Why did the US insist on unconditional surrender in WW2?

Question

Seems that if we had established some terms of surrender before dropping the atomic bombs we could have saved some lives. Unconditional surrender could have meant permanent annexation of Japan by the US for all they knew. Why not assure them of some things to get them to surrender?

Getting mixed information, one person says that the Japanese attempted to surrender with terms and were ignored, while most other people say that they would never surrender.
I wasn't saying that we should have outright negotiated with the Japanese, just that we should have assured them that some things would not have happened in the event of their surrender.

Answer 1

The Japanese were offered surrender by FDR and then twice by H S Truman. They considered the offers a sign of weakness on the part of the USA. They felt that if they continued to resist the mounting causalities would cause the weak Americans to give up. After the death of Adm. Yamamoto there was no one in the Japanese high command who even tried to understand the Americans. Even after Hiroshima they didn't rush to surrender because it was felt that the Americans only had one of the devil bombs. The deaths of so many was not a factor in the decision making. More people died in the fire bombing of Tokyo and just after this attack a meeting of the military and political leaders was held. To get to the meeting many of the participants had to pass through the city and the destruction. Not one word was mentioned of the dead or the devastation. It was decided to continue the offensive. Trying to explain the mind set briefly is impossible but this can be said.The Japanese as a nation could not be defeated. That, to the Japanese of the time, was not just a belief it was a fact of the universe. The death of their soldiers, the devastation raining from the sky did not alter the above statement. The second equally important factor was the belief that surrender would lead the deposing of the Emperor. The Japanese population believed the Emperor was a God, that without the Emperor not only the would Japan cease to exist so would the Japanese people. To keep the Emperor the entire population was prepared to die. They couldn't surrender
But that was not were the unconditional surrender came in. The Allies, at the outset when the USA finally joined the fray, agreed that all of the Axis Countries (prinarily Germany, Italy and Japan) would have to surrender unconditionally. This was aimed mainly at Germany because at the end of WWI there had been no surrender, just a armistice and punitive treaty that led to the second world war. The Allies therefore wanted the end of the war to be the end of the war and not just a twenty year hiatus before they started again.

Answer 2

We talked to the Japanese until we were blue in the face. We were in negotiations with Japan when they bombed Pearl harbor. They blatently lied to us repetedly. All negotiation had failed, Then after Pearl Harbor, The Japanese made it quite-clear they would fight until the last man, woman, and child. They would rather death than surrender to the Americans, Or face occupation. This left us with two options, Either continue the course and fight a conventional; war for another 10, maybe 15 years at the cost of millions of American servicemens lives, Or, the use of nuclear weapons. We chose the nuclear weapons as I am sure you are aware of. After the 2 detonations, (Hiroshima, Nagasaki) Then the Japanese were willing to negotiate. Alot too much a little to late on their behalf. We had nothing else to say to them. They had already proven they could not be trusted, and any form of armistice-agreement would surely be violated in time. That being said it was determined that they surrender unconditionaly, and imediatley, Or risk total anhilation. Their emporer agreed to an unconditional surrender so long as he was granted amnesty, and also allowed to stay in power. We agreed. The rest is history. What many people do not realize is that Japan had already tested their own nuclear weapon just month's before we dropped the bombs. Their test was a failure, But it was determined they would have had a "Working" atomic bomb within 1 year. We did not learn this until we occupied the entire country after the surrender. Can you imagine if they would had developed that weapon before us? We would surely have been drinking "Saki" instead of "Beer", and speaking Japanese, If there were any of us left that is. I'm sure there would have been some of us left, as slaves. They were a "Fanatical" warring race of people, adherent to the "Samurai" codes of ancient times, Loyal to a "God-Like" Emporer. Had we just ended the war on their term's, They would have just rebuilt their war-machine, and tryed once again to conquer the world. They almost succeded then, They surely would not have failed twice. That is a chance we could not take, So that is the reason for the "Unconditional-Surrender". Hope this answered your question. take care. God Bless America, And Our Troops! 1st. Sgt., 7th Special Forces, (Ret.) Vietnam, "67"-"70"

Answer 3

If there is no need to give any concessions during negotiations, then give no concessions. The U.S. was poised to crush Japan completely, so there was no need to accept anything less than an unconditional surrender.

