rowyn

The use of nuclear weapons was unnecessary; whatever will the Japanese may have had to continue fighting, they simply did not have the resources to continue. In particular, the lack of oil had become a critical hinderance in the Japanese war effort (indeed, if they had possessed an oil supply of their own prior to the beginning of the Pacific campaign, they would never have perceived a need to attack Pearl Harbour). In preparation for the last major naval action by the Japanese, the battleship Yamato and other accompanying vessels were ordered to be given only enough fuel to reach the island of Okinawa in its defense against invasion by American forces. The Yamato, pride of the Japanese naval fleet, was to beach itself and act as a surface battery in support of the Japanese army. This should give you an idea of just how desperately short of oil the Japanese were.