Do you think the United States was justified in using the bomb against the Japanese?

Answer 1

It happened. That war's over. It doesn't make any difference what I think about it... or pretty much what anybody alive today thinks about it.

None of us were old enough to understand what was happening at the time. The only bases of our opinions are hearsay and history. It's like second-guessing the crucifixion, or the conception of Hitler.

Answer 2

Yes. Despite revisionist history books the following is still true:
1. The Japanese started the war.
2. The Japanese military had no intention of surrendering and would have fought to the bitter end using poorly armed "militia" in the hope they would kill at least a few Americans before getting killed.
3. The were warned about the first bomb and given an opportunity to surrender and would not unless they kept the areas in China and elsewhere they still occupied.
4. After the first one on Hiroshima they were again given a chance to surrender and again would not unless they could keep the occupied areas.
5. After the Nagasaki bombing the military high command still refused to surrender and had to be ordered too by the Empereor; there was even an revolt by some young officers to stop it from happening.
6. A lot of Americans would have died in the invasion of the Japanese Islands, look at the casualties from Iwo Jima and Okinawa which were long held Japanese territories and not even homeland. How much harder would have they fought on the homeland?
7. Japanese civilian casualities would have been much higher then those from the bombing by either them resisting as the Japanese military, and by inference the Empereor, had told them to do, been caught in the crossfire or committed suicide. The latter can be looked at how many Japanese civilians killed themselves as the Americans took Okinawa; look at the percent that did and transfer that to the Japanese population on the islands.
Even with the civilian loss of life of bombing those cities it was justified because in the long term it probably saved a lot more lives then it took, especially American. I often wonder if the Empereor and the Japanese High Command would have surrendered if they had known we had no more atomic bombs? Those two were all we had and I would guess the Japanese would not have surrendered if they had known that.

Answer 3

This question has appeared in this forum more than once.You ask if the Nuclear event was justified? The alternative was already in place and was taking millions of lives already. Then Commander of the 8th Air Force,Lt/Gen Curtis Lemay,the man who orchestrated the Germany Fire bombings had unleashed the B-29 fleets in his command on the mainland of Japan.This started as soon as the US Marines took the Marianas island chain which supplied the huge B29's a forward area to operate out of.High Altitude bombings weren't effective enough said LeMay,"Go in even lower!" In they came at 15,000 feet and eventually 10,000ft.The effect was past devastation,total and complete smoking ruins all up and down the Japanese coast.EVERY major city was set ablaze and leveled.Incindiaries literally rained almost 24 hrs a day.There was no more inhabitable cities left standing.The few that were left were the targets for "Trinity". The blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nothing compared to the firestorms created by the incindiaries.The difference was the A-Bombs were more economical,One Airplane-One Bomb.Not hundreds of Airplanes burning Gas and millions of dollars.The nuclear event was just as justified as the Firestorms.The question is,"Just exactly which form of death do you prefer Mr.Hirohito?"

Answer 4

Look into Operation (something) and tell if youd rather commence with the Operation or just drop TWO Atomic Bombs?

Someone will remember the name which I have forgetten. The operation never happened because of the bombs. But estimate put the deaths of EVERYONE around 2-5 MILLION, and the same number if not more wounded.

The war wouldve included air raids, ampehbious operations, chemical weapons(Which were used by everyone, and firstly during the FIRST WW)

Answer 5

FDR knew about Pearl Harbor before the Japanese attacked. The US intercepted 21 messages from the Japanese, some as much as 2 weeks before the attack. The Australian government warned both FDR and the Navy commanders of the Japanese fleet steaming toward Pearl Harbor. Admiral James Richardson was fired by FDR for refusing to (initially) place the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor because he knew it was unprotected. on 11/27/41 the US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall sent notices to the Pearl Harbor commanders of the Japanese fleet approaching Pearl Harbor. They responded that since he was the "Army" they could ignore him as it was a matter for the Navy. On 12/06/41 Marshall stayed out the WHite House all night with FDR. He said this in sworn testimony to the Senate and Congress after the attack when it was investigated. FDR gave general orders to the Pearl Harbor Navy commanders that "under no circumstances do we engage the Japanese Navy first". Doesn't everyone know this stuff? The bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima were not only avoidable, but unneccesary. As for "saving" lives - 220,000 Japanese civilians died from the two attacks, and that does NOT include the firestorms/attacks of Tokyo and other cities that killed another 120,000 Japanese civilians.

Answer 6

Yes, just as justified as the Japs were in invading: China, Korea, Phillipines, New Guinea, Alutian Islands, Maylasia, and a whole host of other SE Pacific nations. The choice was clear: drop the bomb and kill about 60,000 civilians, or invade Japan and kill over 100,000 alied soldiers. Seems pretty clear cut to me. Oh, and by the way, before any of you panzies complain about the bomb, review your history. You will find that over 100,000 Japs died during the firebombing of Tokyo, Hamburg Germany, and many other large cities. But because it was atomic ("ooohhh awe"), you panzies keep complaining. Hey, I have a suggestion, if you dont want to be Nuc'd, then dont invade our country.

Answer 7

The bombing in Pearl Harbor was a propaganda piece for the US ; they knew the Japanese were approaching the base, but did not notify the base, so that it seemed as an outrage.

However, the Japanese WANTED to attack us first, and the Japanese were a smart, resourceful and disciplined enemy. They did kamikazes and even dug tunnels in Iwo Jima, which showed their tactical prowess and disciplined.

The Japanese did some of the first biological warfare testing: they would drop diseased bodies into Chinese cities and time how long it took for the residents to die off. They also struck a pack with Hitler/Nazi regime, and it can only be assumed Hitler didn't like' pale, pig-faced' people. [Hitler's My Country]

The Japanese would have surely tried to wipe us off the map, so we had to defend ourselves. Also, we didn't kill ALL Japanese people in the country, just enough to give a message. On top of that, the Japanese government told their people that we attacked them first!

Answer 8

Yes, at that time it was justified to use the A bomb against a fanatical enemy. The A bomb saved many American and Japanese liefs. Pitty that the US did not use it in Korea, in Vietnam and against other communist terrorists targets.

Answer 9

Japan was suffering terribly under our day and night FIRE BOMBING,their cities were mostly ash and hundreds of thousands had died.
The government was convinced that they could still win,make any invasion too costly to succeed.
We could have continued bombing until the Japanese Islands were lifeless rocks sinking into the Pacific.
2 A-Bombs and they decided to quit,forced to realise that they faced TOTAL DESTRUCTION.
In a way the A-Bombing was an act of mercy for both sides.

Answer 10

Yes,
The amount of life it saved is staggering. Even modern estimates vary from 500,00-1,000,000 American and Allie forces would have been killed or wounded, plus millions more Japanese civilians killed, wounded or displaced, during an invasion of Mainland Japan. Unlike Normandy, the Japanese where correct in their Intel. and guess of where the invasion would occur, and had very tough defenses in place and being built that would have caused horrendous US casualties.

Dropping the two Nuclear Weapons forced Japan to capitulate to the US sooner than most wanted, even though the hierarchy new the war was lost after Midway.

Answer 11

If you took time to look through Y/A Military you will see this question and answers listed a couple of times before.

1. It saved an estimated 5 million US and Allied casualties, this estimate was given for the projected invasion of the Allied home islands.

2. The Japanese High Command were given two opportunities to surrender unconditionally so the responsibility falls squarely on their shoulders by playing hardball.