The atomic bombs were dropped to show Stalin that we had both means and will to use the atomic bomb. The Japanese attempted to open discussions for surrender prior to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but were ignored. Had the U.S. not dropped the atomic bombs, we may have either had to fight the USSR or surrender a part of Japan.

Answer 4

The Japanese will NOT choose to surrender under any circumstance if given a chance. They would rather die fighting - remember their kamikaze tactics in the air & ground battles in the clsoing months of the Pacific campaign?

That is also why when the islands were over-run by the US forces, there were very few prisoners - most either died fighting or committed suicide.

A rather interesting point about the surrender that wasn't widely publicised -

A group of Japanese army officers actually planned a coup (which almost succeeded) to stop the emperor from making the announcement to "surrender" & carry on with the conflict even though they've been nuked twice.

Answer 5

The Simple Truth:

We Demanded An Unconditional Surrender Because After Hiroshima And Nagasaki, We Were Not In The Bargaining Mode Any More - We Were In The Driver's Seat.

Answer 6

Many attempts were made to get Japan to surrender, before the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The Japanese would have none of that, so the decision to drop the bomb was implemented. The rest is history!

All wars should end with unconditional surrender being implemented by the victor. This eliminates such nonsense that we live with today, like, the US lost the Vietnam war. That is pure bull crap. The US backed out of that damned war in order to implement the cessation of hostilities between the parties

Answer 7

First, there is the practical aspect. Remember that, in 1945, Japan was still considered a world away. Unlike Germany which was literally surrounded by our former Allies, Japan was "uncontained," unless we chose to trust the Chinese, Koreans and Soviets (which we did not).

Second, and most pertinent to today's climate, is the cultural aspect....Japan was an isolated, homogenous society with a culture built on uniformity and conformity. The Emperor was still considered divine, and to there was no greater deed than to die for your family, your country and your Emperor.

When beliefs are that deeply entrenched, you cannot stop an enemy just by bombing his factories and destroying his infrastructure. You must crush his spirit...make him decide that his beliefs are just not worth it. Unfortunately, it took two atomic bombs to accomplish this.

The fact that Germany and Japan now have pacifist societies is no accident. Their attitudes today are a direct result of the cultural reconstruction initiated by their acceptance of the "unconditional surrender" terms.

Now consider the nature of North Korea, Viet Nam and Iraq after Desert Storm.....all lessons that "cease fire" does not mean Peace.

Answer 8

The Japanese did not surrender unconditionally. They actually surrendered to the Allies on very generous terms. One of which was their right to have an emperor, and that he would not be charged with war crimes, nor would the japanese government be completely abolished. lets face it, the japanese came out of the war pretty well---better than if they had actually won. the germans didn't have such an easy time, being all cut up by the occupying powers

Answer 9

No, because the enemy was not interested in any form of surrender. They did not know we had an atomic bomb, they did nto even know what it was.

They figured that we would lose millions of troops on a direct attack and though they may still win.
Also remember Americans just can't understand for some reason other cultures, for Japan it was also a matter of honor, they could not give up, they would rather die first. It took a level of mass destruction to make them give up.

This is part of the reason we don't win wars any more, we do ont do mass destruction till they give up.

Answer 10

I hate having to wade through some of the responses from the idiots. Some of you are actually perceptive. Most of you are proof positive that the education system in your respective countries is broken. All of you imbeciles should be ashamed to even breathe, let alone mouth fiction and call it, say, "simple truth".

