Comment Re:This sounds dumb...but (Score 1) 488
According to the Atomic Bomb Museum in Hiroshima (and some of my own history research) one of the primary reasons for choosing Hiroshima was that the Japanese 5th Army was located there.
Add to that the fact that Mitsubishi had a production facility there didn't make it any less of a target.
The second target of Nagasaki was chosen in part because it was a major port city and because most of the major cities on the main island of Honshu had been destroyed by conventional bombs.
Kyoto was considered a target, but passed over due to its position as a historical center and as such it was not a priority - (much like Rome was protected in Italy). Beyond that, Kyoto was not a military target...there was no measurable industry there contributing to the Japanese war effort. Finally, Truman and his staff had the impression that an attack on this cultural center of Japan would only strengthen the resolve of the Japanese to continue fighting to the last man.
The timeline was accelerated from later in August to the first part of August due in large part to reports that Russia had decided to focus on the Pacific theater after the war in Europe had come to an end, and it's impossible to determine if Stalin would have shown restraint once the Russians crossed 400 miles of the Sea of Japan.
Truman made a decision based on the information he had at the time...a decision which has left an indelible impression on military strategies the world over for decades.
I'm not saying it was the right decision or the wrong decision, but he had to make some decision...and days later the Japanese signed a declaration of surrender which ended the war. Perhaps the war could have reached the same end, but it's doubtful that it could have been done in the same timeframe and with as few casualties as were incurred (to either side).
Add to that the fact that Mitsubishi had a production facility there didn't make it any less of a target.
The second target of Nagasaki was chosen in part because it was a major port city and because most of the major cities on the main island of Honshu had been destroyed by conventional bombs.
Kyoto was considered a target, but passed over due to its position as a historical center and as such it was not a priority - (much like Rome was protected in Italy). Beyond that, Kyoto was not a military target...there was no measurable industry there contributing to the Japanese war effort. Finally, Truman and his staff had the impression that an attack on this cultural center of Japan would only strengthen the resolve of the Japanese to continue fighting to the last man.
The timeline was accelerated from later in August to the first part of August due in large part to reports that Russia had decided to focus on the Pacific theater after the war in Europe had come to an end, and it's impossible to determine if Stalin would have shown restraint once the Russians crossed 400 miles of the Sea of Japan.
Truman made a decision based on the information he had at the time...a decision which has left an indelible impression on military strategies the world over for decades.
I'm not saying it was the right decision or the wrong decision, but he had to make some decision...and days later the Japanese signed a declaration of surrender which ended the war. Perhaps the war could have reached the same end, but it's doubtful that it could have been done in the same timeframe and with as few casualties as were incurred (to either side).
