In 1945, what concern did the Allies have about invading the Japanese mainland with ground forces?
1 Answer
They were worried about excessive loss of life due to Japan's militarism.
Explanation:
The militaristic culture of Japan meant that surrender for them was not an option. Such militarism was reflected both in the brutality shown by the Japanese to those they occupied as well as POW's, and in their defence of islands as the Americans advanced.
As the Americans occupied island such as Iwo Jima, Guam and Saipan they met with suicidal resistance. On Saipan, Japanese women threw themselves off cliffs with their children, despite the pleadings of US marines.
The use of kamikaze pilots was another example of Japan's mentality. The word means heavenly wind and refers to the destruction of a Mongol invasion fleet by a typhoon. This reflected the fact that Japan had never been invaded.
This was the culture faced by the USA when considering a land invasion. The decision was therefore taken to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender.
