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can someone explain why the alternative to atomic bombs was invading the islands and thus millions of deaths? how about just embargoing them and waiting for the

can someone explain why the alternative to atomic bombs was invading the islands and thus millions of deaths? how about just embargoing them and waiting for them to surrender?

reddog 5y ago
That’s an interesting thought. I’ve read a lot about the pacific war but nothing about a possible blockade/embargo scenario being considered. Maybe that’s because there were still about 4 million Japanese soldiers still in the field in China, SE Asia and the East Indies I do know that Japanese agriculture had completely collapsed by 1945 and millions would have starved to death had the war been extended. An extended blockade would likely have been worse than the bombing.
- picsao 5y ago
panick21_ 5y ago
This was actually considered by the Navy. It was the leading plan advocated by the Navy as an alternative to invasion. The problem is that Japan is not self sufficient in food or much of anything else required for a modern economy. The policy you advocate would have essentially turned back the clock and made Japan into a feudal kingdom with 1/10 the population. It would have been a mass starvation way beyond any blockade of Germany or other modern starvation's. At the same time, massive amounts of Allied (mostly Chinese) POW would be die. The Japanese army in China and Korea would likely have continued and intensified their war on the local population. Revenge on local population for supposed help of the allies was something Japan did all the time. At the same time it would have required the stationing of a gigantic navy and air force all over East Asia for potentially decades. Japan soldiers were still all over East Asia and had to be contained everywhere. They would have started leaving their bases and attempting to extract food from local populations. Japanese bases all over East Asia would turn into quasi independent military dictatorships trying to insure their own survival. There were still active soldiers in 1974 who didn't know Japan had fallen. The had to fly the commanding officer who had been 20 years retired in an old uniform to the island to get the guy to stop fighting. Now imagine that sort of thing the whole Japanese army in East Asia.
beerandt 5y ago
Because lack of home resources and being so susceptible to the oil embargo is basically what led to Japan wanting an empire in the first place. The prewar US trade restrictions/ blockade had a lot to do with Japan believing war with the US was inevitable, and that pearl harbor was a smart strategic target while no one expected an attack and while so many eggs were still in one basket.

can someone explain why the alternative to atomic bombs was invading the islands and thus millions of deaths? how about just embargoing them and waiting for them to surrender?

reddog 5y ago

That’s an interesting thought. I’ve read a lot about the pacific war but nothing about a possible blockade/embargo scenario being considered. Maybe that’s because there were still about 4 million Japanese soldiers still in the field in China, SE Asia and the East Indies I do know that Japanese agriculture had completely collapsed by 1945 and millions would have starved to death had the war been extended. An extended blockade would likely have been worse than the bombing.

picsao 5y ago

panick21_ 5y ago

This was actually considered by the Navy. It was the leading plan advocated by the Navy as an alternative to invasion. The problem is that Japan is not self sufficient in food or much of anything else required for a modern economy. The policy you advocate would have essentially turned back the clock and made Japan into a feudal kingdom with 1/10 the population. It would have been a mass starvation way beyond any blockade of Germany or other modern starvation's. At the same time, massive amounts of Allied (mostly Chinese) POW would be die. The Japanese army in China and Korea would likely have continued and intensified their war on the local population. Revenge on local population for supposed help of the allies was something Japan did all the time. At the same time it would have required the stationing of a gigantic navy and air force all over East Asia for potentially decades. Japan soldiers were still all over East Asia and had to be contained everywhere. They would have started leaving their bases and attempting to extract food from local populations. Japanese bases all over East Asia would turn into quasi independent military dictatorships trying to insure their own survival. There were still active soldiers in 1974 who didn't know Japan had fallen. The had to fly the commanding officer who had been 20 years retired in an old uniform to the island to get the guy to stop fighting. Now imagine that sort of thing the whole Japanese army in East Asia.

beerandt 5y ago

Because lack of home resources and being so susceptible to the oil embargo is basically what led to Japan wanting an empire in the first place. The prewar US trade restrictions/ blockade had a lot to do with Japan believing war with the US was inevitable, and that pearl harbor was a smart strategic target while no one expected an attack and while so many eggs were still in one basket.