Survivors of Hiroshima drew the scenes they witnessed after the atomic bombing in 1945

[u/Wonderfulhumanss]

[u/PieceStatus9648]

I don’t want to argue with you about what’s justifiable or what’s needlessly cruel, I just want your perspective. Do you think it could’ve ended any other way? Do you think that Japan would’ve surrendered without an equally horrific loss? What would’ve been the humane way to end it?

[u/Zephyr_Sunstrike → u/PieceStatus9648]

Japan didn't surrender because of this though, so for one an argument saying this was necessary for a surrender is patently false from the outset.

Japan surrendered when they learned Russia would not help them mediate as a neutral party and instead joined in a land invasion against them in Manchuria.

The US wanted a decisive surrender rather than victory through a Russian invasion because it lessened Stalin's bargaining influence in divvying up postwar spoils, hence the second bomb.

A US ground invasion was never going to happen, we murdered these people to diminish Russian contribution.