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Suppose the Allies decide not to drop the Bomb on Hiroshima or Nagasaki. In fact let's say they decide to not drop the bomb on Japan, at all.

Was there any alternative way to defeat Japan? That is apart from an invasion?

The Americans had a tight blockade around the Japanese home islands and they were basically bombing the Japanese cities to rubble. Could they have just held off on an invasion indefinitely? Could they have just choked the Japanese economy into collapse and thus gotten the Japanese to surrender?

Could such a surrender have led to a Japanese version of the 'stabbed in the back' myth?

Perhaps Japanese warrior culture where defeat is unacceptable might stop them from giving up so soon. But would they not give up eventually?

How much more would it cost in allied lives to continue the typical bombing and blockading compared to an invasion?

How many more civilian deaths would occur from such a bombing and blockading campaign?

Thank you for your responses. :)
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