Today...

[Amadeus]

My remark on the firebombings was that they were highly effective, but the psychological impact of the A-bombs were far greater. One bomb did in a second what it took weeks of napalm to do.

Not really. It took several months for the nuclear radiation to cause the same death toll that was caused by the bombing of Dresden in a relativly short span of time.

I agree that the Red Army turning on Japan influenced the decision to surrender. They were already on the defensive since Midway and now had another whole force coming at them from the other side. BUT you can't say that fire bombs were more effective when the Japanese withstood them for months and then surrendered within the same week of the drop of the A-bombs.

The timing of the A-bombs coincides with the Soviet declaration of war and the launching of operation August Storm. That is why it may seem like it was the A-bombs that influenced the Japanese to surrender.