Should the U.S. have used atomic bombs in Japan? This is a question that historians continue to analyze today.
It is often mentioned today the use of atomic bombs was unnecessary in World War II. Recently, frequent arguments include Japan being on the verge of surrendering or the U.S. pushing them into war by exploiting trade relations.
First, it is entirely correct that the U.S. restricted trade with Japan (and there is a reason for it). The truth is tension started in the mid-1930s while Japan was expanding its empire in China and Eastern Asia. The U.S. gave the Japanese multiple warnings to end their attacks on China. Trade agreements were reworked, and the Japanese failed to keep the promise. They continued their Asian expansion, attacking the Chinese.
Hence, restrictions were then put in place, notably on oil. In fact, the U.S. had blood on its hands. They unintentionally assisted in the Asian massacre. Not only did they supply Japan with gasoline, but they also provided military equipment due to trade agreements. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew he needed to cease such trade pacts. Several U.S. Senators spoke out against the aggressive expansion of the Japanese, threatening to cut trade. The U.S. was not alone; the Netherlands, Australia, and England all put trade restrictions on Japan.
Following the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, prominent Christians like John Sampey (Southern Baptist Convention) acknowledged the U.S.'s inadvertent role in aiding the Japanese occupation of China, particularly concerning oil distribution. He further alluded to the fact that the U.S. was simply unprepared and was naïve in its relations with the Japanese.
Regarding the atomic bomb, Japan was not close to surrendering. This is an argument that some recent historians have made. It has been proven false.
Two key battles are always important to study: Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
The Japanese were a fierce fighting force and would not surrender. They were taught to fight until the end, as evident in the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Like at Pearl Harbor, kamikazes were a regular occurrence. The allied troops outnumbered the Japanese forces 3 to 1. The battles were expected to last days; they ended up lasting weeks or months. [1]
An interesting fact: In World War II, U.S. pilots often used parachutes when shot down by enemy fire. The Japanese mocked the U.S. pilots and explained they would never use parachutes yet would crash their plane into enemy forces, killing as many people as possible, including themselves.
When American troops landed, the Japanese would frequently fake surrender only to detonate explosives, aiming to kill as many Americans as they could.
Upon the U.S. arrival in Okinawa, Japanese civilians, including mothers, chose to jump off mountains with their babies rather than surrender to Allied forces. Civilians, including cooks and teachers, engaged the U.S. troops while then killing themselves instead of surrendering.
Their commander, Mitsuru Ushijima, ordered all his troops to fight until the end and never surrender to the American forces. It was taught that if one were to surrender, it would be a dishonor to their imperial nation and the Emperor himself.
Once it was evident that the U.S. was going to win the Battle in Okinawa, Ushijima stabbed himself in the abdomen and ordered a Japanese soldier to behead him.
President Harry S. Truman realized the invasion of Japan would result in thousands of deaths. Sadly, from his perspective, the atomic bomb was crucial in preserving American lives. Tokyo experienced the most loss of life (more than Hiroshima & Nagasaki). B-29 bombers bombed them. Ultimately, 800,000 people died from these bombing raids, which caused “firestorms.”
In closing, the Japanese viewed Emperor Hirohito as a deity (god). They were shocked that they lost the conflict upon the war's end. Japan had never lost a war and felt this was impossible as a god led them.
An interesting note from President Jimmy Carter:
We were again at sea about a year later, when we sat on deck and listened to President Truman’s nasal voice announce over the loudspeaker that a formidable weapon had been dropped on Hiroshima and that he hoped this would convince the Japanese to surrender. All of us agreed with his decision, because it was generally believed that 500,000 Americans would have been lost in combat and many more Japanese killed if we had invaded the Japanese homeland and it was defended with suicidal commitment by Japanese troops on the ground. We were disappointed when we didn’t return to port in time to join the celebration when Japan surrendered just a few days later. [2]
In the end, over 800 Japanese officials were executed for war crimes. Emperor Hirohito worked with General Douglas MacArthur to determine who would be charged with such crimes. Why wasn’t Hirohito charged? MacArthur explained to Truman the people viewed him as a god. MacArthur emphasized keeping Hirohito in charge would be better for the Japanese people.
[1] David M. Kennedy, The American People in World War II, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 409.
[2] Bill O’Reilly, Killing the Rising Sun (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2016), 296.
