As expected, there is a LOT of 20/20 vision going on after the fact, after the use of the first atomic bomb - few are stepping back far enough to see what was really going on…
The 135 days that led to the use of the first atomic bomb was only the process of the final decision - there were multiple events as well as decisions that were made that led up to those 135 days, and many historians are ignoring or are choosing to remain stupid about the months, events, and decisions leading up to those 135 days…
The Situation
On May 7th 1945 Germany surrendered, ending WWII in the European theater.
However, the Pacific theater was still fervently being carried on by Japan as the Emperor remained very adamant in fighting in spite of running very low on munitions, resulting in many of the Japanese troops fighting with bayonets, knives, swords, shovels, and bare-hands
Japan was on their own - there was no Axis power nor country that could provide support or even come to their rescue (though Italy did not surrender until September, they did not have sufficient resources for themselves never mind Japan).
FDR died in April which left all the Allies with no choice but to focus on what resources they had in hand, which included bringing Harry Truman up to speed on the Manhattan Project, something of which his previous office as Vice President kept him from knowing anything about due to the projects confidentiality.
Truman also learned that Germany had the potential to create an atomic bomb but details were still sketchy (the uranium mines in Czechoslovakia were overtaken by Germany earlier in the war) - by the grace of God, Germany surrendered 4 weeks after Truman became President, thereby squelching their capability of making an atomic bomb.
As a preview of what an invasion of the Japanese home islands might look like by the allies, the violent, savage, and brutal battles at Iwo Jima (February–March 1945) and Okinawa (April–June 1945) offered them more than enough of a picture..
Any Japanese person, including civilians, surrendering to the Allies would find their family dead at the hands of the government upon return as well as knowing full well they themselves would be executed - it was far better in the Japanese culture to die in honor of trying to save Japan than to try to live their lives out as a prisoner.
Which alls meant every Japanese person had one thing to do - keep Japan alive no matter what.
Yes the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were full of citizens but what work did the Emperor have them doing to keep Japan alive as long as possible?
They were, in essence a civilian workforce doing the only work that would assist in in keeping Japan alive - building military equipment.
They did nothing else save literally eat, sleep, piss, and crap - even if they got sick, they worked.
Only a few did not directly work in military equipment production so to provide a minimal means for the city to function like train and bus drivers, nurses, doctors, as well as resources for provision stores.
Given their rapidly depleting resources, Japan also did not have the means to maintain the minimal levels of a POW camp so any enemy they came upon had to be killed - no survivors were permitted, only an immediate - and very painful - death as they were bludgeoned with whatever means was available to an attacking Japanese soldier.
The projected loss of life by the Allies attacking Japan by conventional military means was fast approaching a million with a lower amount possibly injured for any that somehow survived.
All these factors - and others - remained a strong impetus to see the Manhattan Project through to its conclusion as the Japanese were very effective and efficient with their nontraditional means of warfare.
August 6th witnessed the first atomic bomb and despite leveling to the ground a city of 70,000 people the Emperor remaining adamant on fighting.
Hence the second atomic bomb on August 9th.
Nagasaki and Hiroshima were not the only such military work cities but there were among the largest - both cities were on a list of possible targets that would be finalized upon weather conditions once the B-29s arrived near and over Japan.
The Horrors of Atomic Warfare
As for the horrors of an atomic and hydrogen bombs, everyone is on the same page as the results are indisputable.
Death is immediate due to vaporization from the heat of the blast or from the percussion of the blast that results in organs being totally liquidized - destruction of all infrastructure is total.
Carefully planned strikes can wipe out a nation even continent and send the entire global community into scurrying for shelter for years, even a decade, from the resulting radiation fallout in the form of powder as well as rain.
Nothing from the surface will be usable - anything underground will eventually become contaminated to a certain extent, the closer to the surface the more likely it would be unusable for decades.
The aftermath of an atomic war will make so-called climate change advocates cries of the earth’s demise look pathetically out-of-place and totally mute.
Those that survive are doomed to a slow and agonizingly painful death - those that made it to a shelter that is geared tor this type of attack will most likely die without seeing the sun again. Their children will never know the world in which their parents once lived - IF the children make it out.
And yet, Iran and North Korea want to remain stupid about it all...
As they want to remain stupid, there will be hell on earth once again should they succeed.
Putin does talk atomic bombs but at least he is not stupid about them - and all of his talk (as well as actions that support his talk) has been as a retaliation not as a first strike.
The Double-Edged Sword
Like anything, atomic energy can be used to do a lot of good.
But, due to its nature it requires a LOT of care and safe-guarding.
One thing is for sure, no one nation will ever be able to legislate evil out of existence, that will only be accomplished one day by the good Lord above and in His time.
Anytime any civilization has tried to eliminate or legislate evil out of existence only saw their own end as doing so is evil in of itself.
There is a reason for capital punishment - it puts fear into the hearts and minds of those that want to do evil and yet we have those that are more concerned about an evil-doer's rights than that of the pain and death of those targeted by the evil doers.
Democracy will do that, it is a mob rule (50% + 1 is all it takes) - so won’t fascism, socialism, communism.
A Constitutional Republic on the other hand, never seeks equality with an evil doer - only dominance.
