August 6th, 1945: Hiroshima was justified

[TruthSeeker]

Those bombs destroyed their generation because of that radiotan.

This is a lie. Very few were affected out of the Japanese population by radiation. Vastly far more Japanese were affected by the deaths caused by "conventional" weapons.

 

[Jlaw]

@Nihonjin1051 what's your take on this ?

 

[HunterKiller]

 

[Aepsilons]

It was not a question of Japan still having the power to win the war against the USA. Rather, the issue was how many more USA soldiers and marines would have to die to conquer the Japanese home islands. The USA military and political commanders chose to try to stop the war to save American lives by dropping the only two atomic bombs that had been constructed. If Japan had not then surrendered it would have taken many additional months for the US to build any additional atomic bombs. So, most likely, the US would have continued to fire-bomb Japan with conventional bombs, causing even more Japanese deaths. As it was, the atomic bombs finally gave the Japanese Emperor Hirohito the reason he needed to surrender his honor.

@Nihonjin1051 what's your take on this ?

Very well said. As you and others here may already know, the Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa (not taking into consideration the Battles of Peleilu, Saipan and other islands close to Japan home islands) were very brutal. Battle of Iwo Jima resulted in 25,000 American casualties (Japanese casualties were 22,000). In Okinawa, American casualties were 50,000 and Japanese were at 110,000.

Prior to Emperor Hirohito's intervention and called for the terms of surrender, the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces were preparing for defense of the home islands. The marshaling of some 80 Million Japanese civilians and Military personnel for the last defense of the nation. The casualties on both Japanese and Allied forces would have been high had Operation Olympia been initiated.

I believe that the Atom Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destructive, as they were civilian centers. I blame the Military Government of Hideki Tojo for failing to accept and consider surrender terms months prior to this. The lunacy of ultra-nationalism and vehement militarism is to be blamed.

I also am grateful for His Imperial Majesty for breaking Imperial Precedent for personally intervening , even against the threat of military forces who were threatening the Emperor's own life for daring to record a message to the public.

The War had been exhaustive for Japan; militarily, economically, socially, spiritually. We had been at war since 1931. 3 Million Japanese soldiers, sailors died in the war, and hundreds of thousands of our civilians , too.

The Atom Bombs were a blessing and a curse. A curse because it silenced over 140,000 Japanese lives at once, thousands more due to radiation. Yet it was a blessing, because it was catalyst for the Emperor to personally intervene and end the destructive conflict. Even while knowing that the brave sons of Japan were dying and fighting for Him. It was a blessing because it , indirectly, led to the salvation of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Japanese civilians.

My grandfather served as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy. He had 3 brothers, who , too, served in the Imperial Japanese Navy. My grandfather was the only one that returned home alive. The war was deeply felt in my family.

My prayers for the souls of my grand uncles, my grandfather, and all soldiers who fought valiantly for Japan.
My prayers also for the souls of the allied soldiers who fought valiantly in defense of their nation(s).
My prayers for all civilians who died in the war: Japanese, Chinese, Korea, Filipino, Indian, Malay et al.

 

[VCheng]

The Atom Bombs were a blessing and a curse. A curse because it silenced over 140,000 Japanese lives at once, thousands more due to radiation. Yet it was a blessing, because it was catalyst for the Emperor to personally intervene and end the destructive conflict. Even while knowing that the brave sons of Japan were dying and fighting for Him. It was a blessing because it , indirectly, led to the salvation of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Japanese civilians.

Well said. It was a direct measure of the US respect for the Japanese Emperor that the monarchy was accorded the utmost honor and the new Constitution preserved this great Japanese institution that continues to this day. The patience and hard work of the Japanese people in creating the modern day economic miracle did the rest, protected by the US guarantees to its security.

 

[Aepsilons]

Well said. It was a direct measure of the US respect for the Japanese Emperor that the monarchy was accorded the utmost honor and the new Constitution preserved this great Japanese institution that continues to this day. The patience and hard work of the Japanese people in creating the modern day economic miracle did the rest, protected by the US guarantees to its security.

What should be stressed is that the policies of post-war Japan were similar to early Meiji period of Japan. The surrender of Japan was a national travesty not just for Government, but for the entire nation. It was the first time in our history that Japan had surrendered to a foreign power. To soothe the sentiments , The Emperor Showa wrote the following poem, which was received with emotional adoration by our nation:

"Undaunted stands the pine tree in mounting snowdrifts. Heed its example."

