Justifiable?

Lesson #5: Proportionality should be a guideline in war.
100,000 people in one night…gone…never to come back…
From a military standpoint
The firebombing of Japanese cities and the detonation of the two atomic bombs was justified.
Prior to the firebombing, the B-29’s were used primarily for high altitude bombing raids. The development of a high pressure cabin made it possible for bombers to drop their payloads from an altitude safe from anti-aircraft guns. However, since the bombs had to travel farther to hit their target, accuracy was compromised.
The solution
The function of the B-29 bomber was modified. To make up for the loss in accuracy, the airplane would now fly at a much lower altitude.
Important Fact
Most of the infrastructure of 1940’s Japan was built out of wood
The revolution
Introduce incendiary bombs that upon impact engulf the surroundings in flames. It would only take a spark here and there, and a whole city could go up in one night.
From a military standpoint, these modifications were genius. The increase in efficiency was astronomical. This type of strategy could be a potential war-winner (as it turned out to be)
One must understand that because of previous events in the war, (such as Stalingrad) nothing in war is guaranteed.
What did this mean?
The military had crippled the Japanese, but needed to deliver its final KO
Aka…The atomic bombs
Think of all the American lives we saved.
The Japanese were tenacious fighters, willing to fight to the death (Okinawa, Iwo)
An attack on mainland Japan would have been disastrous for American GI’s
The operation was a major success.
However, from a moral standpoint…
Who are we to say that our American lives are worth more than those of the Japanese?
((Alan))