Basically, I'm wondering if there was any other way to stop the war. When I see things like documentaries or witness accounts detailing the horrors of the aftermath, it leaves me with so much sorrow. I always wonder what the alternatives could have been and why such a damaging thing occurred.
Hi there -- the atomic bombs are a frequently discussed topic here, and you may be interested in this section of our FAQ which has mostly been contributed by u/restricteddata. A few answers of theirs might be of interest:
During the decision to create the atomic bomb, was there any thought of creating 'smart bombs' instead, to reduce civilian casualties? -- in which it's explained that the atomic bombs were specifically meant to be weapons of terror
Did the US "have" to nuke Japan -- in which it's explained that the US had committed to firebombing Japanese cities well before the atomic bomb was proven, and explaining the context in which we talk about something being "necessary"
What happened to the Japanese political/military landscape between August 6th, 1945 (the day that Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima) and August 15th, 1945 (the day they surrendered). How did they come to the decision that surrender was the best option, and was there much disagreement? -- in which it's discussed that we don't know with certainty that the atomic bombs ended the war, or how much influence they had; and
This answer and this answer in an AMA on the Manhattan project, which specifically cover the idea of a "demonstration" attack not aimed at a city