Bettie Stiletto
asked:
This book was readable, but seems to contain some serious misinformation. The authors stated that Japan was willing to surrender to the U.S before Fatman was dropped Rhodes "The Making of the Atomic Bomb." said otherwise. I researched it and seems that Rhodes has it right and there's no basis for the other claim. Does anyone have any other information? Can a Pulitzer be revoked, That's a major blunder. .
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American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,
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Grindy Stone
The authors stress that any Japanese willingness to surrender in the summer of 1945 was contingent on the Russians entering the Pacific War. If there were any clear diplomatic signals from Japan that summer, the Allies weren't likely to take them seriously. In retrospect those signals may be apparent, but the Allied decision makers didn't have the benefit of hindsight.
Eric
The contemporary statements of cabinet members, military officials, and civilian officials, along with Japan not surrendering until after continued U.S. air raids and the Soviet invasion are the basis for the claim. In the negotiations, Japan professed reluctance to unconditional surrender primarily due to fealty to the emperor. The subsequent U.S. concession on this point lends credence to the idea that this was not a real deal-breaker, as U.S. negotiators had insisted throughout.
I don't think it's a settled matter, but it is a long way from baseless.
https://www.thenation.com/article/wor...
I don't think it's a settled matter, but it is a long way from baseless.
https://www.thenation.com/article/wor...
Alexw
I completely agree that the author was undeniably wrong about Japan wanting to surrender before the A-Bombs were dropped. If Japan was willingly to surrender, then why wait until the second A-bomb was dropped?
The Japanese mind set of Kamikaze pilots diving into US Ships and suicide runs at the marines shows that dropping the A-bombs saved many American lives from having to invade Japan.
The Japanese mind set of Kamikaze pilots diving into US Ships and suicide runs at the marines shows that dropping the A-bombs saved many American lives from having to invade Japan.
Dan Walter
The claim that Truman dropped the bombs because Japan was ready to surrender is indeed a huge error. Numerous scholars and authors have debunked this notion. The book "Unconditional: The Japanese Surrender in World War II by Marc Gallicchio lays it out very clearly. That Pulitzer should definitely be revoked.
https://global.oup.com/academic/produ...
https://global.oup.com/academic/produ...
Sketchbook
Yes, bad error...I am reading now and came to dead halt w that line. I think the authors were too busy trying to put a good spin on ev'thing abt JRO.
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