VJ Day

[Deadstick]

The 80th anniversary for VJ day is coming up to mark the victory over Japan, my Uncle Dads Brother was on HMS Victorious aircraft carrier as part of the British Pacific fleet attached to the American fleet attacking the Jap held Islands, my Uncle was a young 20mm Oerlikon gunner when he came home after the War it had affected him badly and he had a bad stammer which in time went away, it was a case of what we call PTSD today, but he managed to find employment at the local Town Hall where he remained until retirement.

 

[GLASNOST]

FACTS:

1). The Americans dictated an "Unconditional Surrender".

2). Japan said "No, will not give up our Emperor!"

3). The Yanks said, "You must!"

4). Japan said, "In that case we will continue to fight!"

5). The Americans relented.


An unconditional surrender? Very clearly not

 

[AZrailwhale]

FACTS:

1). The Americans dictated an "Unconditional Surrender".

2). Japan said "No, will not give up our Emperor!"

3). The Yanks said, "You must!"

4). Japan said, "In that case we will continue to fight!"

5). The Americans relented.


An unconditional surrender? Very clearly not

Show me anywhere in the surrender documents that stated the emperor would be allowed to stay in power. That was a unilateral decision by MacArthur AFTER THE WAR to make administering Japan easier. The Japanese surrendered UNCONDITIONALLY and the "offer" you refer to was made by a civilian who had no authority at all and it wasn't even acknowledged by the Big Six who ruled Japan. Their offer was a return to status quo ante December 6th, 1941, no war crimes trials, disarmament only under Japanese government supervision and at the discretion of the Japanese government.

 

[whitehall]

FACTS:

1). The Americans dictated an "Unconditional Surrender".

2). Japan said "No, will not give up our Emperor!"

3). The Yanks said, "You must!"

4). Japan said, "In that case we will continue to fight!"

5). The Americans relented.


An unconditional surrender? Very clearly not

Could the U.S. have avoided the use of nuclear weapons on Japanese civilians if Truman relented with his crazy doctrine of "unconditional surrender? It's ironic that the Japanese emperor was not prosecuted for war crimes after we dropped two atomic bombs. A good guess is that the eggheads who developed the bomb were dying to see how well it worked and they would have found a reason to use them.

 

[GLASNOST]

Could the U.S. have avoided the use of nuclear weapons on Japanese civilians if Truman relented with his crazy doctrine of "unconditional surrender?

People have been asking that question ever since.

It's ironic that the Japanese emperor was not prosecuted for war crimes after we dropped two atomic bombs.

I never thought of it that way but "fighting to the death"and "the last man standing" were internationally considered noble things to do. I think it still is.

A good guess is that the eggheads who developed the bomb were dying to see how well it worked and they would have found a reason to use them.

I am willing to bet you are right.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Could the U.S. have avoided the use of nuclear weapons on Japanese civilians if Truman relented with his crazy doctrine of "unconditional surrender? It's ironic that the Japanese emperor was not prosecuted for war crimes after we dropped two atomic bombs. A good guess is that the eggheads who developed the bomb were dying to see how well it worked and they would have found a reason to use them.

It wasn’t Truman’s doctrine. Stalin, Churchill and FDR all set that standard. Even if Truman wanted to allow a conditional surrender, Stalin, and possibly Churchill, wouldn’t have allowed it. Stalin needed the war to continue long enough to get into the war and snap up a bunch of Japanese territory, and Churchill wanted the Axis countries punished for starting the war and bankrupting the UK. He especially wanted the Japanese punished for destroying the myth of whites being superior to Asians,