Figure 1.-- Those who criticize America for droppinhg the atomic bombs just ignore what would have happened id the War had not been ended in August 1945. At the topm of the list was cwhatv woiuld vhavev happened to nthe Amnerivcan and otherVASllied fiughting men in Japanese hands. About a quater oif thee POWs had already perished and the dedath rate was increasing because of abuse, starvation, and lack of medical care. Very few like the men here would have survived. These two Amertican POWs are being freed from Japanese captivity with their few possessioins at Yokohama. The American Mercy Squadron of the U.S. Navy reached them (September 11, 1945).

Assessing the decesion to drop the two atom bombs has to take in the time factor--what would have happened if thed Japanese had not surrendered in August 1945. The fundamental equation is that the Japanese lilled over 15 million people, mostly Asian civilians, BEFORE the bombs fell. And 0 people AFTER the bombs fell. It is impossible to get away from this fundamental equation. And the amount of time the Militarists were allowed to reman in power would result in millions of more deaths, And the number would increase the longer that they remained in power. One group of particular concern to us are the American and other Allied POWs. Aftr nearly 4 years of incareration, most were in in very poor health after nearly 4 years of abuse, limited food, aznd denial of even basic medical care. Many had already died. Few would hsave survived much longer if the war had not ended in August 1945. But the Allied POWs would have been a very small part of the resulting death toll. This included both deaths of peiole in occupied China and southeast Asia as well as Japanese military and civilians in the Home Islands. The Japanese wiuls have been free to commit atrocities in the areas they still occupied, but even more deadly would have been the expamding famines the Japanese had set in motion in the areas that they occupied. Even the Japanese soldiers were affected by the food shortages. Japanese soldiers in combat areas often began to starve becuse the Allies cut off supplies. In addition many Japanese island garrisons were starving. There were reports of canabilism. But it is on the Hinme Islabds wiuth the Joanese themselves that the death toll would have hugely escalated. An American invasion of the Home Iskands woukd have been a blood bath. Given what happened on Okinawa, the death toll would have been in the tens of millions. Most of those casulaties would have been Japanese, but also using Okinawa campign as a temmplate, the American death toll would have been huge, probably eqaual or more than the 0.4 million World War II deaths. And if that is not bad enough. Thd Japanese in 1945 were already sufferung terrible food shortages. Japn was not self-suifficednt in food priducioin and th merican naval blockade was preventing imports. Extending the War further would have meant famine and mass starvtion. And not only were imports being cut off, but the llied bombing was preventing distribution of what little food they had. And to make matters worse there was a significant crop failure developing.

Created: 5:43 AM 1/29/2022
Last updated: 5:43 AM 1/29/2022