I think the main fact in the use of those atomic bombs was to get a message across to the Soviets and if not the world that the U.S. now had the trump card of power.

IMHO in regards to beating the crap out of the Japanese ... if the U.S. had not used the bomb and invaded Japan, I'm sure there would have been a coup (by the Japanese People) within Japan that would have disposed of the Imperial Household and the warlords ... bringing an end to the whole damned war.

biLL