Japan was ready to surrender, we didn't need to drop The Bomb

[GLASNOST]

...... the fact is that we do not know for certain what would have happened if we did not drop the bombs ...

I can tell you what would have happened: Japan would have nuked the US instead.

 

[Syriusly]

...... the fact is that we do not know for certain what would have happened if we did not drop the bombs ...

I can tell you what would have happened: Japan would have nuked the US instead.

No- Japan would not have. Japan would have been happy to have done so, but by that time almost her entire fleet was sunk, and her air force didn't have a plane that could reach the United States. Japan had been defeated but was not ready to give up yet- the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima persuaded the Emperor to surrender.

 

[Syriusly]

After Nagasaki, the US had no more atomic bombs..A rather dicey position...

We were already building more- and Japan didn't know whether we had anymore.

 

[M14 Shooter]

After Nagasaki, the US had no more atomic bombs..A rather dicey position...

We could have dropped another by the middle of August and then another in September.

 

[xyz]

Uh, o.k.

Explain why the second bomb was necessary. That is a much better question.

Easy. Lack of peace overture from Japan. The second bomb broke the "camel's back".

Let's look at the time frame again:
Aug. 6: Hiroshima
Aug. 9: Nagasaki
Aug. 15: Japan surrenders

That would assume it takes 2 or 3 days to decide a surrender and they should have dropped another bomb on Aug. 12 (if they had the capabilities).

 

[Meathead]

Uh, o.k.

Explain why the second bomb was necessary. That is a much better question.

Easy. Lack of peace overture from Japan. The second bomb broke the "camel's back".

Let's look at the time frame again:
Aug. 6: Hiroshima
Aug. 9: Nagasaki
Aug. 15: Japan surrenders

That would assume it takes 2 or 3 days to decide a surrender and they should have dropped another bomb on Aug. 12 (if they had the capabilities).

Japan made no overtures after Hiroshima. The combination of Nagasaki and the Russian invasion of Hokkaido cause their collapse. Game over - history.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Let's look at the time frame again:
Aug. 6: Hiroshima
Aug. 9: Nagasaki
Aug. 15: Japan surrenders
That would assume it takes 2 or 3 days to decide a surrender and they should have dropped another bomb on Aug. 12 (if they had the capabilities).

We did not have the ability oto drop another bomb on August 12. Maybe a week after that we could.
HOWever... August 12 the Japanese openly pleaded for peace, with the stipulation they could keep the Emperor. We countered, and they accepted in August 15.
Even though we did engage in conventional raids, it is unlikely that, if we had the capacity to do so, we would drop another bomb during that process.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Uh, o.k.

Explain why the second bomb was necessary. That is a much better question.

Easy. Lack of peace overture from Japan. The second bomb broke the "camel's back".

Let's look at the time frame again:
Aug. 6: Hiroshima
Aug. 9: Nagasaki
Aug. 15: Japan surrenders

That would assume it takes 2 or 3 days to decide a surrender and they should have dropped another bomb on Aug. 12 (if they had the capabilities).

Japan made no overtures after Hiroshima. The combination of Nagasaki and the Russian invasion of Hokkaido cause their collapse. Game over - history.

The Russians invaded Manchuria, not Hokkaido

 

[Meathead]

Uh, o.k.

Explain why the second bomb was necessary. That is a much better question.

Easy. Lack of peace overture from Japan. The second bomb broke the "camel's back".

Let's look at the time frame again:
Aug. 6: Hiroshima
Aug. 9: Nagasaki
Aug. 15: Japan surrenders

That would assume it takes 2 or 3 days to decide a surrender and they should have dropped another bomb on Aug. 12 (if they had the capabilities).

Japan made no overtures after Hiroshima. The combination of Nagasaki and the Russian invasion of Hokkaido cause their collapse. Game over - history.

The Russians invaded Manchuria, not Hokkaido

They also invaded Shakhalin and the Kuril Islands and were prepared to push on Hokkaido, so technically you're right.

 

[candycorn]

When you don’t surrender after the first bomb…it was pretty clear you were not going to surrender before it was dropped.

 

[Mad Scientist]

My Wife's Grandparents Were Hiroshima Survivors

 

[GLASNOST]

...... the fact is that we do not know for certain what would have happened if we did not drop the bombs ...

I can tell you what would have happened: Japan would have nuked the US instead.

No- Japan would not have. Japan would have been happy to have done so, but by that time almost her entire fleet was sunk, and her air force didn't have a plane that could reach the United States. Japan had been defeated but was not ready to give up yet- the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima persuaded the Emperor to surrender.

Read post #18.

 

[Unkotare]

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/...ids-plague-u-s-west-with-what-might-have-been

 

[namvet]

are we going thru this shit again!!?? im gone

 

[xyz]

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/...ids-plague-u-s-west-with-what-might-have-been

Interesting article.

On the other hand, what also comes out of it, considering the earlier peace plans ignored, is that the Soviet Union would probably have occupied Hokkaido as well, had no A-bombs at all been dropped.

Now I'm not questioning the strategic role of the A-bombs, just that from a humanitarian point of view, the bombing of Nagasaki could have been avoided/delayed.

Also, there was a wave of anti-Jewish sentiment that engulfed all nations at the time, including the Allies, it's just that only the Nazis were actively pushing for genocide.

The Soviet Union under Stalin actually killed many more people for political dissension than Germany.

What I'm getting at is that there were abuses on both sides, some worse than others, not that I'm excusing Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan for the many horrible deeds they committed, in particular what Japan did in China.

 

[westwall]

Uh, o.k.

Explain why the second bomb was necessary. That is a much better question.

My guess would be because they didn't immediately surrender after the first one.