What were Truman's reasons for bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Question

What were Trumans reasons for bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki? (What made it lead up to that?)

NOTE: Don't say Pearl Harbor, i'm looking for real reasons.

Answer 1

Many say Truman believed an invasion of Japan would have resulted in extremely high casualties for US troops. Others claim he wanted to demonstrate the power of the A-bomb, especially to the Soviets. Some feel Truman didn't realize the power of the new weapon he was unleashing. All are probably true.

Answer 2

Actually quite simple. Japan really wasn't close to surrendering like I've heard some say (even after the two atomic bombs some still wanted to fight). Truman had few options to ending the war. He could have invaded, but estimates were placed in the millions, the destruction of villages and Japanese were training women and children to fight the enemy. A continuing bombing campaign would have been just as costly in Japanese lives. Many historians agree that the dropping of the 'bombs' actually saved lives.

The targets for the bombs were chosen carefully with regard to industrial capacity. Remember WW2 was a total war, which means everyone is sacrificing for the nation and helping the nation any way they can. This was true for every nation, not just Japan. The US had rationing, the British had been bombed, same with Germany, France had been invaded. Real war is not fun, nor glamorous nor quick.

Answer 3

If Truman had not used the atomic bomb, then Operation Downfall (the planned invasion of Japan, with two phases: Operation Olympic and Operation Coronet) would have gone forth. The Allies, collectively, would have suffered very heavy losses,somewhere in the range of 1 million casualties (killed, wounded, captured); it would have been like Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima, Pelelieu, and Okinawa in spades. If you want to know specifically why Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, and not, say, Tokyo, the explanation is as follows. Tokyo had almost been razed to the ground by the relentless fire-bombing mission carried out by B-29s. And besides, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were major military training and supply dumps, and they were almost untouched by the B-29s. They actually made a list of the possible targets; the "finalists" actually included Tokyo and Kyoto (in fact, I believe Kyoto was the main target for the B-29 Bock's Car, the one that bombed Nagasaki, but heavy cloud cover obscured Kyoto). Tokyo was struck from the list for the aforementioned reasons.

Answer 4

Fairly conservative military estimates indicated the US would have 1 million casualties taking the Japanese home island. The toll on the Japanese people would be incredibly high. We had previously fire bombed (General Curtis LeMay's B-29s bombers) Tokyo and most other key strategic targets so these 2 cities were at the top of the "what do we have to bomb next" list. Given the casualty lists from Iwo Jima and Okinawa the invasion of the mainland would have been a major bloodbath for both sides.

Answer 5

Real reasons, Japan was beginning to dig in for the mainland invasion, training women, children and old men to fight. On Iwo Jima they did a similar thing where the US came ashore with little resistance, wondering where the hey they went, then all hell broke loose from underground caves and passage ways costing thousands of US personnel. An invasion was in the works but would take months to execute. The Germans were about done with Soviet troops bearing down on Berlin and they were already wanting to divide Japan and the US didn't want that. So to expedite the conclusion of hostilities, they sent notice to Japan to surrender or else, they chose the or else, again, word sent, surrender or else, and AGAIN they chose or else. After the second "or else" they chose to comply and the battleship USS Missouri pulled into Tokyo bay with the instrument of surrender.

Answer 6

President Truman did not want more American troops to lose their lives by invading Japan. He warned the japanese to surrender. They refused. Well, the rest is history,, first bomb Nagasaki. Japanese stilled refused to surrender. Second bomb, Hiroshima. The Japanese finally surrendered!

Answer 7

by the point the Germans surrendered in ought to, 1945, the completed international became fairly weary of a warfare that had considered a lot destruction and shortage of lives, that Truman became searching for an expedient thanks to end the warfare in the Pacific Theater. even with the actual shown truth that Japan were overwhelmed back and were now combating on their abode soil, the warfare ought to have dragged on for a minimum of yet another six months or longer. there became no telling what percentage more effective lives should be lost. on the different hand, understanding formerly how effective the atomic bomb became, the yank warfare branch ought to have heavily wondered the morality of making use of such an horrendous weapon of destruction, and recommended Truman antagonistic to making use of it.

Answer 8

Well, the pacific theatre was particularly challenging for General MacArthur. There are a large number of atolls (coral islands) sprinkled throughout the South Pacific. The fear was that the Japanese would drag out the conflict for a long time as we slowly fought from island to island. The idea was to strike a massive offensive blow that would impress the Japanese with the futility of resistance.

Answer 9

well truman thought about it for a while and he figured that if
the demostration test did not convince them(japan) to stop the war and the planed invasion of japan in 1945 or some where around there would cost several hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides (u.s. and japan)and he gave
the people of japan warning that if they (japan) did not surender he would have no choise bu to use them aganist them.well he did first on hiroshima then a week later nagaski.

Answer 10

The Soviet Union was just about to join the war in the Pacific and the Americans wanted to finish it before the Soviets could occupy Japanese territory.
As it is they only got the Kurile islands which they still occupy.
It was also a demonstration to the world of the strength of the USA.