And so we adhered to the words of our Emperor. And Japan has rebuilt itself from the ashes of that war. May the wisdom of the late Emperor Showa , as well as our reigning Emperor Akihito always guide Japan towards progress and peace. And like a pine tree, strong even during spring, summer, autumn and winter epochs.

 

[WAR-rior]

It was not a question of Japan still having the power to win the war against the USA. Rather, the issue was how many more USA soldiers and marines would have to die to conquer the Japanese home islands. The USA military and political commanders chose to try to stop the war to save American lives by dropping the only two atomic bombs that had been constructed. If Japan had not then surrendered it would have taken many additional months for the US to build any additional atomic bombs. So, most likely, the US would have continued to fire-bomb Japan with conventional bombs, causing even more Japanese deaths. As it was, the atomic bombs finally gave the Japanese Emperor Hirohito the reason he needed to surrender his honor.


Totally the right decision at the time. In addition, the demonstration of destruction has saved the world from any further World Wars or wars among the most powerful nations.

Maybe I dont completely agree with ur 1st paragraph. Afterall use of nukes can never be justified and that too as a testing event. Humans are not Test Subjects like Monkeys n Rats.

But again ur 2nd paragraph makes completely sense when u say, 'IF NOT THAT DESTRUCTION WE WUD HAVE HAD SEVERAL WARS RATHER THAN COLD WAR'.

Today, 1/7th of India - Pak talks bout eating grass and going back to stone-age but dragging India alongwith, has only refrained India from abating any possibility of War. Today, India knows it will hands down kick Pakistani *** in conventional war irrespective of age old war cry of 1 Muslim = 10 Hindu, but India cannot do it as it cannot let its development boom get dragged by 30 odd years. All this scenario wud have been immpossible if it wasnt for Nukes.

So contradictory per se, Its Nuke which has maintained peace in Subcontinent otherwise who knows how many Bangladesh, Kargils and Gibralter wud we had seen. Without it there wud have been no Pakistan. So I agree, Muke has only been a boon for this subcontinent indirectly.

I believe, no country in any region shud break or try break another. Its unethical. I am not sure, breaking of BAngladesh away was Pakistan's own fault or Indian Army's ?

 

[user1]

History only tells that Japan was already close to surrender, there was no need to drop atomic bomb on it.

If USA's only intention was to scare the Japanese, bombing of one city would have been enough, a death toll of 66,000 with many more affected by radiation would have been enough to bring Japan to negotiating table.

Then, what was the need to nuke another city? This was because USA wanted to make a statement to the World as the latest Superpower on the World stage that it could not only raze the city in one blow but it could also do it as many times it wanted - one, two, three or more.

The saddest fact is that the same people who are today presenting justifications for dropping the bombs on Japan, will be soliciting to use the atomic bomb again in the future - I consider them enemies of humanity.

 

[Kiss_of_the_Dragon]

August 6th, 1945: Hiroshima was justified???

Of course American need to find any false pretence to justify the nuking of Hiroshima or they will have to pay the victimes and the destruction of the city the same way that Japanese were trying to rewrite the story regardind comfort women and invasion of China and Korea.

 

[gambit]

I only quoted that source to show that many people agree that is was unnecessary. Now, you say that, and I agree with you, the Japanese would have gone on fighting, but why? Are they warmongering warriors who don't want peace, no, the terms of a surrender by the US were unconditional, which they never would have accepted, a lot of it has to do with their Emperor. Had he have said, they'd surrender, and the only way to have him around is through a conditional surrender which the US at the time refused.

For what Imperial Japan put Asia through, the demand for unconditional surrender was appropriate, after all, they did not offer Asia any terms, did they ?

Here is an interesting factoid about the A-bombs...

Tsutomu Yamaguchi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tsutomu Yamaguchi (March 16, 1916 – January 4, 2010) was a Japanese national who survived both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings during World War II. Although at least 160 people are known to have been affected by both bombings, he is the only person to have been officially recognized by the government of Japan as surviving both explosions.

 

[Jungibaaz]

For what Imperial Japan put Asia through, the demand for unconditional surrender was appropriate, after all, they did not offer Asia any terms, did they ?

