How did the soviets joining the allies in world war II impact the bombings on Ja

Question:It had a pretty big impact, actually. We knew the Soviets were going to attack on the 8th, and as relations between the US and Soviets deteriorated in Europe, the US clearly wanted to end the war before the Soviets declared war, or failing that, to bring about Japan's surrender before the Red Army had occupied much territory.
If attempting to limit Soviet territorial gains wasn't a factor, why did we drop our entire available supply of bombs so quickly? The Trinity test was on July 16, and the planned invasion of Japan wasn't set to begin until November. Yet Hiroshima and Nagasaki had both been bombed less than a month after the successful test explosion. The only plausable explanation for the timing is that we didn't want to see Japan divided the way Germany was, and this was not an unreasonable concern on our part. The Soviets were planning an invasion of Hokkaido for the first week of September, so had Japan not surrendered when they did, there would have been a Soviet Occupation zone in Japan as well as in Germany. Given this possibility, why wouldn't Truman have done everything in his power to prevent it?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It had a pretty big impact, actually. We knew the Soviets were going to attack on the 8th, and as relations between the US and Soviets deteriorated in Europe, the US clearly wanted to end the war before the Soviets declared war, or failing that, to bring about Japan's surrender before the Red Army had occupied much territory.
If attempting to limit Soviet territorial gains wasn't a factor, why did we drop our entire available supply of bombs so quickly? The Trinity test was on July 16, and the planned invasion of Japan wasn't set to begin until November. Yet Hiroshima and Nagasaki had both been bombed less than a month after the successful test explosion. The only plausable explanation for the timing is that we didn't want to see Japan divided the way Germany was, and this was not an unreasonable concern on our part. The Soviets were planning an invasion of Hokkaido for the first week of September, so had Japan not surrendered when they did, there would have been a Soviet Occupation zone in Japan as well as in Germany. Given this possibility, why wouldn't Truman have done everything in his power to prevent it?

In what context do you mean? Do you mean we would have not dropped a nuke on Japan if the Soviets were not in the war? I seriously doubt it; the bomb was dropped to save the half million American lives it would take to invade Japan and fight their trained civilian army.

That did not affect the bombings on Japan at all. Russia had signed a truce with Japan several years before the atomic bomb was dropped, and had an agreement with the United States that when the treaty was up, Russia would declare war on Japan. Russia did not declare war on Japan until immediately after the second atomic bomb was dropped. This contributed to Japan's decision to surrender (as well as being being in a microwave).

Edit: The peace treaty with Japan expired shortly after the second A bomb was dropped. It was only a few days; maybe ten.

It promoted the use of the atomic bomb as to show American strength and deter the Soviets, as the Soviets were advancing into Japan and weren't afraid of risking soldiers.

It was taking advantage of a situation as their were generals in the US Military who said a military blockade would be sufficient - though time consuming.

The Russians entering the Pacific theater of the war was a factor, albeit a minor one, in deciding to use the atomic bomb. If they war had lasted another year the Russians may have occupied part of Japan and the country may have been divided like Korea and Germany.

As above, a small consideration.

It was by no means certain that the A-bomb would even work and many in authority thought it a waste of time.

The Battle of Okinawa (April-June 1945) was so bloody and prolonged that it caused a semi-crisis in the American leadership, given what it meant for an attack on Japan itself- hundreds of thousands of dead to force the surrender of a country that was finished anyway- but just wouldn't admit it due to a warped culture with a sick fetish about 'honour'.

This was 95% of the reason- the idea that this was irrelevant and some demonstration to the Soviets was the main reason is to give over to whacko conspiracy theories that are fun to imagine, but never grounded in fact.

It didn't. although it was in the same war. They were two different theaters of the war. European and Pacific. The Soviets had nothing to do with America's decision to drop the bomb.

by the the time the decision to drop the bomb was made the soviet army was the biggest army in history. with big ambitions to swallow up the rest of Europe. this is shown with the conquest of former Nazi territory in eastern Europe and not allowing these countries to choose there form of government or really be independent. Truman needed something to scare Stalin into submission and he found it with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to show america military might.

It didn't. The Soviet Union was neutral toward Japan until August 8, 1945, 2 days after the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Previous to August 8, bombers and their damaged in raids over Japan which elected to land on Soviet airfields were interned (not allowed to leave Russia).