Question

Which of the following was the most likely reason President Truman decided to use atomic bombs against Japan?

A. The war was going poorly in Europe, so he needed to end the Pacific war quickly.
B. He had an agreement with the Soviet Union to use advanced weapons to end the war quickly.
C. He feared the loss of life that would be involved in a conventional invasion of Japan.
D. He wanted to punish the Japanese people for the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Answer 1

C. Japan had no culture of surrendering to the enemy. It was seen as a disgrace. Invading the Japanese homeland would have had very high casualties.