A full-scale invasion of Asia would result in not just the deaths of Allied troops, but potentially hundreds of thousands of innocent Asian noncombatants as well. Operation Olympic, a planned invasion of Kyushu set to take place in November, was anticipated to cost hundreds of thousands of lives. No other event is as inextricably linked to Truman’s legacy as his decision to use the atomic bombs, and 75 years later, there is still debate among historians over whether it was truly the best option left to end World War II.
Speaking to the American people via radio, Truman described the bomb as “harnessing of the basic power of the universe,” and swore that “we shall completely destroy Japan’s power to make war.” Though Truman hoped to avoid as many civilian casualties as possible, the loss of innocent lives was inevitable, and tens of thousands would die upon impact, with tens of thousands more dying from radiation poisoning and other longer-term effects. In the hours after Truman drops the bomb on Hiroshima, news reports begin to surface of “a city vanished.” Truman never regretted the decision, seeing the bomb as the quickest way to bring an end to the bloodiest war in history.
