8. Blockade vs. Invasion: Ending the Pacific War and Post-War Command AUTHOR: Professor Craig Symonds BOOK TITLE: Nimitz at War: Command Leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay Nimitz and King opposed the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
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🗓️ 12 October 2025
⏱️ 9 minutes
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Summary
8. Blockade vs. Invasion: Ending the Pacific War and Post-War Command
BOOK TITLE: Nimitz at War: Command Leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay
Nimitz and King opposed the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands (Operation Downfall), arguing that a strict naval blockade, executed primarily by submarines, combined with bombing, would force surrender. They calculated that an invasion would cost hundreds of thousands of American lives and millions of Japanese lives, given the culture of fighting to the death. Nimitz was informed about the secret development of a special weapon (the atomic bomb) in March 1945 to ensure targets were reserved. After the war ended, Nimitz was the logical candidate for Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), though he faced opposition from the aviation community (Towers). He accepted a two-year term as CNO. Admiral Spruance declined high command, instead choosing to become President of the Naval War College to teach future officers the lessons learned in the Pacific War.
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| 0:31.1 | This is CBSI in the world. I'm John Baxter with Professor Craig Simons. Nimitz at War, |
| 0:40.6 | command leadership from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay. Ernest King, Cominch, who was always present, 16 times they meet. King's messages to Nimitz and Nimitz's messages to King. The professor is quoted throughout the book. |
| 0:46.9 | Now they're debating in person and also by wire about what is to be done about the Japanese |
| 0:54.1 | homelands who will not surrender. |
| 0:56.3 | The opinion I take it, Professor, from Nimitz and King's point of view is blockade will force |
| 1:01.8 | them to the peace table. |
| 1:04.2 | I think that's true. |
| 1:05.5 | I think naval officers at almost every level did not believe an invasion of the home islands was worth the risk. |
| 1:13.9 | Here we are back to calculated risk. |
| 1:16.3 | It would cost so much, and we've all heard the line, oh, it would cost 100,000 American killed, very likely, perhaps more. |
| 1:23.8 | Fewer consider the fact that it would have cost possibly millions of Japanese to die because |
| 1:31.5 | Japanese culture was such that surrender was so obnoxious that no Japanese soldier, no Japanese |
| 1:38.1 | participant in the war at any level could honorably surrender himself, therefore you must fight to the death. |
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