Every August about this time there are demands for an apology from the American government for dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. An objective analysis of the situation in August, 1945 makes clear the only way Japan would have surrendered was through use of an atomic bomb or some analogous form of destruction. The Japanese army was determined not to surrender and meet American and British soldiers on the beaches of their nation. President Truman sent messages through several diplomatic sources urging Japan to surrender, but his efforts were rejected. Why the bomb is certainly a valid question?
1. The battle of Okinawa had resulted in American casualties of over 25,000 men in taking the island. In addition to over 75,000 dead Japanese soldiers, thousands of civilians were forced into death by their own army. The Japanese launched their Kamikaze suicide bombers at the American fleet and over 5,000 men were killed or wounded.
2. General Anami, head of the Japanese army, had gathered 5,000 Kamikaze pilots who were ready to kill themselves in order to protect their homeland. Their attack would have cost the lives of thousands of American and British soldiers.
3. General Anami had armed over two million Japanese civilians who were ready to make suicide attacks on Allied forces and the result would have been a massacre.
4. Russia had yet to enter the war which meant hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers would have been sent from the army in Manchuria to the mainland to assist in meeting an invasion.
5. After the first atomic bomb was dropped, transcripts of the Japanese Cabinet reveal that General Anami argued the war must go on. After the second was dropped, he argued the war must go on. Naval leaders wanted to surrender, but the Japanese army was determined to have millions die.
6. The Emperor made his famous tape recording announcing the surrender of Japan and Army officers attempted to kill the messenger who carried the tape to a radio station.
In other words, it was the atomic bomb which finally got Emperor Hirohito to take action.
The bottom line is Japan initiated a war, killed over 5,000,000 people in China, murdered thousands of American soldiers who surrendered, raped thousands in China and elsewhere, and refused to accept an offer to surrender until forced by the atomic bombs. No apology is due from any American leader. The apologies should come from the Japanese army and the family of dead Emperor Hirohito. The atomic bomb killed thousands of innocent people and saved the lives of millions of innocent people.