What other options did the US have other than the A bomb?

Question

was it only unconditional surrender?

thanks

Answer 1

If you mean in WW2; they could have continued to carpet bomb japan (which killed as many people in a raid as the Atomic Bomb), invade the home island- which would likely have every man woman and child armed and willing to kill themselves to take a soldier with them, and slowly work across each of the 4 main japanese islands, killing millions of japanese and causing so many US casualties that we'd likely never have recovered as a nation.

Just look at how bad Iwo Jima and Okinawa's invasions were, how bloody & realize that neither were the home islands.

Realistically, the A-Bomb saved millions in the long run, and the short-term casualties (didn't know the long term effects) were about the same as a standard US air raid with hundreds of bombers.

The effect of it forced the MIlitary rulers to give into the demands of the civilian leadership to surrender.

Answer 2

Based on the desire for unconditional surrender had the bomb not been used we would have fought in the South Pacific until at least 1948, possibly longer. It (the bomb) was the only alternative to landing troops. The best estimates at the time had placed 1 million as the expected casualty rate - more than 60,000 caches of weapons and ammunition were discovered in the most unlikely places for years afterwards.

Additionally, and as a note of interest the most 'famous' of the Japanese holdouts, 2nd Lt. Hiroo Onoda was the only survivor of a group of four. He surrendered 29 years after Japan's formal surrender, and 15 years after being declared legally dead in Japan. When he accepted that the war was over, he wept openly. He had not heard the war had ended and was in a location with no radio or any form of other communication from the outside. This happened in March of 1974. An Imperial Army Captain was also discovered in April of 1980; however, Lt. Onoda is the one who received the most amount of Press. As you know (the following year) 1975 would mark the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of WW II.

The last major Imperial Army unit to surrender occurred in 1948. In a lot of ways this Army was a much more difficult foe than their German allies.

Gerry

Answer 3

The options considered at the time:

1. Invasion, with the resulting killing of GIs and Japanese civilians.

2. Show of force: dropping the nuke on some uninhabited island. Most felt it would not be enough to scare the Japanese leaders into surrendering. This option was proposed by many of the Manhattan Project's scientists.

3. Continued strategic bombing: most of the cities had been obliterated by the end of July 1945 and there was no reason a continued bombing would've achieve victory.

4. Pursue negotiations of surrender. I'm not sure the Allies were aware of the 'feelers' the Japanese had sent to Sweden and other foreign emmisaries to investigate a negotiated armistice.

Since the entry of the USSR meant a greater sphere of influence by the Soviets and a quick end to the war would lesson their influence, the lack of 'complete' knowledge by Hoover of the weapons power and its consequences, and the feeling that many GI lives would be saved, the nukes were used.

Answer 4

Japan was well and truly screwed by the time the A bombs got used, but really the only option other than using the A-bomb was either carpet bombing all their industry to nothing and blockading the island, or a full scale invasion. The popular line is that the power that be felt that an invasion would cost many tens of thousands of American lives, and nuking Japanese cities was a much less costly proposition, and maybe even more humane, considering Japanese civilian casualties would probably have been much higher during a full invasion than they were from the bombs, regardless of how terrible the loss of life was *with* the bombs.

Answer 5

Unconditional surrender was essential if the allies wanted to avoid a "post-WW1" situation- with the prospect of another war within 10 years

The alternative was a conventional bombing campaign and invasion. SAme as was done in IwoJima and other islands. If my memory serves me, all the Japanese civilians there were murdered by their own side, or committed suicide. Out of over 20 000 japanese only about 250 were captured alive.

hard as it might be to believe, a conventional invasion (combination of bombs, starvation and the suicidal mentality) would have meant the quasi complete extermination of the Japanese nation

Answer 6

Let's not forget that before dropping the bombs, the United States dropped leaflets over the cities warning them of what was going to happen. Rather than evacuate, the Japanese government either did nothing or told the people to stay put. Had they evacuated the cities, the destruction would have most likely been example enough of what we were capable of doing. I pity the terrible loss of life, but Japan needs to take some of the blame for those lives being extinguished.

Our only option would have cost more US and Japanese lives while Japan's option could have saved all those lives. There's plenty of fault to go around for everyone involved.

Answer 7

Hi,

According to the "Great Generation " that had to fight and go through the horrors and suffering of World War II, the A bomb on their reflection was the only option. To that point around 50 million plus had died and taking the Japans may well have cost the allies 500,000 to a million more lives based on what they observed in taking the Pacific island by island and seeing what was in store for them in Japan after Okinawa.

Say what you like but the bombs brought the war to an very fast end and there will never be another conventional war on that scale again. Since I did not live through that era or have the mind frame of that " Great Generation " who had to do the dirty work and make so many decisions, I prefer not to sit back like and arm chair general and pass judgment on their decisions. As they say, hind sight is always 20/20.

Mike K

Answer 8

A massive sea-and-airborne invasion of the Japanese Islands would have been necessary had not the A bomb been so effective. Possibly the Emperor of Japan would have decided enough was enough, but there's no way of knowing whether he would have, or whether his underlings would have obeyed his dictate to lay down their arms. Let's just hope that particular weapon is never used again by anyone...

Answer 9

A negotiated surrender would have left the militarists with legitimacy and Japan would have been unlikely to become the peaceful, prosperous democracy it is together.

Answer 10

Invasion of Japan with millions of deaths on both sides. This would have be worse then 10 d-day invasions. Thank God for the bomb to save so many lives.