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Quote from President Truman's Personal Journal July 18,
1945:
"...Stalin had told P.M. of telegram from Jap Emperor asking
for peace. Stalin also read his answer to me. It was satisfactory. Believe Japs
will fold up before Russia comes in..."
Photocopies of the journal pages are in Technology Review,
August-September 1990.
The use of the atomic bomb did not end the war! It was
essentially over. There was not going to be an invasion of the Japanese
Homeland.
The purpose of Truman's using the atomic bomb was to avoid
having to share hegemony after the war with Stalin.
The arguments that the preparations for the invasion were
still going on are correct. There is no need to stop the show until the papers
are signed. This is good strategy.
The dislike of Stalin by Truman is the reason he wanted to
have control over Japan at the end of the war. The previous page in the journal
talks of dividing up the colonies and mandates of Italy, which Truman would have
to share with Stalin (and possibly the British).
July 18, Truman told P.M. (Winston Churchill) of the success
of "Manhattan". Truman was out to make certain that Japan surrendered to him
before Russia attacked Japan from the Northwest.
The above is not revisionist history. It is from Truman's own
hand. The revisionist history is that it was necessary to drop the atomic bombs
to avoid an invasion of Japan and end the war.
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Personally, I also think that the "We have it so let's use it
and see how it works." thoughts entered into the decision.
Michael Kay
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