Enola Gay: Burnt flesh and other magnificent technological achievements

Merlin Dorfman wrote:
weary ) wrote:

: "Greg Hennessy" wrote in
message
: ...

....

: So what - the whole point of the discussion
is that an invasion was not
: necessary.
: Even the USSBS says that Japan would have
surrendered.
:
:
: Of course you will give us the precise quote
detailing when exactly *when*
: this would have happened and you also tell
us how this information was
: beamed back in time to allied planners taking
tough decisions.

: The US was well aware of peace feelers being
put out by Japan at least
: two months before the bombs were dropped..

Peace feelers, not surrender feelers.
Feelers for peace with
the following conditions:
- No occupation of Japan
- Japan to retain all its pre-1941 conquests
- War crimes trials (if any) to be initiated
and run by the Japanese
government
(and a few other conditions as well)
The United States was not interested in
peace under those
conditions.

Remember that none of those peace feelers had the full approval of the
Japanese government. The Emperor and the civilian members of the government,
along with Admrial Yonai, the Navy minister, wanted to accept unconditional
surrender, but the Army blocked any discussion of it. Add to that fear of
assassination by hotheads (a not unreasonable concern in Japan) and you understand
why these were peace and not surrender feelers.

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