| Description |
1 online resource (246 pages) : illustrations |
| Physical Medium |
polychrome |
| Description |
text file |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-237) and index. |
| Contents |
A war half won -- Images of the enemy -- How long will this war last? -- Visions of abundance -- Okinawa -- The sinister cloud -- Assault or siege? -- Unconditional surrender -- Resolution. |
| Access |
Use copy Restrictions unspecified MiAaHDL |
| Summary |
Almost forgotten in the haze of events following Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the summer of 1945 witnessed an intense public debate over how best to end the war against Japan. Weary of fighting, the American people were determined to defeat the imperial power that had so viciously attacked them in December 1941, but they were uncertain of the best means to accomplish this goal. Certain of victory - the "inevitable triumph" promised by Franklin Roosevelt immediately after Pearl Harbor - Americans became increasingly concerned about the human cost of defeating Japan. Particularly after the brutal Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns, syndicated columnists, newspaper editorialists, radio commentators, and others questioned the necessity of invasion. A lengthy naval and aerial siege would have saved lives but might have protracted the war beyond the public's patience. Advertisers filled the media with visions of postwar affluence even as the government was exhorting its citizens to remain dedicated to the war effort. There was heated discussion as well about the morality of firebombing Japanese cities and of using poison gas and other agents of chemical warfare. Chappell provides a balanced assessment of all these debates, grounding his observations in a wealth of primary sources. He also discusses the role of racism, the demand for unconditional surrender, and the government's reaction to public opinion in the decision to drop the atomic bomb. Compelling and controversial, this is the first work to examine the confusing and contradictory climate of the American home front in the months leading up to V-J Day. |
| Reproduction |
Electronic reproduction. [S.l.] : HathiTrust Digital Library, 2010. MiAaHDL |
| System Details |
Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL |
| Processing Action |
digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve MiAaHDL |
| Local Note |
eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America |
| Subject |
World War (1939-1945) |
|
World War, 1939-1945 -- Public opinion.
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Public opinion. |
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World War, 1939-1945 -- United States.
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Public opinion -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
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United States. |
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History. |
| Chronological Term |
20th century |
|
Geschichte 1941-1945. |
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Geschichte 1945. |
|
1900 - 1999 |
| Genre/Form |
Electronic books.
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History.
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| Other Form: |
Print version: Chappell, John D. (John David), 1961- Before the bomb. Lexington, Ky. : University Press of Kentucky, 1997 0813119871 (DLC) 96031070 (OCoLC)35262273 |
| ISBN |
0813170524 (electronic book) |
|
9780813170527 (electronic book) |
|
0813119871 (cloth ; alkaline paper) |
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9780813119878 (cloth ; alkaline paper) |
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