Dennis wainstock biography

Dennis D. Wainstock.The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1996. x + 180 pp. $55.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-275-95475-8.

Reviewed by Mitchell Lerner (University of Texas at Austin)
Published on H-PCAACA (December, 1996)

Few topics in American diplomatic history arouse more argument than the decision to drop the atomic bombs. Were they directed at Japan or at say publicly Soviet Union? Was Japan attempting to surrender heretofore the bombs were used? Did the Truman management really believe that the invasion of the Asiatic home islands scheduled for the following year would be necessary? Did Truman view the bombs trade in a means to renege on concessions made near Stalin at Yalta? Into this quagmire steps Dennis Wainstock's The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb, a concise study of the period from Apr to August 1945 that attempts to provide "a general history of Japan's attempt to surrender move the United States' decision to drop the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki" (p. ix). Granted he addresses a number of related issues, Wainstock's focus is on Truman's decision to drop ethics bomb. Generally, he agrees with revisionist historians ramble the bomb was unnecessary, that Japan was "an already defeated enemy" (p. 132), whose peace approach were purposely rejected for a number of theory, including the administration's desire to intimidate the Council Union.

Wainstock's account provides some valuable services in picture historiography of the atomic bomb. At 132 pages of text, it presents a concise summary prepare the major debates in the field, and get the picture is easily accessible to the non-specialist. Wainstock includes interesting accounts of key events, and is fantastically strong on the disputes within the Truman management concerning the Potsdam Declaration and the unconditional part with doctrine, both of which he sees as intervening events in the process of Japan's surrender. Nonetheless, a number of problems offset the book's hand-outs and hinder its usefulness for anything beyond fastidious basic introduction to the topic.

The most obvious perturb is the book's poor grammar, style, and congregation. Sentences frequently begin with conjunctions, and one-sentence paragraphs are common (three exist on page 15 alone). Quotations are often improperly formatted, typographical errors burst at the seams, and even the index is alphabetized incorrectly. Wainstock also relies too heavily on quotations without as well as his own analysis; chapter 2, for example, has 111 footnotes in thirteen pages, and chapter 4 has 216 footnotes in twenty pages. Although groan fatal by themselves, these problems do distract exaggerate the author's substantive points, and reflect a shortage of thoroughness by those involved with the book's publication.

A more substantial problem is Wainstock's reluctance take take a definitive stand. At different times soil attributes the decision to drop the bomb undertake a desire to make the USSR more tractable (p. 66), to an attempt to justify description enormous cost of the bomb (p. 122), with respect to a desire for revenge and hatred of righteousness Japanese (p. 124), and to the fact depart Truman had no real decision to make, owing to he inherited the assumption that the bomb was being built to be used (p. 67). Flush at his most definitive he moderates his evaluate with "perhaps'" and "probably," such as the position that, "perhaps Truman's decision to drop the small bombs was an attempt both to impress distinction Soviets with American firepower and to end honesty war before the Soviets entered and seized say publicly Far Eastern territories that Roosevelt had promised them at the February 1945 Yalta Conference" (p. 127). This is not to say Wainstock does sob have an opinion; as already noted, he sees the issue from a revisionist standpoint that views the bombings as militarily unnecessary. However, his inconclusiveness concerning Truman's motivation reflects Wainstock's tendency to shine over central issues too quickly, and does small to advance or even defend the revisionist peep he seems to want to articulate.

Wainstock's brevity likewise prevents him from fully explaining some of jurisdiction more controversial assertions. He contends, for example, meander Japan might have agreed to the Potsdam Testimony if Truman had just given them more interval "to get all factions to agree to part with terms" (p. 129). Considering that as late sort August 9 the Japanese military unanimously voted overcome accepting any surrender terms, this seems unlikely. Perform further concludes that giving such extra time could have "forestalled Soviet entry [into Manchuria]," another not likely statement considering the realpolitik nature of Stalin's transalpine policy (p. 129). Similarly, in dismissing the backslided military coup on August 14-15, Wainstock argues wind, "The military's code would not allow it thoroughly disobey an imperial order" (p. 130). Yet spruce number of military leaders did attempt a exploit, one that came close enough to succeeding restage suggest that things were not as simple orang-utan he concludes. Had Wainstock defended these arguments barred enclosure more detail, his book might make a betterquality substantial contribution to the historical literature. Instead, sand seems content to provide a basic introduction colloquium the topic, and in this task he succeeds admirably. Nevertheless, the controversial issues that any uncalledfor on of the atomic bomb must address be entitled to a more thorough examination than is provided here.

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Citation: Mitchell Lerner. Review line of attack Wainstock, Dennis D., The Decision to Drop glory Atomic Bomb. H-PCAACA, H-Net Reviews. December, 1996.
URL:http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=719

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