My traditional (and btw correct, lol) view on this...
While the dropping of the bombs had OTHER advantages (scaring the Commies, mostly) I firmly conclude it was dropped for the reason given: to attempt to end the war ASAP. It CAN be argued it was a terrorist act (a charge) because it WAS meant to be psychological; in reality, the fire bombing already happening killed more people and destroyed more stuff than the Bombs did - but there was a psychological impact of those two attacks that was unmistakable - one plane, one bomb, HORRIFIC and instant destruction.
While in RETROSPECT it seems Japan may well have been close to surrendering anyway, I think the case has not been made that Truman knew that (or believed that) - indeed that anyone in power did. The whole war.... and everything we knew about Japanese culture and leadership at the time.... suggested Japan was ready to take things to the homeland for a LONG, TERRIBLE urban war that could result of millions of deaths (the vast majority, Japanese). Preporations for this were TOTALLY under way and the civilian population had been trained for this for many months. The USA desired to END this immediately. Not only to save millions of lives (most Japanese) and preserve some of the infasctructure, but also because Americans had tired of things and especially after the end of war in Europe deeply wanted an immediate end to hostilities with Japan.
The Bomb had been developed because we thought (wrongly, we learned even before the end of the war with Hitler) that Germany was developing one.... and because all knew it was possible; we wanted to have one BEFORE Hitler (and maybe even Japan and the USSR). I've read several books about the Manhattan Project.... the development DID of course end up with a Bomb -but it proves to be FAR more difficult and FAR less practical than had been anticipated, and of course wasn't ready in time for use in Europe (by then we knew Hitler had realized the difficulty and impracticality LONG before we did - and gave up). But we had it ready for Japan, so the focus changed. Here was a (mostly psychological!) weapon that just MIGHT cause the Japanese leadership (we knew was very divided) to choose peace.
There was another issue NO ONE saw coming..... the USSR. Suddenly and without warning or notification, the USSR entered the war against Japan, FLOODING into China is a mad dash to gobble up land, quickly - very quickly - heading toward Japan. What we did NOT want was the "mess" we had in Europe after the war - with communist Russia a part of land grabs and power sharing. Japan didn't want that either! Some argue that what lead Japan to surrender was less the Bomb than it was the USSR's sudden and dramatic entrence into the war - it feared Russia far more than the USA. Either way, these both happened very suddenly and (probably by coincidence, I firmly believe) at the same time. However much "credit" you give to these two things.... and the division within Japanese leadership..... the result was surrender and the end of the war in the Pacific.
It's always EASY to come to different views IN RETROSPECT. It could be Japan would have surrendered before a land invasion anyway but we didn't believe that AT THE TIME. It could be argued that American should never have used such a POWERFUL, HORRIBLE weapon (and it certainly BECAME that!) but it should be remembered, we didn't know all about the radiation problems and those two bombs were less destructive, less deadly than the fire bombing we were doing. We didn't drop the Bomb because of their destructive force (they in fact were very, very impractical weapons at that point) but because of the shock value. Yes.... soon..... enormous "advancements" were made in this technology and we always think in terms of what the Bomb became - rather than what it was and how it was viewed at the time. I need to add that there WERE scientists - several - in the Manhattan Project who realized its POTENTIAL and did sue strongly to not use it, but these were issues Truman and the Military did not bring into consideration; they were dealing what what IS rather than what in time COULD BE. Again, it's easy to rebuke in hind sight - but I think if we place ourselves in the moment, in THAT time and place, the "traditional" views make perfect sense and no "conspiracy" need be embraced...... they may WELL have made a mistake, of course, but it is MY conclusion (after reading several books on this) that Americans did what they felt would save MANY lives - most of them Japanese - and would do FAR less damage than the alternatives. And at least immediately, saw a secondary advantage: USSR was "cut out" of the peace, today Japan is a free democratic nation and not like what happened in the Eastern Block or in China and Mangolia and North Korea.
My view.
- Josiah
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