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Position:Home>History> If Franklin Roosevelt lived, would the US still have won the war in Europe/JapanQuestion: If Franklin Roosevelt lived, would the US still have won the war in Europe/Japan!? Well all know Truman ended the war with the nuclear attacks in Japan, but if Franklin Roosevelt survived, would he have done anything different with the US Army led by Eisenhower/MacArthur that would've resulted in the US and allies losing the war (in Japan probably)!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Roosevelt was a little smarter than Truman, but I'm guessing he would have used the Atomic Bombs just as quickly as Truman did!. Perhaps Roosevelt would have pushed harder for a political end to the war - but it's hard to say!. We probably would never have actually lost the war with Japan - but had we not had the Atomic Bombs, we would have attacked Japan - put guys ashore!. Estimates ran to a Million Americans dead if we took on Japan toe to toe!. In all of WW 2, the US lost nearly 400,000 guys - but we could have lost 2 1/2 times MORE had we attacked Japan itself!. Japanese are tough guys - they wouldn't give up and they didn't seem to care if they were killed!. That's a dangerous enemy!Www@QuestionHome@Com Unlikely!. The US military directed the US war effort and Roosevelt did not micro-manage the war (unlike Churchill, Hitler, Stalin)!. The war in Europe was already virtually over when he died- it could be argued that if he had been in better health at Tehran and Yalta he might have stood up to Stalin better, but really he never appreciated Stalin's intent whatever health he was in!. Japan lost the war in June 1942 (Midway), and by late 1943 utter defeat was only a matter of time!. Roosevelt almost certainly would have approved use of the A-bomb: he spent so much time and money developing it, and the moral aspects of its use were only abstract ideas in 1945!. The excellence of the US system was demonstrated by the smoothness of the transition to Truman, and the consistent policy approach!.Www@QuestionHome@Com The war in Europe was over when FDR died!. The Pacific War was essentially won as well when FDR died!. American troops were securing Okinawa Island off the coast of Japan, and Japan's navy had already been destroyed!. The Japanese lost the carrier war at Midway and lost the remainder of their fleet at Leyte Gulf!. The real question was what to do after Okinawa!. Given that FDR had authorized and created the the Manhattan Project, it is likely that he would have dropped on Japan, but even if he didn't, the Japanese could not have defeated the allies!. The only thing they could have gained by not having the atomic bomb dropped, was lengthening the war!. Japan would have been defeated, but it would take until 1946-47 until US troops could take the southern home islands and the Soviets would have likely also taken Hokkaido as well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Stephen, Hitler and Roosevelt died within two weeks of each other!. The war in Europe was already over, the Nazis just wouldn't admit it!. Once air superiority was won (not until late Feb of '45) then the tactical aircraft (P-51, P-47, etc!.) were turned loose from bomber escort to the task of attacking Germany's infrastructure, then the war was as good as over!. As far as the Japanese were concerned, Roosevelt authorized the atom bomb program, so there's little doubt in my mind that he would have used it, but all this is pure nonsense because Roosevelt did NOT live out the war!. He was a sick, brittle old man by the time he died!. Who knows what his health and well being would have been at Potsdam (he was already dead) so who knows if Stalin would have pushed him around the way he did Truman!. This is why the bomb was deployed; to put Stalin in his place!. The Japanese surrender was icing on the cake!. The real reason Truman used the bomb was to keep Stalin form overrunning Europe!Www@QuestionHome@Com Yes, no doubt, Germany, Italy and Japan were defeated, they just weren't ready to surrender!. Germany capitulated just 1 month after FDR's death!. Italy had already surrendered the year before!. Japan was the toughest nut left to crack!. That would take another 5 months and the Atomic Bombs to finish!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Well the war was already won in europe when roosevelt died!. By may of 1945, we would have really had to screw up to loose the war in Japan!. So I do think it made a difference if roosevelt had lived or not!.Www@QuestionHome@Com No, the Japanese were doomed in any case!.Www@QuestionHome@Com yesWww@QuestionHome@Com |