world war 2?

Question

Whats the main reason our government said for dropping two atomic
bombs on Japan? Why couldn't we wait for the surrender?

Concerning "Letters from Iwo Jima" (the movie). Was it right? Were the Japanese never going to give up?

Answer 1

Quick history lesson. Even after we dropped the two bombs, there were members of the hardcore Japanese Army that still did not want to give up but they bowed to the Emperor's decision. Does that help you understand it any better?

Answer 2

The previous answers are substantially correct. There were many Japanese officers who felt strongly that national suicide was preferable to surrender. On the day that the emperor of Japan effectively announced Japan's surrender many army and navy officers throught the country commited sepaku; a ritual form of suicide.

There were also two coup attempts by army officers who sought to continue the war. One just before the emperors announcement and another some days later. This should give you some idea of just how divisive an issue surrender actually was for the Japanese.

You should also note that the use of atomic bombs did not have the stigma then that they have today. Chemical weapons were simmarly stigmatised but were not widely used by either side against the other sides armed forces. The axis probably did not use such weapons because they understood the allies would respond in kind. At the end of the war however, the U.S. could easily have dropped poison gas on helpless Japanese cities without any real fear of retaliation but refrained from doing so.

The use of atomic bombs, sadly did not even produce unprecedented numbers of casualties. London, Hamburg, Dresden, Tokyo, Warsaw, Manila, Shanghai and Berlin all had comperable levels death and destruction visited upon them. The Japanese bombing of Shanghai (the first large scale civilian bombing in history) and the fire bombing of Tokyo both produced over 200,000 deaths. More than either of the Atomic bombs.

Concerning "Letters From Iwo Jima" I would caution you against learning your history from Hollywood dramas. This movie depicts an American prisoner treated humanely by his Japanese captors - this is totally unrealistic. If the Japanese would have surrendered without the use of atomic weapons is a hypothetical question - I think it unlikely, however.

Answer 3

It was to end the war. Japanese written policy was to execute all POWs, Chinese, and Korean labors in the country if there was an invasion. There where over 300,000 of them. If we would have invade they would have killed them all for starters.

Next if the US would have invade the death toll would have been in the millions. They where fortifying the entire country. They issued spears to school children and had training on how to attack Americans soldiers. They had over 5000 suicide plans in reserve to attack the invasion fleet. They had thousands of human artillery, what we now call suicide bombers, set up.

When we attacked a Japanese controlled island we would end up with only around 40 prisoners if there where 4500 on an island. They did not surrender. The Emperor was God, how do you tell God no.

Finally, even after the bombs where dropped there was a coupe. A group of officers tired to "rescue" the Emperor and prevent him from issuing the order to surrender.

There where Japanese soldiers still fighting on Guam and in the Philippians into the 1970s because the believed that Japan would never surrender. Grant it, there was only one on Guam and three in the Philippians. They just never gave up the fight, for 30 years.

Answer 4

A larger question was why did Japan attack the US at Pearl Harbor and ignite a war with the US?

Why did Japan conquer the peoples of the Pacific Rim?
Korea
China
Philippines
Vietnam

In light of the suffering caused by Japan in WW2 the atomic bombs seem underwhelming.

Answer 5

They were from a different culture and would have fought to the death defending their homeland. By dropping the bombs, we circumvented hundreds of thousands of American soldiers deaths. As sad as it was, it was a necessity for America to act this way, or a bloody drawn out invasion would have been the only way to attain a surrender.

Answer 6

The purpose to wars is to win. To moralize war just makes it more palatable and acceptable to go to war.

I am no activist, but we are going to wage war it needs to be total war- no one immune. This way people will actually understand that killing and death are serious and not some heroic gesture.

We used to think this way as a country and have never had to fight a total war like WWII since. Unless we take this approach now, we will be fighting WWIII in total war style.

Answer 7

They stated that there was a great mobilization of Japanese forces ready for a "death to the last man" battle.We didn't wait because wars are planned in advance to further an agenda.

Answer 8

We dropped the first because Japan refused to surrender. We dropped the second because they still refused to surrender. It was believed that if we didn't drop them that many more American lives would have been lost.

Answer 9

When America feels losing in a war they quickly "throw" atomic bombs against the antagonists

Infact, that's why we see more people around the world think danger comes from America specifically (because her historical wanton acts you know)

Answer 10

Real reason: it was a message to the Soviet Union who were about to enter the pacific war.