Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Planned invasion of Japan
From these bases Americans could fly and return with bombers to bomb Tokyo.
Because Japan had never been invaded before, men fought to the death and many committed suicide, so that no prisoners would be taken.
Fire Bombing (planned, strategic bombing on a city) of Tokyo after island is taken kills more people than the atomic bombs would. Considered a war atrocity.
Invasion of Tokyo was estimated 1 million American causalities.
Because Japan had never been invaded before, men fought to the death and many committed suicide, so that no prisoners would be taken.
Fire Bombing (planned, strategic bombing on a city) of Tokyo after island is taken kills more people than the atomic bombs would. Considered a war atrocity.
Invasion of Tokyo was estimated 1 million American causalities.
"The figure of roughly 100,000 deaths, provided by Japanese and American authorities, both of whom may have had reasons of their own for minimizing the death toll, seems to me arguably low in light of population density, wind conditions, and survivors' accounts. With an average of 103,000 inhabitants per square mile (396 people per hectare) and peak levels as high as 135,000 per square mile (521 people per hectare), the highest density of any industrial city in the world, and with firefighting measures ludicrously inadequate to the task, 15.8 square miles (41 km2) of Tokyo were destroyed on a night when fierce winds whipped the flames and walls of fire blocked tens of thousands fleeing for their lives. An estimated 1.5 million people lived in the burned out areas."
- Mark Selden, Japan Focus |
Subjunctive Question: What if America had used the Atomic bomb before bombing Tokyo? Could they have forced the Japanese to surrender without costing as many Japanese people their lives?
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