Was it necessary for America to drop the bomb on Hiroshima?

Question: Was it necessary for America to drop the bomb on Hiroshima!?
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There can be no definative answer to that question!. It is undeniable that the war with Japan ended earlier than it would have, but the Japanese were undoubtably defeated!. Many American lives may have been spared by the early end!. The Japanese would have continued to fight to the death, and were willing to sacfrice their own lives to continue to wrack havoc on American ships etc!. Japanese "Honor" would have forced the fight to continue!. If is stated that a demonstration of the A bomb may have been enough to convince the Japanese to surrender conditionally!. Know one will ever know!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am of the opinion that dropping the bomb ultimately saved lives and was, in that sense, necessary!. I've often wondered, however, about whether a little demonstration might not have done the trick too!.

The arguments against that option (ie, invite the Japanese to witness the obliteration of some uninhabited Pacific atoll, and then hand them a pen) are only arguably sound, it seems to me!. It is said that the demonstration option was ng because we only had two bombs, so why waste one (think about that reasoning), we'd look foolish if it didn't work, even if it did work the Japanese wouldn't have been impressed, and even if it worked the Japanese would assume we didn't have any more!. I've never thought that any of these arguments, individually or added together, were terribly compelling!.

The more disturbing thing about it, however, is the precedent set-----get the bomb, use the bomb!. Indeed, the first argument against the demonstration option was--why waste what might be a perfectly good WMD!? That's scary!. Looked at in this light, the old USSR, particularly, is to be commended for its self restraint!. I'm not sure the world can count on that kind of behavior in the future from all of the present day rogue nations, religious zealots, splinter groups etc!. That's scary too!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Japanese were prepared to fight to the last man woman and child according to their own admition!. The U!.S!. was unwilling to allow their empire to spring up and attack them again, so they demanded unconditional surrender from the Japanese!. Think about that!. The Japanese forced into indemnity!. That would never have happened without the A-bomb!.

Was it necessary!? Well, no not vitally!. It saved millions of American lives and probably millions of Japanese lives too!. If the war had dragged on for another six years, and there was another D-Day style invasion of Honshu, followed by another "Market-Garden" style stalemate along the Shinano; people would be asking if invasion was necessary!.

"Why didn't they just drop the bomb!?!" they would bleat!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Why wouldn't it be!? Conventional bombing had already killed more than what the nukes did!. Dead is dead and when you're in a total war, you tend to use all the weapons at your disposal!. The nukes caused a quick end to the war!. At the time, hundreds of thousands of young boys from America would've had to pay the price for an invasion!. What it necessary!?!.!.!.!.just ask the moms and dads of the time!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Probably not, due to the awful death and destruction in the home islands resulting from US air attacks!.In the space of six months, Feb!.-August, 1945,within the 66 largest Japanese cities about a 40% of houses and factories had been destroyed!. The Japanese economy had declined from its highest levels of production in 1944 to levels from 1/2 to 1/4 of that output!.

The civilian population in Japan suffered more deaths than the entire Japanese military force, about 100,000 more deaths!. The average caloric intake was down 25% from an already stringent food rationing system; the average Japanese ate about one-half the food eaten by US!.citizens !.

The plan of attack on the Home Islands had two components: first, destroy the cities, and then destroy the only transport system left, the railroads!. The US had estimated, rightly, that several months of sustained attacks on land and coastal transport would have turned Japan into pockets of isolated population, none of which could have feed, clothed, and housed itself!.

One of the grimest documents about the Pacific War is the US military's post-war study of the effects of the bombing campaing in Japan!.
http://www!.anesi!.com/ussbs01!.htmWww@QuestionHome@Com

The estimated US casualties with the already planned invasion of Japan was estimated to be 500,000!. We already had 500,000 casualties!.

The estimated casualties in the planned bombing of Tokyo was estimated to exceed our own casualties!. Hundreds of sorties were planned with 100s of bombers over Tokyo!.
I've never heard what our soldiers had learned about the Japanese preparations for war against the US!.
They had bunkers and weapons on some of the South Pacific Islands, FOR nearly 10 years before 1941!.
Before the invasion of Guadalcanal, the island was bombarded with 16" guns, for 30 days and 30 nights from battleships!.
When the Marines invaded, it was like nothing had been accomplished to weaken the enemy!. They were dug in so deep underground in concrete bunkers, the only damage was to vegetation!. (A close friend)
I could site other instances!. (My brother)

Emperor Hirohito had made it be known that they would never surrender and would fight to the last man!. (Civilians included)

The estimated casualties were far, far less on the two islands!. However, the US expected that Japan would evacuate those islands, after Millions of pamphlets were dropped for weeks, warning Japan that the two islands would be completely destroyed!. Japan paid no heed!.
Tokyo Bay was mined and fortified beyond belief!. Even subs would have not been able to penetrate without enormous casualties!.

President Truman was awake for 48 hours, consulting with all the military, weighing the pros and cons!.
His decision was the lessor of two evils!. Millions of casualties on both sides as opposed to a few thousands!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes!. It stopped the war and saved thousands of Allied lives, including that of my uncle, who was a prisoner of war working on the Burma railway, just about on his last legs and would almost certainly have died if the bomb had not been dropped!. i'm glad they dropped it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

My Dad had just finished three years fighting in Europe and was waiting to be deployed to Japan when the bomb was dropped!. Had he been killed fighting the Japanese, I wouldn't be answering your question!.

History has proven that dropping the bomb was the right decision!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It was not absolutely necessary !. Japan was not able to continue war alone as Germany already had already surrendered!. But America wanted to gain some points in II world war!. So they used A - bombs in Japan!. Very Very Very SHAMEFULL ACT on behalf of America!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It was the best available means of stopping the war and avoiding even greater casualties!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

YESWww@QuestionHome@Com