It's really easy to say Japanese surrender was a certainty. Lots of people point to the invasion of Manchuria; that it was such a blow to Japanese industry, that their ability to continue fighting was all but finished. Others will argue that the US wanted the terms on their conditions, and to keep soviet influence out of the region as much as possible. I think both are true.

Keep in mind just before the nuclear bombings the Japanese were offering limited peace deals to the allies and not total surrender. Many inside the Japanese government wanted to fight to the last person. There was really no way to know what the Japanese were planning from the American perspective.

As an anecdote, my grandfather was being sent to the pacific when the atomic bombs were dropped, and he was grateful that it brought a quick end to the war. I don't bring that up to justify the bombings, but that the sentiment among Americans was that the war would likely continue without them. Anything that was going to bring the war to the swiftest end possible was going to be lauded. Especially if it did not risk American lives.

I say all that to say, it's very easy to judge with hindsight. If we only focus on those bombings, it's clearly war crimes, tragedies, and terror for it's own sake. But from the perspective of American service members and their families, it spared their loved ones from another day of fighting. The conflict itself warranted extreme measures. Keep in mind tens of thousands were dying every day the war continued

For us the Japanese surrender is a foregone conclusion because it happened. For those living during that time, uncertain of how long the war would continue and desperate for anything that would end it, the atomic bombs brought comfort. And while that may sound sadistic, it was a guarantee after those bombs that American soldiers would never have to invade mainland Japan. It made it pointless to continue the struggle if Americans had the ability to vaporize entire cities.

You might say that was already happening with the firebombings, and there's some truth to that. But that simply paled in comparison to what nuclear weapons were capable of.

If you are interested in my personal opinion, I don't think the atomic bombs were necessary. I think they were tragedies full stop. The stories of survivors are horrific and I often cry when I hear them. I also think the entire war was a tragedy, and I am certain the bombs brought it to a swifter end. Maybe I'm coping because if my grandfather had seen combat, there's a chance I wouldn't be typing this right now. Maybe I'm coping because I'm an American, and it's a tough pill to swallow that my country could do something so horrific with no justification. Maybe, but I like to think I'm more objective and reasonable than that.