To be completely honest, I feel that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with the bombings of Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures were completely unnecessary.
Looking back, the Navy had more than enough resources to simply cut Japan off from the outside world. We could have let the Soviet Union mop up the remaining forces in Manchuria and mainland China, and just sat in the Sea of China (or Sea of Japan, whatever gets you off) shooting down planes and blowing ships out of the water until Japan hoisted the white flag.
The Soviets had plans to invade Northern Japan. Now imagine them setting up a Communist Regime in Hokkaido. Whats worse, Japan at the time was suicidal and their is no doubt that Japan would try and take as many of it's people with it if an Invasion came.
Too much Victims in this War.
Looking back, the Navy had more than enough resources to simply cut Japan off from the outside world. We could have let the Soviet Union mop up the remaining forces in Manchuria and mainland China, and just sat in the Sea of China (or Sea of Japan, whatever gets you off) shooting down planes and blowing ships out of the water until Japan hoisted the white flag.
Japan was a test-bed, there's no denying it.
Im still IN FAVOR of the bombs but those civilians were still victims.
One good thing that happened to Japan after the war was that American influence afterwards.