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Well, technically, it was an act of Congress. Congress declared war after Japan bombed pearl harbor and dragged us into WWII
It took nuking their allies in a world that wasn't under the threat of mutually assured destruction.
Huh? Germany surrendered before nuclear weapons were used in Japan. Germany surrendered 8 May 1945; Hiroshima was nuked 6 Aug 1945; Japan surrendered 15 Aug 1945.
Possibly Japan actually surrendered before 6 Aug; it wasn’t recognized until the 15th though.
Nah, that’s what happened but Japan was on the ropes already. It just would have been a much longer, much bloodier war.
Everybody always says that without any evidence anytime this comes up.
What type of evidence are you looking for? Every firsthand account of people involved in the decision makes it clear that:
They're perfectly capable of wanting to prevent an invasion and wanting data.
How about Eisenhower? I feel like this is fairly good evidence.
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/lesson-plans/re-thinking-dropping-atomic-bombs-lesson-2
Not who you're talking to, but I'd never heard his take on that before. Thanks for sharing it.
Most seem to agree that Japan had already lost before the nukes. Whether it would have been "better" than dropping the bombs and how long it would have taken is the bigger debate.
How far would Russia go once it turned its eyes on Japan? And once, or if, they began pushing the Japanese out of mainland Asia would that change US strategy?
How long would the Japanese populous endure famine and starvation before revolt? Would they even revolt?
Would the US do a land invasion after seeing how much, and how long, Iwo Jima and Okinawa took? Or just bomb and blockade?
Would any of the three even try and get the others to a table to negotiate some form of peace?
Who knows since it is all speculation.
The evidence is the positions of troops and assets of Japan and the US during that time. An invasion of the Japanese homeland was imminent.