“Truman had two choices: drop the two bombs or else abandon unconditional surrender as civilian policy governing the military. He was unwilling to drop unconditional surrender, just as Lincoln had been unwilling to drop it in the summer of 1864. So, he decided to escalate the war on civilians. The main criterion of conditional surrender for Japan would have been the maintenance of the Emperor’s formal control, at least officially, over Japan. That was exactly what Truman unofficially gave to Japan. American military forces did not bomb his residence during the firebombings of Tokyo. After the war, he was not removed from command.”
http://www.garynorth.com/public/14128.cfm
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