Those bombs ultimately saved even more Japanese lives than American lives.
Quite true.
Very true.
I would encourage everyone to purchase and read VDH’s new book “The Second World Wars.” I have not yet finished it (it is huge), but it is a fantastic book that examines the wars from a strategic perspective rather than specific battles. VDH (as usual) makes a convincing argument that there was no real way for the Axis powers to win based on their lack of overall strategic power. It is the best argument for the importance of a strong economy and manufacturing base in regards to national security.
It is horrible to imagine the destruction 10,000 bombers with incendiaries would have wreaked on Japan. On top of that, long-range fighter aircraft would have been in constant daylight ground attack. We would have starved an entire nation with all of the pestilence and disease that would accompany such horror.
He also makes a cogent argument about how different the end result would have looked with expansionist Russia. The Russians were unstoppable on land and they were pushing east so given even two more months the modern map of Asia would look far different thanks to Stalin. There are many considerations that are given little thought in the west to such a situation.
Fascinating book and definitely the best strategic analysis of WWII that I have read with many relevant lessons today.