Tiger, Tiger,BurningBright 253groundsandinflamedbyyearsofmissionary-basedreportingonJapanese
atrocitiesinChina.ThegrossmistreatmentofAmericanprisonersofwar
(theBataandeathmarch,for example)furtherstokeda terriblerage.
Japanesefightingtactics-again,fullyinaccordancewithJapanesecul-
turalnotionsofhonor-onlyconfirmedAmericanideasofthePacific
enemyasruthless,dishonorable,andinhuman.Thiscontributedtothe
vitriolicintensityofcombatinthePacifictheatersochillinglydetailed
inJohnDower'smagisterialhistoryWarWithoutMercy,2^3
Popularfury againstJapanbriefly becamethedominantforce in
Americanpolitics.Bythe summerof1945,Americanpopularopinion
wasfullyprepared,ifithadcometothat,forinvasionsoftheJapanese
homeislands,eveniftheseweredefendedwiththetenacity(andindif-
ferencetocivilianlives)thatmarkedthefightingonOkinawa.^24
Giventhisbackground,theAmericanswhodecidedtousetheatomic
bombmayhavebeencorrectthattheuseoftheweaponssavedlives,and
notonly those ofAmericansoldiers. Had the invasionofthehome
islandsgoneforward,andhostilitiescontinuedforanothersixtotwelve
months,millionsofJapanesecivilianswouldhavediedintheconven-
tionalbombingraidsthatwouldswiftlyhavemountedinintensityas
moreforcesfromtheEuropeantheaterwereconcentratedagainstJapan,
andasthefullweightofAmericanaircraftandmunitionsproduction
wasdevotedtothetaskofwearingdownJapaneseresistanceandpunish-
ingJapanesetemerity.Millionsofadditionalciviliancasualtieswould
haveresultedfromstarvation,disease,andexposureasAmericanforces
systematicallywentaboutthetaskof,inthewordsofStrategicBomb-
ingCommander(and,subsequently, 1968 running mateofJacksonian
populistthird-partycandidateGeorgeWallace)Gen.CurtisE.LeMay,
bombingthembackintotheStoneAge.'TIltellyouwhatwarisabout,"
saidLeMayinaninterview."You'vegottokillpeople,andwhenyou've
killedenoughtheystopfighting."2^5
By contrast, although the Germans committed terrible crimes
againstciviliansandagainstprisonersofwar(especiallySovietprisoners
ofwar)duringtheconflict,theirbehavior(withcertainexceptions,espe-
ciallyinthetreatmentofdownedfliers)towardthearmedforcesofthe
UnitedStateswasmoreinaccordancewithAmericanideasaboutmili-
tary honor.Germanydelivereda formaldeclaration ofwar;withcer-
tainexceptionsithonoredinternationalagreementsinthetreatment
ofAmericanprisonersofwar;itssoldiersfoughtfiercelybutinaccor-
dancewithwhatAmericansoldiersandofficersrecognizedasthecodesof