he only way in which surrender could be achieved is if a consensus could be achieved amongst the parties. The military leaders refused to back down, unwilling to accept defeat and dishonor. The massive toll that American bombing attacks were taking on Japan had no effect on the military leaders who ready to fight to the end. Had this deadlock remained the Japanese would have fought until they all starved to death because of a blockade or had been bombed into oblivion. Only when the atomic bombs were dropped the deadlock was broken and peace achieved. This act caused the Japanese emperor to end the political deadlock and demand surrender. "He (the Emperor) hardly would have dared to do so until the explosion of the atomic bomb destroyed the argument that Japan could secure a better peace if it continued to refuse to surrender unconditionally." (p.99) This was a rare event indeed as the emperor traditionally left politics to the politicians. "Even thereafter, the Army heads accepted the decision to surrender only because the Emperor's openly declared conclusion relieved them of shame and humiliation, and lessened their fear of disobedience by their subordinates." (p.99) The demand for peace showed the amount of political power that the bomb held. For without a doubt it was the atomic bomb that caused Japan to surrender. It was a forceful enough message to prod the normally withdrawn emperor into action for peace. In the unconditional surrender that the United States presented the Japanese government it was demanded that the Emperor be removed from his god-like state of power. Some historians criticized this clause because they felt it might have prevented the Japanese government from deciding to surrender before the atomic bombs were dropped. The Emperor was so highly revered in Japan that his removal would only occur under the most dire of circumstances. The Japanese military leaders would never...
