even try and get the others to a table to negotiate some form of peace?
Who knows since it is all speculation.
The evidence is the positions of troops and assets of Japan and the US during that time. An invasion of the Japanese homeland was imminent.