Enchilado! wrote: was the killing of 220,000 innocent civilians the correct response to this?
The "innocent civilians" did not exactly protest. They did over throw the government. They did not riot, they did not complain.
Those "innocent civilians" produced bombs, guns, and machines. Both cities where selected because of there massive manufacturing of military weapons.
But let us ignore this.
Let us look at the actual facts. Those "innocent civilians" produce an army that killed way over 4,000,000, yes 4 million, "innocent civilains" in china.
Let me restate that. From 1937-1945, the Japanese army rape, pillaged and murdered 4,000,000 Chinese. And indirectly caused the death of 16,000,000 Chinese.
Nagasaki was a major warship building city. Producing not only the biggest warship ever created but, by some estimates, 60% of all the ships in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The same navy that invaded and killed 4,000,000 Chinese civilians.
Hiroshima moved and shipped up to 90% of all the weapons, ammo, and parts for the Imperial Japanese army. It armoured, supplied, and supported an army that killed 4,000,000 Chinese civilians.
Roughly 70% of all the people, in the beginning of the war and 95% of the people towards the end, where directly engaged in the manufacture and production of weapons, armor, and machines that killed directly killed 4,000,000 Chinese civilians. Indirectly killed more then 16,000,000.
So, the real question is, was killing 300,000 civilians, in which the vast majority of them where engage in the military towards end, worth stopping an military force that killed almost 20 million Chinese?
Oh let me put it this way, Hiroshima, produced, manufactured, and shipped items that where used by Unit 731. Unit 731 killed more then 550,000 people by human experimentation. This included exposure to radiation, diseases, and physical disfigurement.
Is it worth killing 300,000 civilians, that where directly engaged and fully supported a military that ran Unit 731? A military unit that was responsible for the deaths of 550,000 victims? Is it worth it?
It was war, there is no good answers. The Japanese rape, pillaged and killed 4,000,000 Chinese because it could. It thought it was the way to win the war in asia.
Allies dropped a bomb on 2 cities. Because Allies thought it was a way to win a war.
Neither sided fully understood what it was doing until it was over and done with. That is the way of war.
Bottom line is. If Japan did not rape, pillage, and murder 4 million Chinese maybe the Allies would have not feared them so much. Maybe if Japan had not raped, pillaged, and murdered 4 million Chinese both sides would have more willing to talk and explain the issues better.
Japan raped, pillaged, and murdered 4 million people.
After that, the complete destruction of the Japanese war machine, and complete and udder surrender of the Japanese Military was the only way for the Allies to makes sure that Japan no longer posed a threat against the world and its own people.