I've commonly heard that the firebombings of Dresden were worse but this is only taught in US schools. In reality around 30k died in the firebombings while around 500k totally died by or because of the nukes dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I also have to ask why, the only thing left in the peace treaty was that the empereor had to step down, he refused but the Japanese army had already surrendered and retracted before this, the bombes were dropped and then the emperore still stayed on?
It stands to day as the most horrific act any nation has done to another nation considering the pre-bombing surrender.
That is the reality of it as reported by troops right before they were ordered to get out which reminds me of a situation i was in seven years ago.
does any one else find it amazing on how one bomb can just wipe out a fucking city in the blink of an eye. truly breathtaking.
And those are very small with respect to what we have now.
And those are very small with respect to what we have now.
i can only imagine
That's a pretty bold statement.
Lets take a look at what the Japanese were up to in Unit 731.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731
D:
Woah. Never heard of any of this. The Nazi's and their crimes get all the coverage in history books, whereas the Japanese get glossed over.
I don't think we read the same history books. My books told me that the Japanese were MUCH more brutal than the Nazis ever were. It's just a matter of quantity of people killed vs brutality of the killing.
Perhaps.
I haven't been in a history class in more than 5 years. So some details are hazy. I did know the Japanese were brutal, but they don't quite paint a lasting picture like they did to the Nazis.
I would have to side with you... I don't recall any history book I ever read in high school talking about that being committed by the Japanese.
D:
Woah. Never heard of any of this. The Nazi's and their crimes get all the coverage in history books, whereas the Japanese get glossed over.
That's a pretty bold statement.
Lets take a look at what the Japanese were up to in Unit 731.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731
Ask the Chinese.
I don't think we read the same history books. My books told me that the Japanese were MUCH more brutal than the Nazis ever were. It's just a matter of quantity of people killed vs brutality of the killing.
Unfortunately, Japanese were asking for it.
The war on their end was their choice. It was a totally unnecessary choice. IMO, Hirohito should of been hanged or his head should be chopped off.
P.S. Invasion of Japan would killed at least 5 million people, so 200k A bomb victims pales in comparison. Tragic - yes, but they were asking for it big time.
stfu. you have no idea what you're talking about.
The war was started by Japan, they committed the worst kind of acts possible on the Chinese, and a land invasion would have been horrible. Some estimates are as high as 1.2 million allied casualties.
I don't think that anyone is saying that turning civilians into glass is a good thing, but what should the US have done?
With the exception of Jews, I think this is true.
Can't find numbers right now, but iirc, death rates of POWs in Japanese camps was over 60%, in German ones it was... under 20%? Memory is a bit foggy here. I think the German rates varied quite a bit though. Russian POWs were usually worse off than Americans or Brits, and of course, they really had it out for Jews.
Probably pretty low German POW death rate for the ones shipped to North America. Some assholes got to work on farms in the prairies and go to town for a beer apparently. Russian camps probably made up for that though...
I don't think we read the same history books. My books told me that the Japanese were MUCH more brutal than the Nazis ever were. It's just a matter of quantity of people killed vs brutality of the killing.
In the U.S. our Jewish population is far more affluent and vocal than our Chinese populaton. Therefore the Nazi Holocaust receives far more attention in most U.S. public schools, textbooks and the mainstream media compared to the Japanese atrocities committed against the Chinese, or any other nation for that matter.
We revel in the idea that we "stopped Hitler" and saved all those Europeans, while most of us would have a hard time even differentiating between Japan and China, let alone identifying and caring about either nation. "Didn't we drop a bomb on them?"
Didn't we drop leaflets notifying the Japanese that the bombs would be dropped beforehand?
After Pearl Harbor, all bets were off. I have Japanese ties and am not sorry it was dropped. Hell, half of this country are driving Japanese cars anyway because the US helped them rebuild; I'd say it's win-win.