4 ms·
>But dropping the bombs on Japan saved millions of both Japanese and allied lives. This assumes an invasion of the island of Japan would somehow have been a ne
by kaonashi 13y ago
>But dropping the bombs on Japan saved millions of both Japanese and allied lives.
This assumes an invasion of the island of Japan would somehow have been a necessary goal.
- mercurial 13y agoI don't know what options US high command were favouring in case the bombs failed for some reason, but if their strategic goal was "unconditional surrender", it is reasonable to expect them to plan an invasion of Japan, considering that firebombing was failing to do the trick.
- greedo 13y agoDespite the best efforts of airpower advocates, there's nothing like planting your boots on the soil of an enemy's capitol to demonstrate that you've defeated them. "You may fly over a land forever; you may bomb it, atomize it, pulverize it and wipe it clean of life – but if you desire to defend it, protect it, and keep it for civilization, you must do this on the ground, the way the Roman legions did, by putting your young men into the mud." T.R. Fehrenbach This Kind of War, 1963