Bomber Harris Interview on TV (merged - AGAIN!)

[Pontius Navigator]

So Eisenhower preferred to invade Japan rather than force a surrender by use of the Atomic Bombs? I had no idea...

Did he?

I [Eisenhower] was one of those who felt that there were a number of cogent reasons to question the wisdom of such an act.

Really? I would have been astonished if he had given

a vigorous assent

. Any thinking military commander would be negligent if he didn't have cogent reasons to question the wisdom of any courses of action. Remember too, Eisenhower was SACEUR, he had not fought a war in the Pacific.

While it was true, when MacArthur wanted to use atomic bombs against the Chinese Truman refused permission but Eisenhower didn't turn away from nuclear weapons himself when he became President.