Question

what was the most significant factor in President Harry S Truman's decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan

Answer 1

Pearl Harbor. The atomic bombs that we dropped on Japan was revenge for Pearl Harbor. We already had some issues with Japan but the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was the main reason for the atomic bombs that President Truman dropped on Japan.

Answer 2

President Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan due to the warmongering attitude of the Japanese government, which instigated its soldiers to fight to the death. Examples like the Battle of Iwo Jima, where there were only 216 Japanese survivors of an army of more than 20,000 men, showed that the Japanese had no intention of giving up. And this obviously resulted in a huge amount of American casualties. Therefore, the decision was made to strike a blow large enough to force Japan to surrender, avoiding further unnecessary casualties.