Here is an interesting factoid about the A-bombs...

Tsutomu Yamaguchi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Their crimes in Asia equalled the crimes of the Nazis in my opinion, it's s sickening business. But I still personally, don't feel that this intended destruction of civilians was the way forward in Germany or Japan. The bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Dresden all probably had more of a purpose and sped things along, crushing resistance, possibly saving lives in the long run, we can't know for sure.

One thing I do know is, that in WWI, Germany was defeated, not by slaughtering the civilians within German borders, but defeating and killing their soldiers, the blockade, to the point where they knew they had lost the war.

 

[HeinzG]

For what Imperial Japan put Asia through, the demand for unconditional surrender was appropriate, after all, they did not offer Asia any terms, did they ?

Here is an interesting factoid about the A-bombs...

Tsutomu Yamaguchi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So that made US think that they could drop A bombs in Japan?

Along the same line Bin Laden can also be justified for waging war against US.

 

[gambit]

Their crimes in Asia equalled the crimes of the Nazis in my opinion, it's s sickening business. But I still personally, don't feel that this intended destruction of civilians was the way forward in Germany or Japan. The bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Dresden all probably had more of a purpose and sped things along, crushing resistance, possibly saving lives in the long run, we can't know for sure.

One thing I do know is, that in WWI, Germany was defeated, not by slaughtering the civilians within German borders, but defeating and killing their soldiers, the blockade, to the point where they knew they had lost the war.

If you got your butt kicked after you picked the fight, you are in no position to dictate terms to the victor. Like it or not, you are at his mercy, not him at yours. If he is willing to be generous, you are lucky, if not, you bend over, spread cheeks, and take it, to put it crudely. As for what happened back in WW I, that does not have to serve as precedence. May be the Allies does not want a repeat of WW I and decided to use the utmost persuasive tool we had -- the A-bombs -- to make it unequivocally clear as to what we want.

So that made US think that they could drop A bombs in Japan?

Along the same line Bin Laden can also be justified for waging war against US.

Every man/country make his/their own justifications, buddy. Let others accept or not.

 

[HeinzG]

One thing I do know is, that in WWI, Germany was defeated, not by slaughtering the civilians within German borders, but defeating and killing their soldiers, the blockade, to the point where they knew they had lost the war.

I disagree here. Germany lost the war because allies were systematically destroyed the German capacity to wage war. Even in the final days of the third Reich Germans had ample man power to stop the allies given they had the capacity to do so.

 

[Jungibaaz]

If you got your butt kicked after you picked the fight, you are in no position to dictate terms to the victor. Like it or not, you are at his mercy, not him at yours. If he is willing to be generous, you are lucky, if not, you bend over, spread cheeks, and take it, to put it crudely. As for what happened back in WW I, that does not have to serve as precedence. May be the Allies does not want a repeat of WW I and decided to use the utmost persuasive tool we had -- the A-bombs -- to make it unequivocally clear as to what we want.

The only reason there was a connected WWII was the fact that the Allies learned their mistake from the aftermath of the 1918 Armistice and harsh, very harsh Treaty of Versailles, the terms of this treaty definitely played a huge role in the rise of the Third Reich and subsequently WWII in the way it happened.

I can see your point entirely, whether or not the loser perceives justice or not in terms, they have to be accepted or face annihilation. Fine. But here we are talking about whether it was wise to do so. I accept that it happen and I accept that even without those events, entire cities were being bombed to oblivion anyway. I'm here talking as someone who lives in a different era, where people and nations think differently.

I disagree here. Germany lost the war because allies were systematically destroyed the German capacity to wage war. Even in the final days of the third Reich Germans had ample man power to stop the allies given they had the capacity to do so.

I was talking about WWI, you are right about WWII though, but I was using WWI as an example.

The US alone cannot be blamed for that. This is a mere glimpse of the horrors of WWII, not one party came out without their hands bloodied. The Nazis I need not explain, the Imperial Japanese committed unspeakable crimes in Asia that to this day cause tensions between nations. The British suffered German air raids before and even after the Battle of Britain and then without any remorse did the same to their German enemies, same goes for the French. The Soviet theatre was the bloodiest not just on the war front but also war crimes, mass executions, Stalin's murders against his own people.

Everyone was a damned terrorist in that war.