Bombing of Japan: Post IV
Newman, Robert P. Truman and the Hiroshima Cult. Michigan State University Press, 1995. Pp. 274.
Robert Newman seeks to evaluate the arguments for and against the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and determine the strengths and weaknesses of opposing arguments. Newman analyzes the stance of those who rejected the military necessity of the bomb on the basis and perception that Japan’s surrender was pending. Such opponents of the bomb claim nuclear use was a display of might and racism. Newman evaluates President Truman’s reasons for dropping the bomb as well as arguments for Japan’s readiness to surrender. Also addressed are criticisms of unconditional surrender and using a second bomb. Newman believes Hiroshima cultists, those devoted to the anti-bomb argument do not evaluate the full picture of Japan and World War II, that such individuals focus only on the destruction. They fail to evaluate the impact of invasion, continued fighting, and determination of Japanese leadership, nor do they recognize Japanese awareness of what Newman refers to as reasonable Potsdam terms.
Hein, Laura and Mark Selden. Living with the Bomb: American and Japanese Cultural Conflicts in the Nuclear Age. New York: M. E. Sharpe, Inc., 1997. Pp. 300.
As part of a Japan in the Modern World series, Living With the Bomb is a collection of essays evaluating post-war sentiment and the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Japan. Authors included are John W. Dower, Yui Daizaburo, Michael Sherry, and others. Essays address controversies of commemoration and historical memory regarding which issues to highlight and which to ignore. Documented with government reports, secondary works, and personal memoirs this work is useful to an evaluation of post-war reaction and issues. Authors present historical events while offering supporting image and personal analysis.
Skates, John Ray. The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1969. Pp. 330.
John Ray Skates explains Operation Downfall, plan for Japanese invasion, citing logistical considerations as an issue hindering organization and other theaters of combat. Skates describes problems in the Pacific between 1940 to 1943 and the call for unconditional surrender of Japan. Skates details, individually, the strategies and accomplishments of six military leaders in the Pacific. According to Skates, World War II strategists gave little consideration to not using the bomb. In his opinion, it would have been cheaper and effective to invade Japan, forcing surrender. Analysis of possible results barring an invasion attempt is included. Also included are indications of a growing desire for peace in Japan, yet Skates declares it unacceptable by die-hard militarists. The work fails to give adequate attention to this influential group in Japan. Skates references records and documents of the proposed invasion of Japan, while also relying on secondary sources, news articles, and primary documents such as diaries and memoirs. It is a useful work for evaluating counterarguments to the decision to use the bomb.
December 07 2005 09:37 am | History and Ramblings
