Did the Japanese deserve the Atomic Bomb?

[Drew5233]

I tend to agree with you on the Russian and Japanese front (Probably because I don't know better)

However I'm not so sure Hitler would have. Mainly because he never used Gas on any populations. I guess though one could argue that he didn't use Gas because he feared the consequences of a Gas attack by the Allies and one is assuming here that the Allies would not have had an Atomic weapon.

Cheers
Andy

[Elven6]

Originally Posted by Drew5233

Mainly because he never used Gas on any populations. I guess though one could argue that he didn't use Gas because he feared the consequences of a Gas attack by the Allies and one is assuming here that the Allies would not have had an Atomic weapon.

Cheers
Andy

Personal trauma perhaps?

I think we can all agree the atomic bomb changed warfare as we know it, no longer is having the bigger army a advantage when bombs exist that can hinder entire armies in just minutes.

According to a few documentaries that run around the bombings anniversary, the safety of the Emperor was key. It's a shame to see how much Japanese culture changed after the end of WW2, fastest case of culture shock I've ever seen. Of course some could argue it was for the better, but it's hard to justify the loss of tradition and culture afterall.

[spidge]

Drew5233;168010]I tend to agree with you on the Russian and Japanese front (Probably because I don't know better)

I think you do know exactly what you are saying as Stalin would use any means whatsoever and the Japanese Military would have had no qualms whatsoever.

Hitler had lost the war and his vision for the 1,000 year Reich was in tatters. This would have won him the war. His biggest problem was how he was going to deliver it to the US cities. After obliterating the cities of Russia he may not have had a need to.

This was the best 10 billion $'s Roosevelt ever spent.

and one is assuming here that the Allies would not have had an Atomic weapon.

The "what if" is who had it first.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by eastsurreys

My father was a Pow in Thailand when the bombs were dropped. The Japanese military had issued a staement to all POW camp commanders that if the Japanese mainland was invaded all POws were to be executed.. I have a translation of the actual statement... There by the grace of God go I...

No doubt!

They murdered one in three POW's through torture, starvation and inhumanity so it would follow that retribution would not be difficult for them to deliver.

They murdered the civilian populace of their conquests (men, woman, children) without a thought.

[boykin530]

I haven't read all of the posts, but I doubt if anyone would say women and children "deserved" to be killed by the A bombs. It truly is a shame the Japanese military govt caused this to happen. If one is looking for blame, then it falls squarely on the Japanese people that were pro-war.

I see it as a no-brainer for Truman for all the reasons previous posters have already stated.

[Elven6]

Originally Posted by boykin530

I haven't read all of the posts, but I doubt if anyone would say women and children "deserved" to be killed by the A bombs. It truly is a shame the Japanese military govt caused this to happen. If one is looking for blame, then it falls squarely on the Japanese people that were pro-war.

I see it as a no-brainer for Truman for all the reasons previous posters have already stated.

The Japanese wanted war since Japan was for lack of a better term a "crap" place to be living at the time, they had trouble providing for the people. The invasion of China by the Japanese military meant they had more room to grow food, build necessities, etc. Even when the invasion of Japan seemed likely Women and Children where getting ready to fight, there is loads of footage available showing regular civilians being taught how to fight, I remember seeing this one documentary when the instructor was teaching women how cry for "help" to lure enemy soldiers near them and essentially behead them.

This concept is nothing new either, for women and children in Japanese society it was a disgrace to fall into the hands of the enemy, suicide was the alternative that was supported and deemed honorable. It's really fascinating to be honest, I don't think very many Japanese look at traditional elements in the light their grandparents may have. I guess because of Japanese isolation policies very little had changed over the centuries.

[Ron Goldstein]

Back in October 2007 an almost identically headed thread started on the another ww2 forum.

I looked back to what I had said to say on the subject at that time and I doubt if my opinion has changed at all since then.

"Unfortunately, when one is in the process of literally fighting a war for survival one does not have the gift of hindsight.

Consider then the situation with which we were faced in May 1945.

After six terrible years of deprivation and much loss of life the war in Europe had come to an end but we were still faced with the major problem of dealing with Japan.

Many families, including my own, had lost kith and kin.

Along came the Bomb with its promises of speeding the conclusion of the war and coping with a people who would never have considered surrender as it went against their very code of honour.

Was I personally glad that the bomb was dropped ?

You're damn right I was !

Do I think that everyone else thought as I did?

The same answer, in spades !

Ron "

[Elven6]

Originally Posted by Ron Goldstein

Back in October 2007 an almost identically headed thread started on the another ww2 forum.

I looked back to what I had said to say on the subject at that time and I doubt if my opinion has changed at all since then.

"Unfortunately, when one is in the process of literally fighting a war for survival one does not have the gift of hindsight.

Consider then the situation with which we were faced in May 1945.

After six terrible years of deprivation and much loss of life the war in Europe had come to an end but we were still faced with the major problem of dealing with Japan.

Many families, including my own, had lost kith and kin.

Along came the Bomb with its promises of speeding the conclusion of the war and coping with a people who would never have considered surrender as it went against their very code of honour.

Was I personally glad that the bomb was dropped ?

You're damn right I was !

Do I think that everyone else thought as I did?

The same answer, in spades !

Ron "

Well said Ron,

The Japanese were a new foe that because of their isolationist policies knew very little of the outside world, like wise the outside world knew very little of Japan. The Bushido code has always interested me, how people believed so deeply in it and over a few years began to largely resent it.

Perhaps we are still having this discussion because people have largely forgot the "impact" the Japanese had in the war? Looking back people consider the Japanese a "normal" rival, when in reality for those fighting against them it was a huge understatement. Because of this bias in the minds of many I bet people consider the atomic bomb was unnecessary and a normal invasion would have been just as effective if not more.

Also factor in, allegiance's(?) do change during a time of war (ask Italy ), a prolonged war may have caused a ally to become an enemy, something very few were willing to deal with.

[scleropages]

Japan deserved the bombs, totally. They invaded other countries and had no reservations in killing and torturing children and women. Civilians get killed in wars. Japan killed civilians in other countries. Japan deserved the bombs...both of them.

[Heimbrent]

Originally Posted by scleropages

Japan deserved the bombs, totally. They invaded other countries and had no reservations in killing and torturing children and women. Civilians get killed in wars. Japan killed civilians in other countries. Japan deserved the bombs...both of them.

How very smart... And how very lucky for the rest of the world that the Japanese were the only ones to invade other countries and kill and torture women and children and thus totally deserved the nuclear bombs...!