General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This Is What It's Like to Witness a Nuclear Explosion [View all]Martin68
(28,305 posts)was stalling in negotiations and had no intention of surrendering. There was a fanatic belief that Japan should never surrender, and that it was honorable to die for the Emperor. An invasion of the Japanese mainland would have resulted in horrific fatalities. The invasion of Okinawa killed 12,500 Americans and 110,000 Japanese. I lived in Japan for 20 years and explored some of the miles of caves dug out along the coastline for the final defense of the Japanese homeland - by civilians as well as military personnel. The second bomb on Nagasaki persuaded the Emperor to surrender against the advice of his military chiefs. I've talked to Americans who were slated to participate in the planned invasion of the Japanese mainland. They are very appreciative of the use of the bombs. Remember, the death toll among Japanese would have been even higher than the US.