This paper focuses on the failure of diplomatic decisions made by Japan that is national in nature most particularly when they chose to fight in the midst of an embargo made by the American government. The attack of Japan against Pearl Harbor is a result of an erratic, egoistic and irrational behavior blinding the Japanese Military Personnel and Officials of the destructive outcome of the World War 2 and a lack of diplomatic strategies that misled the communication between USA and
As the Japanese forces were considered the aggressors of the conflict by the Allies and Japanese veterans alike, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified. Their aggression previous to the bombing was demonstrated through the attack on Pearl Harbour, which led to America’s involvement in World War II. The attack was not one born out of vengeance and was not strategically logical, whereas there was a reason behind the bombing of Hiroshima, that reason being that the Japanese military would not agree to the clauses presented in the Potsdam Declaration. This declaration was given to the military officials as an invitation to surrender before the first bombing, providing ample time for them to make a decision to hopefully end the
Would this imperialistic empire accept an unconditional surrender that would go against their national interests for the international welfare and security? Aforementioned evidence puts forward a different approach, the idea that Japan would have been persistent in their futile efforts to combat Allied forces—to maintain dignity and avoid humiliation. Inevitably lengthening the war, an estimated 1.7 to 4 million American and 5 to 10 million Japanese casualties would have occurred through a ground invasion of Japan. An actively planned invasion proposed by allied forces for a means to neutralize Japan and end World War Two. Also known as “Operation Downfall”— an atrocity prevented as a result of Harry Truman’s decision to use nuclear warfare.
And the end is not yet”(source 4). Japan was also given an opportunity to surrender and for the most part they denied. So the United States went forward with their
Roosevelt had already strained the sinews of neutrality by supplying Britain with money and arms under the ‘lend –lease’ agreement. The Tripartite Pact meant that supplies to Japan would indirectly be helping Italy and Germany; further embargoes followed. Japan intensified the search for a permanent alternative. The most obvious target was South-east Asia, rich in minerals and oil. Japan’s military planners hoped to cripple the U.S fleet in order to buy time to capture and fortify the region they sought to control, then negotiate an armistice from a positions of strength.
In the United States, it is often taught that the use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the deciding factor for the Japanese to surrender during World War II. However, upon closer inspection that may not be the reason why. For example, by the time both cities were destroyed Japan had already lost dozens of cities to American fire bombs and conventional raids. As a result, the only difference between the cities that were previously burned and Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the type of weapon used. Therefore,the Japanese government was aware and accustomed to loosing cities and large number of civilian lives.
The United States invasion of Japan led to numerous casualties and severe damage yet Japan stood its ground, proving it would fight to the death. At times violence is the answer; Japan had no intention of surrendering, no matter the consequence. U.S. Secretary of war, Henry Stimson, confirms that “only the complete destruction of her military power could open the way to lasting peace”.(Document B) Each day brought great suffering, and the only logical solution to dealing with millions of suicidal soldiers was to kill off the problem. After the Japanese repeatedly refused to surrender the United States was forced to put its nuclear warfare to use and bomb both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, doing what they believed was their only
The Japanese military was weak and did not have a good chance of winning the war, but that did not stop them from surrendering. “After the Hiroshima attack, a faction of Japan’s supreme war council favored acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, but the majority resisted unconditional surrender” (Japan Surrenders). The Japanese wanted to fight until death. The U.S. dropped bombs in Tokyo killing thousands of people and almost destroying the whole city. The U.S. was surprised they did not give up.
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During his speech, President Roosevelt made it seem like the Japanese just attacked us out of nowhere but really we provoked it. Japan tried to suggest ideas for compromise between itself and the United States,” but “The U.S did not agree.” After this, Japan tried to make another attempt
The Potsdam Ultimatum was also rejected by the conceited Japanese government officials because they didn’t want to have to surrender. Truman made the ultimate decision to save U.S. lives over the Japanese. The final supportive piece of evidence was that we had the necessary technology. Our Boeing B-29 fighter planes helped to drop the 5 ton atomic bombs, and evidently ended the war. To sum it up, the Japanese needed to be stopped, and from their past actions, the U.S. knew that they weren’t going to surrender on their own power.
”The Japanese government may be searching for some opportunity which they could use as a medium of surrender. Doc 7)” The Japanese people worshiped their emperor like a god, and at the thought of him losing control made them not want to consider surrendering. They wanted to find a way out of the war without sacrificing Hirohito's control. “Our B-29s had destroyed most of the Japanese industries and, with the laying of mines, which prevented the arrival of incoming cargoes of critical items, had made it impossible for Japan to carry on a large-scale war (Doc 9)”
The Yalta conference and the Potsdam conference were two sessions or meetings held during the Second World War. , These conferences were held for The Big Three to manage their differences and come to several agreements among themselves. The Big Three included the United States (USA), Great Britain and the Soviet Union (USSR/Russia). The Big Three – also referred to as The Grand Alliance – were always known to be enemies and weren’t fond of each other, although had one thing in common and that was their hatred for Germany. They all had this recurring hatred for Germany, and would do anything to watch it burn to the ground, to the point of uniting with one another to help defeat Germany.
When the Allies emerged on the winning side during late 1942 and early 1943, Japan’s leaders adopted a strategy of wearing out their opponents’ fighting spirit through delay and attrition. In February 1943, when the liaison conference conducted a ‘Review of the World Situation’, Sugiyama declared that, since the tide had turned against the Axis powers on all fronts, forcing Britain’s surrender was a lost cause. (Akagi, 2004, 61-62) While Japan’s leaders acknowledged their declining fortunes, they held onto their hopes of breaking Allied morale. In September, IGHQ ordered the IJA to construct an ‘Absolute National Defense Sphere’, comprising the islands of the western Pacific, the East Indies and Burma.
In 1945, the Second World War ended as Japan surrendered to the Allies and accepted the Potsdam Declaration which represented Japan’s demilitarisation and democratisation. Soon after, General Douglas MacArthur of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers urged the Japanese government to draft a new Constitution . One of the new Constitution’s features is the pacifist clause in Article 9 , which prohibits any use of force beyond use of force for self-defense . Subsequently, Japan’s participation in the United Nations collective security operations has also been prohibited . Thereafter, as Japan’s economical growth strengthened and crystallised their position in the global society, the United States, who initially had drafted the Japanese Constitution, started to change its policy of demilitarising Japan .
