The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific

The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of World War II in the Pacific by William Craig

I’m not really an expert on the history of warfare, but the idea of fighting a war with a country who refuses to surrender, even when their nation is utterly destroyed, seems ridiculously implausible.  Imagine a country that no matter how devasted the landscape, how starving the children, and how utterly hopeless everything is around them, they choose to continue to fight until literally every citizen is dead.  Such was the way of Japanese thinking during the second World War.  By 1945, they had essentially ‘lost’ but refused to give up. 

It wasn’t until the United States dropped two newly developed atomic bombs on two different major Japanese cities that some in this torn nation finally came to their senses and realized that ‘surrendering’ just might be the best option.

I always thought it was basically the whole country that realized surrender was the only viable option, but William Craig’s excellent account tells us otherwise.  I must say how surprised at how many in power in Japan were against this idea.  While hundreds of thousands of women, children, and elderly were literally burned to death or succumbed to painful radiation sickness, many in Japan’s upper echelon still couldn’t fathom the idea of capitulation to the Allies.

  

Fortunately, it seems like the calmest head in Japan prevailed - the Emperor Hirohito. This was a man who was literally revered as a god.  Very few in Japan ever even saw the man, nor heard his voice, but if there was a procession where he was being chauffeured through the city, the entire city would stop and reverently bow their heads in submission.  So when the people finally hear from their iconic head of state that it’s time to end the conflict, most obey.  Again, most.

This book really does an excellent job detailing the events that lead up to the dropping of the bombs as well as the immediate aftermath. Contrary to what I’ve always believed, once the bombs were dropped, there was still plenty of negotiating and haggling back and forth between the obvious loser and winner.  We read of several coup attempts within Japan after the Emperor’s decision, as well as lots of hari-kari by a lot of Japanese leaders.  How would you feel if you were a failed general who had ‘second thoughts’ of suicide only to have your loving wife humiliate you and berate you into killing yourself?  Such was the mindset of the country of the time.  Bizarre indeed; especially if this was the country you were fighting.

In addition, we also read about the liberation of the American POWs during the time (many held in neighboring China).  Again, not an easy task as most of the captors had no idea the war was over and simply couldn’t entertain the notion of defeat.  You might think that if you had a loved one being held as a prisoner of war that you had cause to rejoice as the armistice was being signed. This book shows us it wasn’t that simple. We also sadly read about many prisoners who were killed by the Japanese at the conclusion of the conflict for no other reason than the fact that the Japanese guards were angry and humiliated; so they though nothing of torturing and killing a few more prisoners.

Although this book doesn’t explicitly state it within the pages, it did reinforce the fact that as horrible as the bombings were, they were necessary in terms of saving Allied lives. One gets the feeling that had the bombs not been dropped, the war would have continued for several more years, and more people probably would have perished – including the Japanese.  Such is the calamity when war is fought (and it was also initiated) by such an obstinate nation.

The only overall disappointment for me was the fact that the book ended before the occupation by Douglas MacArthur and the American army really took hold.  It gives me optimism to see just how magnanimous the nation of the Unites States was once war ended.  The Japanese were (rightly) petrified of their occupiers, yet Douglas MacArthur ensured that that the people of Japan would be treated with dignity and respect.  It’s also refreshing to see how quickly the U.S. and Japan became friendly towards each other shortly after the war concluded, and the relationship has basically stayed intact to this day.  Sadly, you don’t read any of that here. As I write this review at the conclusion of 2019, it really sickens me that so many people bitch about the history of the United States without ever bothering to read a history book.

I’ve stated this in many of my reviews of books about history, that I think the real problem many young people in the United States have, is that they’re clueless how barbaric that most of the nations on the planet have been throughout recorded history.  They’re quick to demonize the United States for things such as Christopher Columbus and slavery, but they seem to be unaware that evil has basically existed in every culture since the dawn of time.  This doesn’t mean that the United States (or any country) should get a ‘free pass’ when looking at its past sins, but it does mean that people should give all ancestors of the world a bit of a break since all countries have been creatures of their own culture.  Japan was certainly no exception. 

An excellent history book that gives the novice a bit of perspective of how the world really is, was, and in many ways, has gotten a whole lot better.