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Henry Stimson later clarified he only meant close allies. It is also hard to take moral guidance from the guy who oversaw Japanese internment camps in the US a
by mike_d 5y ago
Henry Stimson later clarified he only meant close allies.
It is also hard to take moral guidance from the guy who oversaw Japanese internment camps in the US and decided to change the city we dropped the atomic bomb on because the original target was where he went on his honeymoon.
- dekhn 5y agoHe changed the target because he convinced Roosevelt that Kyoto was a city of historical importance, not merely because he went there on his honeymoon. That's a dishonest retelling of one of the most important moments in war diplomacy.
- mike_d 5y agoIn Truman's July 25th journal entry he says "I have told the Sec. of War, Mr. Stimson, to use it so that military objectives and soldiers and sailors are the target and not women and children. [...] He and I are in accord. The target will be a purely military one" Implying that Stimson had mislead him to believe that Kyoto should be spared because it was not a military target, when in fact - none were. All 5 potential targets were shortlisted because they were civilian centers and not targets of military value. At that point in the war everything of military value had already been heavily bombed, so they were left with non-strategic targets to show the maximum "before and after" contrast for the test. If anything, Kyoto was the more militarized option. It was a major rail hub between Osaka and Tokyo, as well as hosting the second largest engine factory in Japan. As far as being "one of the most important moments in war diplomacy," it is hard to grant such a title to what amounted to an arbitrary decision to kill the entire population of San Francisco instead of Seattle or Houston. Had we not been the victors, it surely would be called a genocide.