GDG- war weariness of the public

[Biggsk at aol.com]

Folks,
 
I just recalled this, a couple years or so ago, I watched a show on the  
History Channel about the last year of World War 2 - 1945.
 
According to the show, despite our victory over Germany, the prospect of a  
massive shifting of our troops from Europe to the Pacific to fight Japan was  
indeed on everyone's minds.  War-weariness had indeed hit the American  people 
to some degree (thankfully, we never came close to the massive casualties  
suffered by the Soviets, or that would have come much sooner).  The USA's  
treasury was basically run dry.
 
Then came the win on Iwo Jima (itself now being re-examined to determine of  
it was even necessary to attack it - a recent essay in MHQ covers this), and 
it  so electrified the American people, that a new war bond drive was launched 
and  enough money raised to finish the war  - as it was.
 
Note that this does not take into account what would have happened had we  
actually needed to invade Japan.  Our war plans called for one invasion in  late 
1945 and another in 1946.  Declassified Japanese sources show just how  
strong their home island defenses were and that they did still have thousands of  
aircraft hidden away just for this.  If we think Iwo Jima and Okinawa were  
blood-baths, the home islands would have been worse.  The estimated  prospect of 
a million casualties (both sides) was not out of the realm of  possibility.
 
Would the American public have stood for this had the atomic bombs not been  
developed or used?
 
By 1945 we had the most powerful air force the world had ever seen.   We had 
the most powerful navy the world had ever seen and our army was only  exceeded 
by that of the Soviet Union.  We had just marched from North  Africa to close 
to Berlin and from Hawaii to close to Iwo Jima - and yet  the American people 
were growing tired of the war and its costs.
 
I use this point to counter what Laurie has stated about the similar events  
of the Civil War, that despite the fact that the Union had taken much of the  
South by 1864, there was still a chance they could lose.  What saved us in  
World War 2 (in the Pacific at least), if this show is accurate, was the  win at 
Iwo Jima.  What saved Lincoln, was the win at Atlanta, and then a  couple 
other smaller ones for good measure.
 
Greg Biggs