How influential were the atomic bombings?

[ignorantianescia]

Some time ago (I can't exactly remember when) I read an article in a newspaper about a book or article claiming the nuclear fission bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were far less influential than otherwise though to be. It was claimed there was evidence in the documentation of talks in the Japanese government regarding surrender. Instead the author asserts that the declaration of war by the USSR was the decisive factor.

Since this is clearly a very contrarian view, I was wondering what anybody else's thoughts are regarding this hypothesis. It seems to me that newspapers to tend to be liable to give discredited theories disproportional coverage (Galileo's trial for instance), so I'm not sure about it (and I am not able to assess it).

I couldn't find the newspaper article, so I'm afraid this will have to do instead:

csis.org/blog/how-influential-were-atomic-bombings-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-japanese-decision-surrender

This is the article by Ward Wilson:

belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/files/is3104_pp162-179_wilson.pdf

Here is an article by him about the lack of effect of nuclear deterrence:

cns.miis.edu/npr/pdfs/153_wilson.pdf

Background information about him on his blog:

wardhayeswilson.squarespace.com/about/

[James Hannam]

Hi there,

I've occasionally come across this idea and benefitted from Oliver Kamm of the Times who likes to go after this sort of revisionism. He's written a fair bit about it on his blog over years, sadly now behind the Times pay wall. But this post from a few years ago has lots of links, detail and quotations on the matter and might be helpful:

oliverkamm.typepad.com/blog/2007/08/still-more-on-h.html

Best wishes

James

[ignorantianescia]

Okay, that debunks a few of the assumptions of the kind of revisionism. I'll be reading some of the links in the blog later this week. Thank you for the link.

[rtaylor]

Just as a matter of interest, during the last world war, prayers where normally said before a mission, in an attempt to get God to aid the people involved and make the mission successful.
Where prayers said and Jesus's help asked for for this particular mission?
Are prayer said today for the success of missions in Iraq and Afganistan?