My fellow leaders and advisors held exceedingly ambivalent views, when our American Allies first issued the Potsdam Declaration late July. They demanded unconditional surrender of all our armed forces! If this wasn’t disreputable enough, they threatened imminent and complete destruction of not only our forces, but they insured absolute devastation of our homeland if we failed to comply with their egregious policy! One consequential condition declared on the Potsdam Declaration undoubtedly resonated with me personally and many other leaders and advisors. The declaration specified “elimination for all of the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into …show more content…
embarking on world conquest.” This demand resulted in a lot of dismay among us. Not only did this demand pose a direct threat to me, but the entire Empire! The empire which has been a principal element establishing copious beliefs and traditions in Japan! The nomenclature Empire of Japan has existed since the anti-Tokugawa domains! Our constitutional monarchy ensures the nation of Japan is managed and governed properly. The way sovereignty should be conducted! My fellow advisors and leaders believed it was imperative for our nation to retain our Empire, and maintain the control of the nation we had. We did not want to accept another country dictating Japanese sovereignty as the declaration requested. As a nation I felt Japan’s honour, great power and self-preservation must not be compromised. These are the underlying principles on which our country is built upon.
I’ve never really been in favour of Japan’s involvement in this war, although I never objected to Japan’s invasion of China in 1937; however the demand of another country dictating Japan’s autonomy provoked a fundamental concern of mine. Since America declared war against the Japanese nation on December the 8th, 1941, my soldiers have fought ferociously and even, as the ways of warriors. They’ve demonstrated the unuttered and unwritten code of Bushido. Their actions portrayed honour, loyalty and self-sacrifice to the death. In the gruesome events of the Invasion of Saipan, several hundreds of Japanese civilians jumped off a vast cliff to their death, rather than be captured. Their honour, sacrifices and dedication to this country and the empire astounded me! However, the significance and influence these traditional values and beliefs had on our society, impeded my fellow leaders and my decision regarding the acceptance of our Allies ultimatum of unconditional surrender. I desired peace and truce among our countries, but after the honourable self-sacrifices of so many Japanese soldiers and civilians, how could I agree to disregard my countries and my own honour and admit defeat without a fight? The situation was complex and multifaceted and we debated these issues in session with passion and pride; however we must not disregard the fact that so many precious lives were lost in an attempt to protect the Empire! Let us duly remember the 126,000 loyal soldiers and innocent civilians, killed or captured in the battle of Okinawa against the US. Nor let us forget the damage to weaponry, munitions and the 300 planes lost in the battle of the Leyte Gulf. This hard fought battle also resulted in the death of 12,500 more of our comrades. Could surrendering have been justified when so many lives were lost in order to preserve the Empire?
I knew if we capitulated to our American allies’ declaration it would threaten the future of the entire Imperial system which had existed for centuries! Would unconditional surrender destroy Japan from ever being powerful again? These are just some of the many questions fellow Japanese leaders and myself were faced with. After failed attempts at arbitration with the US, whereby we attempted to persuade them to alter the declaration in order that we maintain our Imperial system, we were forced to make a tough decision. We opted not to accept the Potsdam Declaration. The Japanese Prime Minister Suzuki Kantaro’s response to their demand was “Mokusatsu” which literally means ‘to kill with silence’.
Our resilient nation’s economy was vastly depleting and hardship prevailed. The economic system of family orientated business ownership was ill suited to the extreme demands of war. Civilians had witnessed multiple air attacks that destroyed the cities and towns they called home. The 10th of March, 1942, saw the firebombing campaign, which destroyed 16 square miles of buildings decimating the infrastructure. Horrifically this atrocity saw 83,793 Japanese killed. We deemed this situation so dire that we evacuated innocent children from inner-city school, sending them to safety in the country side. These were our future citizens, scared and traumatized as a result of the US’s brutality. What is more, one month later, the ‘doolittle raid’ also known as the ‘Tokyo raid’ damaged Japanese morale, resulting in 900 causalities. It was at this point that I became personally involved in the peace process. At this time time, I wondered if it was even possible for the war to get any worse. That brings us to the present.
The nation of Japan is permeated with anguish and despair. Two bombs of an indescribable magnitude have been dropped on Japan. The first was 3 days ago; the target, Hiroshima, the site of our major military headquarters. And earlier today, Nagasaki became a victim, and currently lies in ruins. The cities are unrecognizable. I do not have the words to explain to you how devastating and destructive the bombs have been. At this stage, we are still to receive advice regarding the loss of military personnel, and the extent of civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. At this early stage reports slowly filtering in paint a devastating picture. I cannot fathom how my beloved country will bounce back from these attacks. This event, however, has made one element salient to me. Defeat is inevitable. The only alternative to surrender is complete and utter destruction. Our Allies seem committed to completely destroying every Japanese man, women and child. Continuing this war will only result in more destruction for the nation and prolonged
bloodshed.
In response to this attack, I’m calling a meeting with the supreme council tonight and we will debate our nation’s response to this inhuman attack. I will advocate for Japan’s surrender and not cease until I have achieved this. I cannot bear seeing my innocent people suffer any longer. I will take sole responsibility and blame for war atrocities committed by my nation and I will accept the repercussions of this. I can only hope the suffering of this nation can act an as instrument for a grand peace for all generations to come. Through bearing the unbearable and enduring the unendurable, we will unite in strength to become devoted to the restoration of our country, and whatever unconditional surrender brings.