Originally Posted by
Matra et Alpine
Folks, my comments about the egos who wanted things there way and ensured history was written that way is clear in all that has been wriutten and yet NOT the connection yo "the third way" . It was NOT *necssary* to invade Japan.
EXCEPT some felt they had to "punish" for Pearl.
The Army, Navy and Air Force all wanted different end games.
Politicians and allies wanted different end games.
and yet the stock answer is we saved lives by NOT invading.
Totally ignoring the overtures for peace, the ability to blockade !!
Also, lets not forget that there was uproar in the US at the high number of casualties at Tarawa. But less reported was that half drowned on the way in due to bad planning and then the land forces struggled with very few junior officers and senior NCOs and lack of tanks ( again part fothe bad planning ). SO some of the fear used to justify NOT invading weren't that valid really
I don't know if having the blockade instead of actually ending the war would have helped the issue. As soon as the Japanese lost in WWII the rebuilding process begins. Where as blockade would just drag on the suffering of the Japanese citizens for the incompetence of their nationalist governement. Military would still rule much of the country and whose to say they wouldn't suppress the national uproar that would inevitably happen, they did it in every occupied country in Asia.... And I am pretty sure if US didn't invade, Russia will......
University of Toronto Formula SAE Alumni 2003-2007
Formula Student Championship 2003, 2005, 2006
www.fsae.utoronto.ca