4 ms·

As insane as it sounds, the brutality and extreme loss of life in the Battle of Okinawa was a deciding factor in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Naga

by tmuir 10y ago

As insane as it sounds, the brutality and extreme loss of life in the Battle of Okinawa was a deciding factor in dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. According to wikipedia, every male citizen over the age of 18 died over the course of the 82 day battle. Over 20,000 American soldiers died, and somewhere between 75,000-110,000 Japanese and Okinawan soldiers died. The argument is that a land invasion would have resulted in far more than the 129,000 people killed by the two bombs.

dingaling 10y ago
The use of nuclear weapons wasn't expected to end the war; in fact even after Nagasaki the invasion of Kyushu was planned to be supported by at least seven such bombs, which were to be used to destroy beach defences and defenders. More were needed for the final jump to Tokyo. Later it emerged that it was actually the Soviet delcaration of war on the 8th August that was the deciding factor for surrender; the Japanese had stocked around 10,000 aircraft in Manchuria which were now under threat and they couldn't fight a two-front war. Yes, the two bombs ultimately saved untold thousands lives but that was more accidental than deliberate.
- tmuir 10y ago
  I've read about this theory as well. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were something like the 29th and 30th Japanese cities that had been completely leveled by bombings. Thus, the Japanese were not necessarily moved by more of what had been constantly occurring for quite some time. Japanese leadership assumed they could negotiate with the Russians, and therefore still had an out. When this avenue was closed, the Japanese were forced to face the fact that they had lost. It's somewhat ironic that the Russian army put forth the vast majority of effort and lives that defeated the Germans, yet it was America that reached Berlin first, resulting in Nazi surrender. This was reciprocated in the Pacific theater by the Americans expending the lions share of the effort and lives, yet it was the Russians that forced Japanese surrender. Although, this is all theory by historians. It still stands to reason that in the moment, the Americans speculated that the use of nuclear weapons would end the war. After all, Truman issued an ultimatim that essentially spelled out what would and did happen if the Japanese did not surrender.
  - davidgay 10y ago
    > yet it was America that reached Berlin first, resulting in Nazi surrender. Um, no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin
    - tmuir 10y ago
      I stand corrected. Thank you.
- PerfectDlite 10y ago
  > Later it emerged that it was actually the Soviet delcaration of war on the 8th August that was the deciding factor for surrender Emperor of Japan directly cited "a new powerful weapon" in a surrender address. > the Japanese had stocked around 10,000 aircraft in Manchuria Sources? Why Japan had to stock that number of aircraft so far away from the planned invasion points?

by tmuir 10y ago

dingaling 10y ago

The use of nuclear weapons wasn't expected to end the war; in fact even after Nagasaki the invasion of Kyushu was planned to be supported by at least seven such bombs, which were to be used to destroy beach defences and defenders. More were needed for the final jump to Tokyo. Later it emerged that it was actually the Soviet delcaration of war on the 8th August that was the deciding factor for surrender; the Japanese had stocked around 10,000 aircraft in Manchuria which were now under threat and they couldn't fight a two-front war. Yes, the two bombs ultimately saved untold thousands lives but that was more accidental than deliberate.

tmuir 10y ago
I've read about this theory as well. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were something like the 29th and 30th Japanese cities that had been completely leveled by bombings. Thus, the Japanese were not necessarily moved by more of what had been constantly occurring for quite some time. Japanese leadership assumed they could negotiate with the Russians, and therefore still had an out. When this avenue was closed, the Japanese were forced to face the fact that they had lost. It's somewhat ironic that the Russian army put forth the vast majority of effort and lives that defeated the Germans, yet it was America that reached Berlin first, resulting in Nazi surrender. This was reciprocated in the Pacific theater by the Americans expending the lions share of the effort and lives, yet it was the Russians that forced Japanese surrender. Although, this is all theory by historians. It still stands to reason that in the moment, the Americans speculated that the use of nuclear weapons would end the war. After all, Truman issued an ultimatim that essentially spelled out what would and did happen if the Japanese did not surrender.
- davidgay 10y ago
  > yet it was America that reached Berlin first, resulting in Nazi surrender. Um, no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin
  - tmuir 10y ago
    I stand corrected. Thank you.
PerfectDlite 10y ago
> Later it emerged that it was actually the Soviet delcaration of war on the 8th August that was the deciding factor for surrender Emperor of Japan directly cited "a new powerful weapon" in a surrender address. > the Japanese had stocked around 10,000 aircraft in Manchuria Sources? Why Japan had to stock that number of aircraft so far away from the planned invasion points?