Article

2022-09-08 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

1945: Heroes of the war with Japan

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by badanov 2022-09-08 00:00|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 Two days later, in a rescript dated August 17, 1945, "To Soldiers and Sailors," Hirohito indicated the entry into the war of the USSR as the main reason for the surrender.

Are Russians really so ignorant they'll buy this? That Japan folded not because of nuclear bombs, but drunken conscripts?

They're crazier than trans lunatics.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2022-09-08 07:53|| 2022-09-08 07:53|| Front Page Top

#2 ^ don't forget the commie academics in America too.

Posted by Procopius2k 2022-09-08 09:11|| 2022-09-08 09:11|| Front Page Top

#3 The Soviet attack was by agreement between Stalin, and Churchill and Roosevelt in Yalta in 1945.

Posted by badanov 2022-09-08 09:27|| 2022-09-08 09:27|| Front Page Top

#4 Soldiers of the Sun gets into this.

Thanks, badanov.

Posted by swksvolFF 2022-09-08 11:43|| 2022-09-08 11:43|| Front Page Top

#5 Rob, the firebombing campaign had destroyed over 60% of urban Japan already (The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb(2000) by John Ray Skates). The atomic bombs were just another log piled on the inferno and the Japanese rightly believed that the US had a very limited supply of them. The naval blockade of Japanese transportation was in the process of driving Japan into wholesale starvation which had even greater effects.

The argument is that Imperial Japanese government held onto the forlorn hope that Soviet Russia would want a strong Japan surviving to counter balance the European colonial powers. Stalin did not and the Soviet invasion marked the end of their last 'credible' hope for a negotiated end.

No, I agree with the view that the greatest effect of 'Dropping The Bomb' was to give the Japanese national psyche an enormous alibi: "They didn't Lose because the Americans cheated! It wasn't manpower, ships, planes and American fighting spirit that defeated Samurai Bushido -- they cheated and used nukes!"

Posted by magpie 2022-09-08 12:43|| 2022-09-08 12:43|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks badanov for the interesting article.

The book Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939(1990) by Alvin D. Coox covers the series of batttles culminating in Zhukov's decisive victory at Khalkin Gol (Nomonhan). It also ends with a views on the collapse of the 'hollowed out' Kwantung Army under the Soviet attack. Delightful book.

Posted by magpie 2022-09-08 12:51|| 2022-09-08 12:51|| Front Page Top

#7 Twilight of the Gods by Ian Toll has an extensive discussion of the surrender issue. I can't cite chapter and verse, but two points I took away are (1) Japanese internal assessments showed that Japan was completely screwed a long time before the actual surrender and (2) the surrender was delayed because the decision required a consensus and no consensus could be reached -- sort of a "Japanese quality circle" (remember those from the '80's?) gone badly wrong.

Posted by Matt 2022-09-08 13:11|| 2022-09-08 13:11|| Front Page Top

#8 The bombs gave them enough face and allowed the civilians of the government to do the unthinkable. Not well that Hirohito doesn't mention the Soviet action but the new weapon.

Posted by Procopius2k 2022-09-08 15:12|| 2022-09-08 15:12|| Front Page Top

#9 Thank you magpie, gonna check it out.

Shattered Sword is a good pick-up.
In essence, simply attacking Solomon's boned them, nevermind the result, but the clear thinkers were not listened to.

Posted by swksvolFF 2022-09-08 15:24|| 2022-09-08 15:24|| Front Page Top

23:37 Skidmark
22:56 Nero
22:46 Dron66046
22:03 ruprecht
21:54 trailing wife
21:44 trailing wife
21:04 DarthVader
20:46 Nero
20:42 magpie
20:40 magpie
20:40 magpie
20:38 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
20:14 DarthVader
20:01 Silentbrick
20:00 Super Hose
20:00 Silentbrick
19:52 Frank G
19:49 Omineling Forkbeard1962
19:39 Angstrom
19:31 Super Hose
19:28 Omineling Forkbeard1962
19:26 Super Hose
19:24 Super Hose
19:19 Super Hose