LogFAQs > #986785847

Jagus posted...

So you guys think the atom bombs led to fewer civilian deaths? Sorry if I misunderstood something, just delving into this topic for the first time.

im trying to see if the us had options that would have led to fewer civilian deaths than the atom bomb. Then Im trying to figure out the American soldier death toll of either option. Then Im trying to calculate what was most ethical. I dont know how to weight things though. Were WWII American soldiers drafted?

any help would be cool

It is possible the two nukes led to less civilian deaths. An actual invasion of Japan would have been a long and bloody affair, and at the time civilians were fanatical about the Emperor, so it's possible they'd get involved. That's why the bombs were dropped, to end the war quickly.

However, it is worth pointing out that at the time, no one knew exactly the horrific repercussions of dropping a nuclear bomb. Perhaps if the military leaders at the time knew the actual cost of dropping it they would have dropped it somewhere else less populated as a show of strength.