October 26th, 2008

it is estimated that as many as 140,000 had died in Hiroshima by the bomb and its associated effects,[1][2] with the estimate for Nagasaki roughly 74,000.[3] In both cities, the overwhelming majority of the deaths were those of civilians. Historian John W. Dower describes the bombings as nuclear genocide.[9]
The role of the bombings in Japan's surrender, as well as the effects and justification of them, have been subject to much debate. In the U.S., the prevailing view is that the bombings ended the war months sooner than would otherwise have been the case, saving many lives that would have been lost on both sides if the planned invasion of Japan had taken place.[4] In the rest of the world, the prevailing view is that the bombings were an unnecessary act of extreme violence, and that knowingly inflicting harm of this magnitude on civilians was inherently immoral. Some further argue that as Japanese civilian leadership was covertly seeking an end to hostilities, the end of the war could have been much less tragic.[5]