Under the fear of atomic bombs, Japan chose unconditional surrender, but some people say that the reason for Japan's real surrender was not because of the atomic bombing, but related to the Soviet Union. What secrets are behind this fact? And what was the real reason for Japan's surrender?
First, Japan has tasted the sweetness of war
At the end of the 18th century, due to the impact of the economies of other countries, there was an economic crisis in Japan, and all walks of life were paralyzed, and the unemployed were everywhere. If it continues, Japan will soon face the danger of national subjugation.
It was in this context of national subjugation that the Japanese leadership began to discuss how to resolve the crisis, and through unremitting discussions they decided to solve the situation of the national economic crisis by learning from the forms of colonial aggression of other Western powers.
At this time, Japan was developing through the Meiji Restoration, and everything had undergone such earth-shaking changes, from a once cowardly island state to a powerful country, and Japan's eyes were also on the backward Qing Dynasty and Korea, which were across the sea. On July 25, 1984, the Battle of Toshima broke out, and the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War officially began, because the Japanese government had long planned this war, coupled with its own strong strength. The Qing government was gradually defeated, although the Qing government sent the Beiyang Marine Division to fight. But it was still because of the corruption and incompetence of the Qing government that the originally powerful Beiyang Marine Division was beaten to pieces.
In 1895, the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, which lasted only one year, came to an end with the total destruction of the Beiyang Marine Division. As a victorious country, Japan and the Qing government signed the unequal Treaty of Maguan. The signing of the treaty enabled Japan to gain great benefits, suspending the losses caused by the economic crisis to Japan, and laying the foundation for post-war Japan to become a world power.
After getting the money from the Qing government, the Japanese government returned to China and once again made Japan's economy better, just at this time, in 1929, the United States, which was at the peak of its economic development, suffered the most serious economic crisis in the history of the world economy. The bankruptcy of the stock exchange also affected Japan, leaving Japan once again in a serious economic crisis. After tasting the sweetness of war, Japan also planned to launch another war against China.
World War II broke out in full swing and ended with the surrender of Japan
On September 18, 1931, Japan officially attacked Shenyang in northeast China, which also heralded the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japan. In the early days, Japan easily occupied the three northeastern provinces, and the Japanese Kwantung Army, which had established a firm foothold in the three northeastern provinces, relied on its strong military strength, which can be described as overwhelming. The rapid seizure of a large area of Land in China also gave the Japanese authorities great confidence, and the Japanese Emperor at the time, Emperor Hirohito, even spoke that Japan would eliminate China within 3 months and try to rule the world together with the fascist Axis powers composed of Germany and Italy.
On December 7, 1941, the confident Japanese government suddenly dispatched aircraft carrier-based aircraft and miniature submarines to sneak into pearl harbor, a U.S. naval base. The attack cost the United States 4 battleships and 2 destroyers, 188 aircraft, and countless buildings, ships and aircraft. It also killed about 2,400 Americans; Another 1,250 people were injured. The attack was also the first time that the U.S. mainland had been violated. Such a despicable and shameless act made the US authorities feel very indignant, and with the unanimous vote of Congress, US President Roosevelt announced that he had officially declared war on Japan.
In 1945, the Potsdam Conference was held in Germany in July, and the heads of state of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union attended the meeting to discuss the management of Germany that surrendered unconditionally, and how to make a final decision on how to defeat the Japanese Empire that refused to surrender and stubbornly resisted. The United States and the Soviet Union decided to first send troops from the Soviet Union to attack the Chinese Kwantung Army in the northeast, and then join forces with the United States to capture Tokyo, Japan, and force Japan to surrender.
When the United States learned that it had successfully developed the atomic bomb, it instantly changed its idea of attacking Japan and turned to the power of the atomic bomb to force Japan to surrender unconditionally. Stalin, the supreme leader of the Soviet Union, believed that the United States was doing this redundantly, and the consequences of doing so would only increase unnecessary harm, and the real reason for the United States to do this was to consolidate its nuclear monopoly position through the atomic bomb and steal the fruits of Victory in World War II.
On August 15, 1945, after several years of stubborn resistance, Emperor Hirohito of Japan officially broadcast to the Japanese people announcing Japan's unconditional surrender. The last straw that crushed Japan's dream of victory was the two atomic bombs dropped by the United States on Japan. The detonation of two atomic bombs killed more than 200,000 people in Japan and left thousands homeless. In the absence of results in external expansion and the bitter damage suffered internally, the Japanese government withstood tremendous pressure before announcing its surrender. So, was the reason for Japan's real unconditional surrender really the two atomic bombs dropped by the United States?
It should be known that as early as the United States dropped the atomic bomb, Japan was often subjected to indiscriminate air raids by the United States, and Japan also preached that it would fight a final decisive battle on the Japanese mainland, sacrificing 100 million people throughout the country and confronting the Allies to the end. So, what was the reason for Japan's real surrender?
Iii. The real reason for Japan's surrender
In fact, after receiving the news of the bombing of Hiroshima, the Japanese commanders were not only not afraid of this new weapon of the United States, but still only cared about whether the Soviet Union would intervene in the war between themselves and other countries. Because they know that if the Soviet Union joins forces with the United States to attack itself, then it will undoubtedly lose.
On August 8, 1945, as the news of the American dropping of atomic bombs on Japan reached Stalin's ears, Stalin also officially declared war on Japan, and just after midnight on August 9, the long-simmering August Storm Began, and more than 1.5 million Soviet troops launched a fierce attack on the Japanese Kwantung Army. If the Soviet Union does not unilaterally tear up the "Japan-Soviet Neutrality" Treaty, then in the face of the only opponent, the United States, Japan may still have the opportunity to fight to the death, but if it suffers from the enemy, then Japan's defeat and demise is only a matter of time. This has forced the original crazy Japan to re-examine the end of Japan.
At the time when the Japanese cabinet was meeting to discuss whether to surrender, the second american atomic bomb was detonated in Nagasaki, and the detonation of the atomic bomb only promoted the process of Japan's surrender, and the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan was the main reason for Japan's surrender.
The history of the Second World War has taught us extremely profound lessons, and we need to always remember the lessons that history has taught us and always remember the hard-won peace.