What was America's GREATEST non-military success in the 20th century?

[K9Buck]

Only possible because of the application of two, very small, nuclear weapons.

I wonder if the Japanese would have surrendered if he had firebombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki as opposed to dropping A-bombs. We'll probably never really know.

 

[fncceo]

Only possible because of the application of two, very small, nuclear weapons.

I wonder if the Japanese would have surrendered if he had firebombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki as opposed to dropping A-bombs. We'll probably never really know.

The nuclear bomb was a shock weapon (still is).

The loss of life and property at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a lot less than from the firebombings of Tokyo and other cities. It was only the terror of the nuclear attack that pushed Japan over the line to surrender.

Allied forces could have firebombed cities and farmland to destroy industry and crops and starve Japan into submission. But, the casualties would have been much higher and left nothing on which Japan could rebuild.

 

[K9Buck]

It was only the terror of the nuclear attack that pushed Japan over the line to surrender.

I'm not so sure. Some say it was the entry of the Soviet Union that pushed Japan to surrender. I do know that, in addition to the relentless bombing, we also had an impenetrable blockade around the Japanese islands which prevented any commerce. I personally haven't seen any statements by the emperor or others wherein they stated that the atomic bombs were the catalyst to them surrendering. Have you?

 

[fncceo]

It was only the terror of the nuclear attack that pushed Japan over the line to surrender.

I'm not so sure. Some say it was the entry of the Soviet Union that pushed Japan to surrender. I do know that, in addition to the relentless bombing, we also had an impenetrable blockade around the Japanese islands which prevented any commerce. I personally haven't seen any statements by the emperor or others wherein they stated that the atomic bombs were the catalyst to them surrendering. Have you?

The Soviet Invasion of Manchuria was a factor, make no doubt about it. But, and this is confirmed by Admiral Sergey Gorshkov, Admiral of the Soviet Fleet during both World War II and the Cold War, the Soviets had insufficient blue-water naval capacity to pose a serious amphibious threat to the Japanese home islands. Japan knew the threat of Soviet Invasion of the home islands was much less of a threat than Allied air power. The largest Soviet bomber of the time, the Pe-8, didn't have the range to pose a threat to Japan even if operated from captured Japanese airbases in Manchuria.

The Japanese Army and Navy both had competing nuclear weapons programs, which never got past the laboratory stage, and knew the capacities of nuclear weapons. The shock of the new weapon and the inability to protect the home islands from attack gave Japanese leaders who already were leaning to surrender, an 'honorable' excuse to unconditionally surrender.

 

[K9Buck]

...the Soviets had insufficient blue-water naval capacity to pose a serious amphibious threat to the Japanese home islands.

Oh yea, I'm definitely aware of that. Even if they had, I'm pretty sure we would have told them to stay away.

In the book I referenced, there is a story of a Russian general that was in Tokyo to meet MacArthur. The general was making demands of a particular Japanese island(s) and said the Soviets would be occupying them. MacArthur matter of factly told him that, if they proceeded, Soviet forces could anticipate 16 divisions of Americans to remove them. The general departed and that particular island(s) occupation did not occur. Although I do know that the Soviets DID occupy some islands of alleged "dispute".

Your statement that the a-bombs compelled the Japanese to surrender may be accurate and that has been a prevailing thought. However, I've never seen anything concrete wherein the emperor or any other prominent Japanese officials confirmed that claim. I DO agree with you that the entry of the Soviets posed no real threat to the Japanese islands, although it obviously destroyed the Manchurian army, for what that was worth.

 

[K9Buck]

fncceo

What again is the name of the guy in your avatar? I'll kick myself when you tell me but I just can't recollect his name. Aging sucks. Thanks in advance.

 

[fncceo]

Although I do know that the Soviets DID occupy some islands of alleged "dispute".

The dispute over Sakhalin Island has been going on since China sent troops there in 1616 to defend from a Japanese Invasion.

Russian and Japan have been fighting over this territory since 1845, even before America opened Japan to the West by force in 1853.

Japan occupied and annexed the southern half of the Island after the Russians were defeated in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War.

Russia invaded the southern half of the island in August of 1945, knowing Japan could no longer defend it and it remains in Soviet hands today.

Russia and Japan continue to squabble over the territorial rights to the island of Sakhalin.

 

[whitehall]

The greatest success in human history, Man on the Moon. The funny thing is that kids grow up thinking it happened during JFK but it was Nixon.

 

[fncceo]

The greatest success in human history, Man on the Moon. The funny thing is that kids grow up thinking it happened during JFK but it was Nixon.

Nixon made the rebound ... JFK drove the ball up the court.

 

[K9Buck]

It's Mosha Dayan in your avatar, correct? It just came to me.

 

[K9Buck]

The greatest success in human history, Man on the Moon. The funny thing is that kids grow up thinking it happened during JFK but it was Nixon.

Nixon made the rebound ... JFK drove the ball up the court.

I give the credit to Obama. He inspired all of it.

 

[bluzman61]

The greatest success in human history, Man on the Moon. The funny thing is that kids grow up thinking it happened during JFK but it was Nixon.

I agree wholeheartedly. SUCH an accomplishment! And to date, the ONLY country to do so.

 

[fncceo]

fncceo

What again is the name of the guy in your avatar? I'll kick myself when you tell me but I just can't recollect his name. Aging sucks. Thanks in advance.

Moshe Dayan. Israeli Defence Minister in the Six-Day-War and The Yom Kippur War.

 

[Picaro]

The Marshall Plan was in fact partly a military one, building regional buffers against Communist encroachments against devastated former enemies. The differences between our failures to nurture Germany-Austria after WW I and our successes after WW II should be obvious; our 'allies' had far less power to interfere after WW II. So was the space program, whose largest funding came under LBJ, who in fact was responsible for passing National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, under Eisenhower, and continued to lobby intensively for it until his retirement. LBJ put us on the moon. It's hilarious how people on both the right and the left avoid giving LBJ credit for anything positive, despite his being the most effective politician of the 20th Century, more so than even FDR, who also needed him to make himself look good.

Lyndon Johnson’s Unsung Role in Sending Americans to the Moon

 

[Pilot1]

Although the Space Race was essentially a MILITARY achievement as the reasons were purely to defeat the Soviet Union, there were no battles, so I do think it was the greatest achievement. Now we have to take Russian rockets into space. The irony.

 

[fncceo]

'The Twenty Minute Workout'

 

[Picaro]

Although the Space Race was essentially a MILITARY achievement as the reasons were purely to defeat the Soviet Union, there were no battles,

It's called a 'deterrent'; without a deterrence there likely would have been some big battles; as it was they were kept to small insurgencies in out-of-the-way places, with the Viet Nam War bankrupting the Soviets in 1973 and essentially putting the Soviets on western life support for the soft landing under Gorbachev, with some idiot actor from Hollywood running around babbling like he did it himself.

. Now we have to take Russian rockets into space. The irony.

Yes, it's indeed ironic and why we need to bring all those industries back home, no matter how much more money Wall Street can make with Communist slave labor camps and no pollution restrictions.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I was born

 

[zaangalewa]

What was America's GREATEST non-military success in the 20th century?

One small step for Neal Diamond, which was a giant leap for Louis Amstrong ... or so.