Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » Harry S. Truman had 4 options. He chose the one that would end the war. Pragmatic tragic but it worked. Do you fault him?
RosieG

Harry S. Truman had 4 options. He chose the one that would end the war. Pragmatic tragic but it worked. Do you fault him?

The 4 options Truman had vis a vis the war

Continue conventional bombing of Japanese cities
Invade Japan
Demonstrate the bomb on an unpopulated area
Use the bomb on a populated area

He chose the latter option and the rest is history

Doing that took a lot of lives. Did it save more than it took?

Posted - April 22, 2021
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Responses


  • 32663
    Yes it did.

    Saved millions of lifes on both sides.  
    Japan was not going to surrender.  But between the bombings that killed hundreds of thousands and Russia declaring war as well. 
    They did surrender. If nothing else the bomb gave them cover for their surrender. Either way a ground invasion would have killed millions on both sides.   This post was edited by my2cents at April 22, 2021 3:54 PM MDT
      April 22, 2021 4:47 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your reply m2c. So you favor the decision Truman made.
      April 22, 2021 6:00 AM MDT
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  • 32663
    Yes. Saved millions of Allied and millions of Japanese lives. 
      April 22, 2021 6:36 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your reply m2c. Sbf disagrees. It happens.
      April 22, 2021 7:52 AM MDT
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  • 32663
    A lot. LOL. 
      April 22, 2021 8:19 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    :)
      April 23, 2021 2:09 AM MDT
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  • 16240
    Not at all, Hirohito was on the verge of calling it quits anyway and the Peace Party was in the ascendancy. They were more scared of the Soviets than the Americans were (given the proximity of the Kamchatka peninsula to the home islands), all that was necessary was the blockade the islands (a joint US/USSR fleet had more than enough naval might do do that) and issue an ultimatum. A firestorm a la Essen and Dresden (and use a nuke in an uninhabited area as a demonstration), a Japanese Soviet Republic, or surrender. They'd have capitulated. Sieges without hope of succour usually work.
      April 22, 2021 5:01 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Whatever else you are m'dear you certainly are a very nifty HISTORY BUFF! Who needs books when we have you at our disposal? I'm kinda serious here. You didn't live through it. You aren't old enough.. You had to read about it. I lived through it though I was a young girl and didn't know from anything about anything politically. You're an Aussie. Me I are American. You dance circles around me all the time about our history. I do not KNOW how you do it but I appreciate it bigly. I learn a lot I didn't know. It used to embarrass me but now I am too old to be embarrassed so not any more. You as president would NOT have chosen that option. Oh. I have a question about that. The repercussions of radiation damage. Stay tuned. Thank you for your helpful and informative reply R! :) This post was edited by RosieG at April 22, 2021 3:55 PM MDT
      April 22, 2021 6:07 AM MDT
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  • 16240
    Truman can't really be held accountable for radiation damage, nobody knew much about it at the time (American scientists were conducting some very dubious experiments into the effects of radiation on his watch, particularly on the handicapped and prison populations, but it's unlikely that the President was aware of it). He was aware of the destructive potential of the bomb, and that any city hit by it would be annihilated.
      April 23, 2021 3:13 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Something else I did not know. Well not knowing the extent of damage inherent in radiation because there was nothing with which to compare it makes it somewhat less heinous a step in my opinion. It would be swell if we could always foresee "what comes next" BEFORE we do things. If there were possible and Truman could see I wonder if he would NOT have ordered it done? We never can know the answer to that WHAT IF. You don't get do-overs except in fantasy and imagination. Which brings up a question I shall ask straightaway. Thank you for your reply R! :)
      April 23, 2021 3:24 AM MDT
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  • 1364
    If we wish to talk about the hypothetical amount of (soldiers') lives spared, I don't think we should de-emphasise that the U.S. chose to kill some 200,000 civilians. So, no, I can't be in favour of that decision.
      April 22, 2021 5:32 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your reply DG and Happy Thursday to thee and thine. :)
      April 22, 2021 5:59 AM MDT
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  • 13257
    hypothetical amount number of lives...
      April 22, 2021 10:16 AM MDT
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  • 44228
    Truman's middle name was S...It was not an abbreviation of another name. Note that it took two nukes to get them to surrender. They had the opportunity to quit after the first one.
      April 22, 2021 3:58 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    I read that Truman ordered one dropped and I think waited over a week to order the drop of a second one.  So there was that window Japan had to surrender after the first one. The US is the only country SO FAR to use nuclear weapons. I'm not sure if others will futurely use them. I mean why enrich uranium and keep testing long-range missiles if you don't plan to use them EVENTUALLY? Just to scare others? To use as a deterrent? It's scary. Thank you for your reply E! :) This post was edited by RosieG at April 23, 2021 8:14 AM MDT
      April 23, 2021 2:14 AM MDT
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  • 16240
    Three days. August 6th and 9th. Hardly enough time for the Japanese to fully understand what the hell hit them.
    Japan was not self-supporting, hunger would have been enough leverage had it been besieged.
      April 23, 2021 3:18 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Right and communication wasn't like it is these days. Via the internet it would be known worldwide in seconds. Have you ever wondered what would have happened had Truman NOT taken that route? Thank you for your reply R! :)
      April 23, 2021 3:21 AM MDT
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  • 32663
    There was one mile radius of total destruction....they knew whatever hit them was bad. No need to fully understand it.  They could see the damage. 
      April 23, 2021 6:46 AM MDT
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