[Sangetsu]

Before anyone goes on about the necessity of dropping the bombs, or how many would have died had they not been dropped, just look at the casualty figures from Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Iwo Jima was a tiny island, yet nearly 7000 American soldiers died in the battle, and nearly 20,000 more were wounded. More than 20,000 Japanese died.

In Okinawa more than 12,000 Americans were killed nearly 40,000 wounded. More than 100,000 Japanese died.

Iwo Jima and Okinawa were not part of the "Home Islands", yet they were defended to the death.

When looked at this way, you can see how the US came to justify the use of the Atomic bombs. And you must also remember that with the defeat of Germany, the Soviets were on their way to make war on the Japanese themselves. The Russians were still ashamed of their defeat against the Japanese Navy earlier in the century, and they were hoping to avenge that defeat, and perhaps add yet another satellite to their union.

The US had no doubts about the Russian's intentions (after what was already going on in Europe), so the war had to be ended as quickly as possible.