If atomic weapons weren't used, then Hiroshima and Nagasaki would have been subjected to mass conventional firebombing which would have killed as much people as what happened to Tokyo on the night of March 9-10, 1945. Atomic bombs were needed to demonstrate that the U.S. had nuclear capability and can outproduce Japan not just with B-29s and other military weapons, but with the newest technology Japan would likely never counter with, in order to save American lives.
This was not a decision for the United States, but for all the allies. There would have been no question of Churchill permitting the continued involvement of commonwealth troops in the war if the United States, having such a weapon, declined to use it.
US had no choice. Japan would never surrender otherwise. The war would be going on for longer period of time and much more people would die than during the bombings.
There was no doubt that Japan would fall, it was only a question of time. You need to calculate that waiting to complete the war conventionally would cost one million allied lives and lengthen the war by a year. There was not the luxury of time when people in Asia were dying at the hands of the Japanese.
The Empire of Japan was offered the choice between unconditional surrender and annihilation. They were given fair warning: something they did not give the people of Pearl Harbor.
The US had to look at the bigger picture - as the Soviets were about to join the war in Asia they had to demonstrate that they had nuclear capability if the same situation of an iron (or bamboo) curtain was not to happen in Asia at it had in Europe. Oh, and Congress had spent megashedloads on the bombs and wanted to know if they would work.
I think that it was necessary move the Japanese government became so bold as to attack Pearl harbor and they were determined to fight and fight and fight and did not want peace. The decision to drop the bomb saved not only many American lives but it saved many Japanese lives to and it has probably saved many more lives on the planet Earth because people know the United States will drop the bomb on you if you get too uppity.
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If atomic weapons weren't used, then Hiroshima and Nagasaki would have been subjected to mass conventional firebombing which would have killed as much people as what happened to Tokyo on the night of March 9-10, 1945. Atomic bombs were needed to demonstrate that the U.S. had nuclear capability and can outproduce Japan not just with B-29s and other military weapons, but with the newest technology Japan would likely never counter with, in order to save American lives.
This was not a decision for the United States, but for all the allies. There would have been no question of Churchill permitting the continued involvement of commonwealth troops in the war if the United States, having such a weapon, declined to use it.
US had no choice. Japan would never surrender otherwise. The war would be going on for longer period of time and much more people would die than during the bombings.
lots of material on this -- just google
There was no doubt that Japan would fall, it was only a question of time. You need to calculate that waiting to complete the war conventionally would cost one million allied lives and lengthen the war by a year. There was not the luxury of time when people in Asia were dying at the hands of the Japanese.
The Empire of Japan was offered the choice between unconditional surrender and annihilation. They were given fair warning: something they did not give the people of Pearl Harbor.
The US had to look at the bigger picture - as the Soviets were about to join the war in Asia they had to demonstrate that they had nuclear capability if the same situation of an iron (or bamboo) curtain was not to happen in Asia at it had in Europe. Oh, and Congress had spent megashedloads on the bombs and wanted to know if they would work.
I think that it was necessary move the Japanese government became so bold as to attack Pearl harbor and they were determined to fight and fight and fight and did not want peace. The decision to drop the bomb saved not only many American lives but it saved many Japanese lives to and it has probably saved many more lives on the planet Earth because people know the United States will drop the bomb on you if you get too uppity.
No, YOU evaluate it.
Agreed positive.
THEY started it, we FINISHED it .......................................
It was premature. Japan didn’t attack Pearl Harbor for no reason. America blockaded Tokyo Harbor to cut off all imports into Japan.