General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What the Oliver Stone docu says about the nuclear bombing of Japan is... [View all]GreenStormCloud
(12,072 posts)Ike decided not to push for Berlin. He stopped and let the Russians pay the blood price for Berlin. Indeed, the Russians fought the bulk of the land war against the Nazis. To you really think I didn't know that?
The Russians were not included in Operation Downfall, which were the plans for the invasion of Japan. Nor were the Russians capable of launching an invasion of Japan on their own. They didn't have a navy, nor did they have any seaborne logistical transport. WWII for them was a land war. They could not afford to waste resources on a navy. They needed an army and air force to fight the Nazis so that is what they built.
The Japanese Emperor Hirohito, in his surrender speech of Aug 15, 1945, credits the A-bombs as being the reason why further fighting by Japan would be futile.
The enemy, moreover, has begun to employ a new most cruel bomb, the power which to do damage is indeed incalculable, taking toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, it would only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation . . . but would lead also to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are we to save millions of our subjects, or ourselves, to atone before the hallowed spirits of our Imperial ancestors? This is the reason we have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the joint declaration of the Powers.
http://www.japanorama.com/surrendr.html
You will understand why I choose to believe the Emperor, regarding why he was surrendering, as opposed to revisionists. Especially when revisionists can't even get the most basic facts right about the Russian capabilities against Japan. Russia could have occupied Manchuria, China, Korea, and maybe Indochina. Those had already been cut off from Japan by the U.S. Navy. But Russia could have done very little against the home islands.