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I downvoted this because it is wrong. > By that time in the war, Germany had already been defeated, the Imperial Japanese Armed forces were already signalling
by khuey 7y ago
I downvoted this because it is wrong.
> By that time in the war, Germany had already been defeated, the Imperial Japanese Armed forces were already signalling a willingness to end the war, with the one condition that the Japanese emperor (who most Japanese view as divine) would not be harmed."
Assuming that "by that time in the war" means prior to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this is false. Even after the bombing of Nagasaki 3 of the 4 military members of the Supreme War Council wanted additional terms that would never have been acceptable to the Allied Powers (among them, no occupation of the home islands). It took the intervention of the Emperor himself to break the deadlock.
The idea that the armed forces were amenable to a surrender with the sole condition that the emperor remain in power before Hiroshima is simply not true.
- Bendingo 7y agoSorry, but GP's post is absolutely correct. Japanese surrender was not prompted by bombings of 6th and 9th August -- they had endured already much worse bombings of their cities during that summer, and were not particularly scared of atomic weapons. However, Japan was very scared of USSR, who up until then was neutral against them. All that changed rapidly and hugely, when USSR declared war on Japan, and attacked Manchuria on 12:01am 9/August. Check the timelines -- the argument is solid and much more compelling than "Japan surrended because nuclear bombs". https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/30/the-bomb-didnt-beat-japan-stalin-did/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/30/the-bomb-didnt-beat-jap...
- khuey 7y agoThat's not the GP's argument. "Japan was ready to surrender before the atomic bombs" and "Japan surrendered because of the USSR's declaration of war, not the atomic bombs" are two completely different arguments.
- Bendingo 7y agoBoth these arguments are true. "Japan was ready to surrender" should be interpreted as "Japan wanted to surrender if the terms were acceptable". To spell it out for you: Japan was ready to surrender before atomic bombs, but held back because the allies terms were unacceptable, and Japan were hoping to get better terms, using USSR to mediate them. Only when that hope was removed (by USSR declaring war on Japan) did Japan realise they had no other choice. And then they actually surrended.
- khuey 7y agoThe post I replied to very specifically says "Japan was ready to surrender" should be interpreted as: "[Before the atomic bombs were dropped], the Imperial Japanese Armed forces were already signalling a willingness to end the war, with the one condition that the Japanese emperor ... would not be harmed." I don't know why you're trying so hard to read things that are not there.