On This Day In History....1945

[ToraToraTora]

The Japanese surrendered aboard the USS Missouri bringing WWII to an end.

[William51]

It is interesting to wonder how much longer the war would have gone on without the dropping of the atom bombs.

[ToraToraTora]

Yes William interesting. After the war the US discovered Japanese propaganda films that were shown to the population. The Japanese at the time considered themselves a superior species and that they should fight for every inch of Japan using anything possible. For example housewives were encouraged to tape a carving knife to a broom handle to make a spear if necessary. They would never surrender, death was preferable. Even after the first bomb was dropped they did not surrender it was only after the second and the fact that the Emperor ordered them to surrender that they did finally surrender. Without the bombs there is no doubt that the US would have had to invade and fight for every inch costing millions of lives on both sides. Paradoxically, statistically at least the 2 bombs actually saved many lives.

[jourdain2]

Mr J2, who remembers this clearly, says that the reeling of relief was palpable - far more so than VE Day. This time they knew that it was finally over. No-one cared how it was achieved.

[jourdain2]

^^^^ 'Feeling' not 'reeling' - although I expect that came into it too.

[ToraToraTora]

...yes without the bombs, we'd have probably ended up sending troops to help the Americans invade Japan, very costly.

[Togo]

Another reason for the surrender was that the Russians were rolling them back in Manchuria/Mongolia and had troops in the millions ready to join in after Berlin had fallen. The last thing the Japanese wanted was a Russia invasion onto mainland Japan after what had been done by their forces on Russian territory. Imagine what the World would have been had Russia got into Japan and annexed it into the soviet bloc like they did everywhere else that they subjugated.