Would you have used the atom bomb on Japan in WWII if you were Prez?

Not according to almost every general and admiral of the day

 

You don't know what you're talking about.
There was never a large consensus among the General Staff that the Atomic bomb didn't end the war.

August 9th the second atom bomb was dropped.
August 15th surrender of Japan was announced.

"
Despite the valor of our land and naval forces, despite the valor of our heroic dead and despite the continued efforts the situation has not taken a turn for the better and neither has the aspect of the world situation taken a more favorable turn. Moreover, the enemy has employed its outrageous bomb and slaughtered untold numbers of innocent people.

...Accordingly, to continue the war under these circumstances would ultimately mean the extinction of our people and the utter destruction of human civilization. Under these circumstances how were we to save the millions of our subjects or justify ourselves to save the spirits of our Imperial ancestors."
Emperor Hirohito surrender Speech

 

It has been posted several times on this thread already. ALL of the military generals and admirals of the time (except one) have been quoted as saying the bomb was not needed and the war was over. Read the thread.

 

There were actually more people killed in firebombing Tokyo.
War, by nature, is not "very nice".

 

Dude, pipe down.
The Emperor Japan cited the use of the atomic bomb as why he decided to overrule his ministers, and surrender.

Just stop already.

 

I'd say yes. It was an awful decision to have made, but it was the lesser of two evils.

 

Have either of you considered the fact that you are both right?

By the time we used the nukes the war was already decided. Japan wasnt a threat to anyone.

Conversely, if we were forced to institute Operation Downfall it would have cost several million lives. Significantly more than those lost to the nukes, both directly and indirectly.

 

Dude. Atomic weapons would end EVERY war. Duh. I guess Admiral Nimitz did not know what he was talking about. LOL

 

Dude. Atomic weapons would end EVERY war. Duh. I guess Admiral Nimitz did not know what he was talking about. LOL

 

We did not need Operation Downfall and would never have needed it.

 

You think an embargo and bombing would have been enough?

You are probably right that it would have eventually, I just wonder how long it would have taken.

 

Gen Curtis Lemay said two weeks. Probably not much more than that. The problem is we did not WANT them to surrender. We wanted to show off our new weapon to the russians and send them a message. A very brutal one.

 

And how many hundreds upon hundreds of thousands more would die.

 

No telling. Probably not any less than died in the nuke attacks.

 

Unlikely. We could have ended the war at any time

 

They wanted one condition...no war crimes for the imperial family. We said no and dropped the bombs....and then gave them exactly what they asked for.

 

Certainly.
Given the Japanese leadership was willing to spend countless civilian lives in an actual defense of Japan, there's no telling how may they would let die from starvation during a blockade.
Indeed - using the nukes may have saved Japan as a nation.

 

The bombs had nothing to do with Japan

 

A bit more to it than that. Hirohito also wanted to remain in power. It took a few days of wrangling before the US agreed to it, with Hirohito conceeding to an American Governor.

 

No, several IJ cities were deliberately not targeted by the USAAF, to preserve them intact for the before & after atomic bomb evaluations. Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Tokyo itself, & likely any other cities/ports/military bases that hadn't been attacked previously.

 

False every time you repeat this.

 

I absolutely would have used it, only I would have dropped it amongst the Soviet and Japanese troops fighting in Manchuria to send a pointed message to both Hirohito and Stalin.

 

True everytime I say it and I gave the evidence

 

I would not risk hurting innocent people and when I say innocent people I refer to the civilians who are innocent.

 

And so, how do you force Japan to surrender?