Since the beginning of this series on August 6th we have looked at a variety of topics, issues, and experiences that are being poured into the cauldron of war. The series was never intended to be a review of all the battles, campaign tactics, or evolving strategies – there are far better resources available in print, online videos and more – presented by far more knowledgeable people, scholars and historians.
From the beginning, this series was never intended to describe the horror of combat, the mounting death toll, and conclude with “the atomic bomb was the lesser of all the evils about to be faced.” But the series is intended to explore harsh realities about war that frame the landscape, not just of tactical options, but of the moral landscape that will face the war fighters – the ones who will bring home the memories of things that can not be unseen. This is even more important when one understands the long-term strategy of the two sides.
On one side was Japan, a nation that had never been invaded and when the Mongols under Kublai Khan attempted just such in the late 13th century, a typhoon (a divine wind, kamikaze) destroyed the invasion fleet. On the other side were the Allies who 20 years after the armistice of World War I were facing another war from what they thought was a defeated enemy. This time the enemy would know they were defeated; surrender would be unconditional.
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