Hiroshima 70 years ago

[vorlon13]

Pyrrho

In the prevailing conditions in Japan in 1945, when most military installation accessible to pin point strike from off shore has already been destroyed, yet japan's will to resist appear to be unbroken and Japan's ability to resist still appeared considerable, it was not possible to not hit japan in ways that would hurt, and it was not possible to hit japan in any way that would hurt that does not involve hitting mostly civilians.

If the U.S. had actually cared whether thousands of Japanese civilians died or not, they could have told the Japanese that the U.S. had such a bomb and suggested demonstrating that it worked, without blowing up cities.  But the simple fact is, the U.S. did not care about the Japanese people, and were totally okay with using them in a demonstration.  That is why "virgin" targets were selected.  And they were "virgin" targets because actual military targets within range had already been attacked.

(I had some problem with the quoting, if I screwed it up, I'll attempt to fix it)


The 'weird logic' of nukes (watch Dr. Strangelove for a refresher) precluded the issuance of a warning, or a demonstration.  It was discussed to blast the top off Mt. Fuji prior to attacking a city.  The 'problem' with that sort of demonstration is if it is announced beforehand, and for some reason (weather, technical issues with the 'Little Boy' gun type weapon (never tested before it's use, BTW) or if by chance Japan, having been warned, might succeed in shooting down the plane carrying the bomb prior to it's getting to the target) the US would have then emboldened Japan to persevere in it's resistance from a failed or thwarted demonstration.  Shooting down the plane carrying the bomb also presented a small, but real risk, of an intact, or salvageable nuke winding up in Japanese hands. (Don't kid yourself about what they would not have done with one)

Japanese scientists prior to the war considered the possibility of a nuke but concluded it was not feasible for Japan, or significantly, any adversary, from completing one before the end of the war, so there was barely a Japanese nuclear program at all.  IIRC, they had a cyclotron, but with war time shortages, they did not have the appropriate vacuum tubes to operate it at full power.  Still, the Japanese scientists (not the general public however) recognized a nuclear device had been used on them, and were able to communicate that to the military leadership, and they were able to explain it the emperor, and he cited the bomb in his until then unprecedented speech to the Japanese people announcing he would surrender. The Japanese people were ordered by the emperor to lay down their weapons and endure anything that was going to be meted out to them as a result of their failing to win the war.