It was felt that when the American forces invaded the Japanese mainland islands, there would be a great loss of life. Not only on the American forces, but also on the Japanese civilian population. The Japanese had been instilled into them to fight to the last man, woman and child. So fearful had the civilians been, that on some of the other islands, some civilians had thrown themselves off cliffs into the sea to die. Despite the terrible use of the two atomic bombs, they did force the Japanese military Government to finally surrender. The Japanese surrender brought the war in Asia to an end, and it is thought, saved more lives on both sides from being wasted needlessly. Let us hope that atomic weapons will never have to be used again.