(1) "The Japs were terrorists" - BULLSHIT. A uniformed military is NOT a terror group. Go read the Geneva and Hague Conventions. All of them.

(2) The "japs" DID NOT OFFER any "terms of serender", EVER. Perhaps that's why you can't remember them. Read what happened on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay sometime and see if there's a precedent.

(3) " even after the unconditional surrender parts of the army continued to fight for years" - BULLSHIT. Asides from the lone individuals stuck in various jungle locations for decades, everyone got the word. The Red Army, the Chinese Communists, Chinese Nationalists, and Korean Nationalists kept on attacking the Japanese whenever possible after the atomics were dropped, but even then it wasn't anything near a military action more than it was a POW harvest.

(4) "We Demanded An Unconditional Surrender Because After Hiroshima And Nagasaki, We Were Not In The Bargaining Mode Any More - We Were In The Driver's Seat." - BULLSHIT. The Nazis didn't have a chance after Stalingrad and the Japanese didn't have a chance after Midway. Initiative passed to the allies after those battles.

Unconditional surrender was agreed to by all the Allied powers at the Yalta Conference in February, 1945. THAT is when the notion of unconditional surrender of both Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan were agreed to.

(5) "You are speaking English now because it happened this way, instead of speaking German or Japanese and either goose stepping or bowing quite low lest your head be whacked off by a Samurai sword." BULLSHIT. Never in either the Nazi Germany doctrine of "Lebensraum" or the Imperial Japanese doctrine of "Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere" was there EVER a formulation for conquering the United States! Both nations were driven by misguided historical imperatives that had natural and restrictive borders - in Japan's case, East Asia; in Germany's, Europe, North Africa, with an eastern boundary stretching to the Urals.

Japan wanted to execute Warlord Hideyoshi's vision of the 16th century AD and Germany wanted to recreate both the Holy Roman Empire (That is why it was the THIRD REICH) and the vision of the Teutonic Knights (who were emulated through the SS). NOTHING MORE WAS EVER CONCEIVED. That includes the invasion and conquest of North America.

Nazi Germany did their damnedest to keep America out of the war; U-Boat warfare was limited in scope as much as possible (the Americans WERE aiding the British BEFORE a declaration of war, remember?). Same goes for Imperial Japan. Their economy was so resource poor, that they relied on 90% of their petroleum and mineral wealth from American exports. The Japanese economy was in the 40s, and now, built so that it can last for six months and SIX MONTHS ONLY without shipping.

Japan's war in China and occupation of Korea were unconscionable, but neither had the Americans making a declaration of war. The direct cause of Pearl Harbor, was Japan making a grab for French Indochina after France fell to Nazi Germany (it's not like the Americans were neutral either - sending military advisors and fighter pilots to fight in China. Read on the Flying Tigers) and America deciding to cease all exports to Japan. In JUNE 1941. Guaranteed to bring Japan to a screeching crash by DECEMBER 1941. Guess what happened then? Pearl Harbor, and a grab for the oil fields of Dutch Indonesia. Is there any further reason to wonder "Why"?

(6) Now for the insistence on unconditional surrender, per Yalta:

It was so that the Allied powers could execute regime change, and ensure that the Fascist elements that took down moderate governments in Germany and Japan would never rise again.

(Note: A campaign of assassination against liberal and moderate political figures, political subversion, and open revolt had taken place in both countries in the 20s and 30s, leading to fascist dictatorships. Contrary to what some idiots may think, Weimar Germany and pre-fascist Japan were DECENT countries. Japan was even an ally to Great Britain and America in the First World War).

Words from the Yalta Declaration:

"The establishment of order in Europe and the rebuilding of national economic life must be achieved by processes which will enable the liberated peoples to destroy the last vestiges of Nazism and fascism and to create democratic institutions of their own choice."

Same went for Japan. Hence, the insistence on final victory, regardless of cost.

Some of you idiots need to do research before you mouth off your fiction. Get a reality check.