New bomb not responsible for Japan's surrenderĪmerica believed the shock and awe of the devastating power of the new bombs would force Japan into surrender, but experts say inside Japan it was viewed differently. 'The Soviet Union would demolish the emperor system and they would execute the emperor as well as all members of the royal family,' he said.
Japanese historian Yuki Tanaka said the country had no choice because the Soviets would have killed Emperor Hirohito, seen as the heart and soul of imperial Japan. The severely-weakened Japanese Imperial army had no capacity to fight the Soviets on a second front in China and Northern Japan.
It put an end to any hope the Soviets would negotiate a favourable surrender for Japan. Many historians say the bombings did not lead to the Japanese surrender, and the Soviet declaration of war on Japan two days later was a bigger shock.
Keiko said the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and another at Nagasaki three days later, which killed 70,000 more, were war crimes.
