What contributed to this decision?
Originally, there was a plan to invade Japan, however Truman received advice from many sources that if he carried out with this plan an additional 31,000 american deaths were to be expected. Some said that seven times that amount could be expected. Truman did not want any more american lives lost. It is said that 100,00 american lives were saved by the bombing. His hope was that the bombing would also bring an immediate end to the war. Everyone was waiting for the fighting to end.