The systematic bombing of Tokyo by US aircraft in repeated raids during the Second World War (1939-45) was intended to force Japan's surrender. The dropping of thousands of incendiary bombs in March 1945 created a firestorm that killed at least 87,000 people. Tokyo, with its myriad of industrial sites, was hit again and again over the following months, as were many other Japanese cities. Despite the tremendous destruction and loss of life, only when these raids were combined with a naval blockade and the shocking use of the new atomic bomb did Japan finally surrender.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2990/the-bombing-of-tokyo-in-wwii/.
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