re: #327 William Lewis

I’m sorry but even a cursory look at the historical record shows otherwise. Without the nuclear weapons use, Operation Downfall would have proceeded as preparations continud right up to the cease fire. There were too many years in the military who were barely willing to surrender at the Emperors order even after Nagasaki proved we had more than one super bomb. Had those attacks failed, the US would have invaded the south, the Soviet Union the north and very little of Japanese culture would exist outside of museums and cemeteries.

The intercepted communications showed Japan was not interesting in continuing the war and they wanted to surrender. America was not going to invade. Russia was, and Japan was afraid. thenation.com