Harry S. Truman said that right after Nazi Germany surrendered, but Japan was still willing to fight. After one success, he gave the ultimatum "Surrender now, or face utter and complete destruction." Japan refused to surrender, and he got sick of all there nonsense, hence, he dropped 2 Nukes on Japan. Then they surrendered.
Fear of loss of face.
Who says he wouldn't have? In June 1945 the Japanese were bitterly defending Okinawa, engaging in mass Kamikaze attacks on the American fleet, and showing not the slightest sign of any inclination to surrender on any terms. The Japanese still had millions of undefeated troops in China. The war had been lost to the Japanese since Midway, in June 1942, to all of them who were able to face the facts unemotionally. So why did they wait more than three years, and endure two atomic bombings before they voiced a desire to end it? There is a school of revisionist "historians" that have tried to claim in recent years that Japan WANTED to surrender, had made the decision TO surrender, and, instead of directly informing the US of this decision, were trying to go through the Russians or the Swedes or some other intermediary to get the word through. I do not think the historical evidence supports any of these propositions, but even so, assuming that they are true, if the Japanese wanted to surrender, shouldn't they have let the US know that simple fact? There is no doubt whatsoever that the US had no information at all of any intention to end the war by Japan. The US was actively involved in planning and preparing for the next two invasions, which were to be in the Home Islands, in November 1945 and March 1946. In July 1945, while at the Potsdam Conference, Truman issued the "Potsdam Declaration" to the Japanese, after he had been informed of the successful test of the atomic bomb. Truman called on Japan for immediate surrender, or promised they would face "prompt and utter destruction", "the like of which the world has never seen". The Japanese made no reply at all. None. Zero, Nada, Zip. Zilch.
Chief Joseph was forced to surrender or face extinction. The US Policy at the time was to kill all 'Indians' that could claim land and who would not surrender, Chief Joseph and his tribe owned around 42,874 square miles of land (the same size as the State of Virginia) that the United States wanted, at all costs.
Unfortunately it was the only credible choice for the Allies in WWII. Japan did want to surrender (to surrender in Japan was to lose face). The battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa were bloodbaths for both sides. An island invasion of Japan would have cost probably a million casualties for both the Allies and Japan. Dropping the two atom bombs was difficult but the only realistic choice for the Allies and Japan. Japan soon surrendered after Nagasaki was bombed.
The face of war has changed, and the meaning. I believe this means that instead of fighting a war of MAD, mutual assured destruction, or a war of armies, it has changed on a level of, One,, Economic Two,, Technologic Three,, Tactics for battle are no longer large armies, but rather small specialized and well trained forces to take out spacific targets.
The Potsdam Declaration warned Japan that if it did not surrender it would face "prompt and utter destruction".
It warned the Japanese that if they did not surrender, they would face destruction.
For negotiations, a buffer zone is needed. If there is NO buffer zone, then there are NO options. If there are no options; then it is total war. During WW2 it was total war, the Axis Powers had no options: it was unconditional surrender OR utter destruction from the face of the earth.
It warned the Japanese that if they did not surrender, they would face destruction.
It warned the Japanese that if they did not surrender, they would face destruction.
Firebombed Tokyo APEX! They dropped two atomic bombs and killed over one million people or Warned that Japan would face prompt and utter destruction if it did not surrender.
In World War 2; The United States, England, and China had given an ultimatum to Japan stating that they surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction". This was called the Potsdam Declaration. When the declaration was refused, president Truman ordered the bombing of Hiroshima and [3 days later] Nagasaki.
No he didn't. This question is complete and utter bull sheet. Get a life people!
The Potsdam Declaration or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender is a statement that called for the Surrender of the Empire of Japan during World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chairman of the Nationalist Government of China Chiang Kai-shek issued the document, which outlined the terms of surrender for the Empire of Japan as agreed upon at the Potsdam Conference. This ultimatum stated that, if Japan did not surrender, it would face "prompt and utter destruction" although the document did not make any mention of atomic weapons.
As a verb:I watched her face tighten in rage as she started to utter each word with unguarded contempt.As an adjective:The plot was utter nonsense.
1 of a series of meetings between Churchill, FDR & Stalin to decide how to co ordinate the fight against the Germans in WW2
You will receive the cash value minus the surrender charges, not the face value of the policy.