Hiroshima: The Decision to Drop the Bomb

The History Channel ^ | May 6, 2004 | The History Channel

[walford]

"An investigation, based on newly released documents, into President Truman's controversial decision to drop the A-bomb. Concludes that the real reason the U.S. dropped the bomb was to intimidate the Soviet Union."

Several 'experts' explained that dropping the A-bombs on Japan were unnecessary [there were no dissenting points of view aired]. The announcer -- bearing an English accent -- explained that the reasons that Truman decided to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki were:

1. A raving desire for revenge on the part of the American people. 2. To use the opportunity to 'experiment' the new weapon on an expendable population. 3. To demonstrate to the USSR that America is not to be messed with. 4. The bombs were unnecessary, because the Japanese were about to surrender anyway.

[walford]

I can certainly concede that there is some question as to whether the bomb decisively ended the war. There was no unconditional surrender as demanded. [We conceded the condition of letting them keep their emperor, for example.]

However, the MOTIVATIONS listed are an egregious slander being purported as Historical fact. It would have been passable as history if there were this caveat: - this was but one OPINION of many.

It is far more likely that Truman believed that the bombs would end the war. Indeed, it is likely that they shortened it considerably.

I recall Accuracy In Media founder Reed Irvine writing to the NY Times that he was amongst the troops awaiting orders to assault the main island. His future wife was in Nagasaki when the 2nd bomb was dropped. He went on to say that they both survived those A-bombs but it was unlikely that either of them would have survived the planned invasion. [Review battle for Okinawa.]

This History Channel slam piece is pure propaganda probably timed to inflame America hatred abroad and self-loathing at home. Why don't they do an expose on the past and present condition of women in the Islamic world?

Here's something to get them started: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1130760/posts http://www.answering-islam.org.uk/BehindVeil/btv3.html#CH3

[oceanview]

the Japanese were not "about to surrender", not unconditionally. in fact there was a coup attempt even after the bombs were dropped - it only failed because one top general would not go along. right to the very end, the coup plotters did everything to try and stop the Emperor's radio message from being played.

[John H K]

Well, on the one hand, a lot of the estimates for casualties from an Invasion are wholly bogus (especially the "1 million American Dead").

On the other hand, it's highly doubtful that the Japanese would have unconditionally surrendered in August without the bombs, and because the United States had finally COMPLETELY destroyed the ferry, train, and coastal steamer network of Japan with bombs and mines, it's an absolute certainty that several MILLION Japanese would have died over the winter of 45/46 from starvation. A lot more than died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

[oceanview]

a great film on the subject

[ken5050]

What is often overlooked/ognored in any discussion of the decision to drop the A boms, is that the two bombing missions on Hamburg and Dresden..the thousand plane raids...killed more people in each city than the Japanese cities combined...

FYI, a year or so agothere wsa new biography of Paul Tibetts."THe Man Who Won the War"..an excellent book, and a MUST read for anyone interested int he topic..

[Rockitz]

Since my father entered the US Navy in 1946, I have no doubt that I and many others are alive today because the bomb was dropped. Taking the Japanese mainland would have cost many US lives. Thanks Harry!

[Rockitz]

That looks like Dr. Smith from Lost in Space?

[COEXERJ145]

I hate these stupid revisionist historians who think we only used the bomb to impress Stalin. It has become the popular excuse since they can no longer say it was totally unnecessary.

The Manhattan Project & the Dropping of the Atomic Bombs was the subject of my senior thesis. During the entire time, I only found substantial quotes by one person who brought up the Soviet Union when discussing the atomic bomb. One of Truman's advisers thought its use would make the Soviets "easier to manage" after the war. Of course thinking up stuff like this is the job of people in the War Department (now DoD) so it isn't a surprise something thought it up. Truman however was focused on one thing and that was to end WWII as soon as possible and save as many American and Allied lives.

[George from New England]

I'm 49. My dad went in about 1946 or 47 too.

[dix]

Great topic. For whatever reason these “experts” give, the fact of the matter is the Nips surrendered after we dropped the bomb.

[VOA]

4. The bombs were unnecessary, because the Japanese were about to surrender anyway.

yeah, that's why they ran up the white flag after the first one was dropped.

Wait a second...

[walford]

"...one top general would not go along. right to the very end, the coup plotters did everything to try and stop the Emperor's radio message from being played..."

Yes, they touched on that point in the piece, but did not put two and two together as you did.

I just registered on the History Channel's discussion board and posted the subject there.
http://boards.historychannel.com/thread.jsp?forum=101&thread=300012944

[VOA]

I hate these stupid revisionist historians who think we only used the bomb to impress Stalin.

It's hard to get tenure by dealing in a pedestrian old commodity: the truth.
Well, that's the way a lot of historians seem to think these days.
One reason they probably hated Stephen Ambrose so much...he just told the
documented story.
(ok, he did cheat a bit on that one book...)

[what's up]

Russia was probably a factor, but if the Japanese were just about to surrender, they would have done it after the first bomb.

[Cicero]

I suspect that putting the fear of God into Stalin was ONE of HST's motives. I have heard it said before, many years ago, well before historical revisionism became rampant. And why not? Stalin was gobbling up Eastern Europe and there was a serious threat that he might move into France and Italy, which had large Communist movements eager to welcome him. The U.S. was not eager to move major forces back from the Pacific to guard against that.

But it was hardly the main motive.

[umgud]

A decisive victory always trumps a negotiated peace. It also sends a chilling message to others.

[The Great RJ]

Truman's reasons were complex and certain;y he preferred to have Japan surrender under favorable term to the Us rather than have to deal with the Soviets.

However, despite devastating bombing of Japan's cities and the nearly total strangulation of her imported supplies, neither the Emperor or his government were willing to surrender. They were fully prepared for a suicidal attack on invading allied forces with whatever they could put together. Though they could not have more than slowed an allied invasion in the fall of 1945, they would have continued a guerrilla war against occupying forces for years. Allied POW's also would have been automatically killed once the invasion started.

What Truman hoped to accomplish was a knockout punch that would move the idea of surrender forward. The dropping of the second bomb was done simply because it was ready and the Japanese government had nor responded in time. The idea of using it as a "test" is absurd--the device had already been tested on New Mexico in July 1945. The Hiroshima bomb was the untested one.

So much for revisionist history.

[vetvetdoug]

Think about it, the historians are the ones that came out publicly against the Clinton Impeachment. "Historians" is becoming a moniker for leftist idiots.

[Right Angler]

According to the History Channel special about the planned invasion of the home islands, the US has not ordered any new Purple Hearts since 1945. We are still using what the war planners ordered in preparation for the invasion of Japan. That is plain scary...

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Here is some food for thought. It is estimated that 89% of allied prisoners of war that were held captive by Germany were released and returned home after the war. It is also estimated that 91% of allied prisoners of war held captive by the Japanese never returned home. This evident culture caste of the Japanese mindset versus the German mindset as to treatment of war prisoners tells a stark story about Japanese hatred of allied forces. Dropping the Atomic bomb on Japan was the right decision and saved many allied soldiers lives. I might ask the current American population to take heed of these facts. History will repeat itself. At least in WWII we had FDR & HST, Democrats who believed in defending America and minimizing American military deaths and injuries. The current Democrat Party with John Kerry at its head, has no such policy or backbone as witnessed by their current, daily defeatist actions! Our Arab Muslim terrorist enemies/haters are just waiting in the wings for the "make nice" morons to gain power in the USA. America needs a wake-up call, or many Americans will pay a price far beyond what they imagine, loss of life and, more important loss of liberty and freedom. It's your choice, America!