Quote:
Originally Posted by afc wimbledon
With respect I don't know where you get those estimates from, they essentially are the estimates for the landing alone.
A study done for Secretary of War Henry Stimson's staff by William Shockley estimated that conquering Japan would cost 1.7–4 million American casualties, including 400,000–800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million Japanese fatalities.
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There were really three choices for the Americans and the effects weren't good in either of them.
Drop the Bomb force a surrender and demilitarization and culture change
Invade and see up to a million American's and more Japanese die during building to building fighting
Complete naval blockade and starve and freeze the Japanese into surrender.
The fourth choices is continue with a conventional bombing campaign and send Japan back to the stone age.