3 ms·
Nonsense. Russia would have occupied Tokyo within the month, maybe less, Japan was defeated, and thoroughly. The US needed Japan to surrender to them, not Russi
by ageofwant 11y ago
Nonsense. Russia would have occupied Tokyo within the month, maybe less, Japan was defeated, and thoroughly. The US needed Japan to surrender to them, not Russia, and so it was.
- mikeash 11y agoThe USSR had no real amphibious capability to carry out such a plan. Civilians were dying at a rate of something like a quarter million per month in all the various Japanese-occupied areas at this point in the war. If the atomic bombings sped up the surrender by just three weeks they were a net win in terms of lives. (And yeah, I know how morally difficult that calculation is, but that's war.)