The fog is slowly clearing over Tokyo Bay on this historic day. The silhouettes of numerous Allied ships are gradually emerging, menacingly lined up opposite the capital of Japan. The destroyer rushes us to the battleship, on which the ceremony of signing the act of surrender of Japan is to take place.
This destroyer is a small but dashing ship. With a torpedo attack, he sank the cruiser "Jamsu", two enemy submarines, shot down 9 Japanese aircraft in his lifetime. Now he carries to his flagship representatives of the press of all freedom-loving nations. Before us is one of the largest warships in the world - the Missouri. To the right and left of him, his combat comrades-in-arms are the American battleships Iowa and South Dakota, followed by the best English battleships George and the Duke of York. Further in the roadstead are Australian, Dutch, Canadian, New Zealand cruisers, destroyers. There are countless ships of all classes. The battleship "Missouri", on which the signing of the act will take place, was given such an honor not without reason. At the head of the squadron, on March 24, he approached the coast of Japan and fired from his giant guns at the area north of Tokyo. Behind this battleship there are many other combat cases. He deserved the hatred of his enemies. On April 11, it was attacked by a Japanese suicide pilot and, having crashed, inflicted only minor damage to the ship.
The destroyer Budkonan moored to the starboard side of the battleship, on which General MacArthur arrived. Following them, the delegation of the allied countries and guests climb on the battleship. The delegation takes its places behind the table. From right to left - representatives of China, Great Britain, the USSR, Australia, Canada, France, Holland, New Zealand. Guests, over 230 correspondents, are accommodated in the bow of the battleship, filling the captain's bridge, all the gun platforms of the tower. Preparations for the ceremony are coming to an end. A small table is covered with green cloth, two inkwells and blotting paper are placed. Then two chairs appear, one facing the other. The microphone is installed. Everything is done slowly.
A Japanese delegation consisting of eleven people, brought on a boat after the preparation of the entire ceremony, rises up the ladder. With the general silence of those present, representatives of Japanese arrogant diplomacy and frantic military men approach the table. Ahead, all in black, is the head of the Japanese delegation, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu. Behind him is the plump, squat Chief of the Army General Staff of Japan, General Umezu. With them - Japanese diplomatic and military ranks in motley uniforms and suits. What a miserable sight this whole group is! For five minutes, the Japanese delegation stands under the stern gaze of all representatives of the freedom-loving nations present on the ship. The Japanese have to stand just opposite the Chinese delegation.
The representative of the USSR, Lieutenant General K.N. Derevianko signs the Japanese Surrender Act. US Navy battleship Missouri, Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945. Photo: N. Petrov. RGAKFD. Arch.N 0-253498
General MacArthur appears on the deck of the ship. With general silence, MacArthur addresses the delegation and guests. Having finished his speech, MacArthur with a mean gesture invites the Japanese delegates to come to the table. Shigemitsu approaches slowly. After awkwardly completing his heavy duty, Shigemitsu moves away from the table, not looking at anyone. General Umezu diligently puts his signature. The Japanese retire to their places. MacArthur approaches the folders laid out on the table and invites two American generals - Wainarright and Percival - the heroes of Corregidor, with him. Only recently they were torn out of Japanese captivity - a few days ago Wainwright was released by the Red Army in Manchuria. After MacArthur, the Chinese delegates sign the act. Comes to the table for the Chinese English admiral Fraser.
The crackling and clicking of numerous photo and movie cameras increase when MacArthur invites the Soviet delegation to the table. She's the center of attention here. Those present see in her representatives of the mighty Soviet power, which, having defeated Nazi Germany, then hastened the surrender of Japan. Lieutenant General Derevyanko, who signs the act under the authority of the Supreme Commander of the Soviet Armed Forces, is accompanied by Major General Aviation Voronov and Rear Admiral Stetsenko. General Derevianko is followed by the Australian General Blamy, the representative of Canada, General Grave, the French delegate, General Leclerc, and the representatives of Holland and New Zealand.
The act is signed. Expressing his conviction that from now on a lasting peace has been established throughout the world, MacArthur ends the procedure with a smile and asks the delegations that signed the act to follow them to the salon of Admiral Nimitz on the Missouri. For some time the Japanese delegates stand alone. Shigemitsu is then handed a black folder containing a copy of the signed deed. The Japanese descend down the ladder, where a boat is waiting for them. Over the battleship "Missouri" the "Flying Fortresses" are sailing in a majestic parade, fighters are flying at low level ... The guests are leaving the "Missouri" on destroyers. Following this, hundreds of landing craft with troops for occupation rush to implement the act of surrender to Tokyo and Yokohama. Japanese islands.
Missouri (BB-63) is an American Iowa-class battleship. Launched on January 29, 1944 (shipyard "NewYork NavalShipyard"). Its keel was laid on January 6, 1941. About 10 thousand people took part in the construction of the powerful ship. Length 271 m. Width 33 m. Draft 10 m. Displacement 57 thousand tons. Travel speed 33 knots. Cruising range 15 thousand miles. Crew 2800 people. The thickness of the battleship's armor reached 15 cm. Each of its three gun turrets contained three sixteen-inch guns. There was no analogue to this weapon on the ships of the US Navy. Shells "Missouri" pierced ten-meter concrete fortifications. The battleship had the most powerful air defense system in the world.
The act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed on September 2, 1945, but the country's leadership took a very long time to reach this decision. In the Potsdam Declaration, terms of surrender were put forward, but the emperor formally refused the proposed ultimatum. True, Japan still had to accept all the conditions of surrender, putting a bullet in the course of hostilities.
preliminary stage
The act of unconditional surrender of Japan was not signed immediately. First, on July 26, 1945, China, England and the United States of America submitted for general consideration the demand for the surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration. The main idea of the declaration was as follows: if the country refuses to accept the proposed conditions, then it will face "quick and complete destruction." Two days later, the Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun responded to the declaration with a categorical refusal.
Despite the fact that Japan suffered heavy losses, its fleet completely ceased to function (which is a terrible tragedy for an island state that is completely dependent on the supply of raw materials), and the likelihood of an invasion of American and Soviet troops into the country was extremely high, "Military Newspaper" Japanese imperial command made strange conclusions: “We are not able to lead the war without the hope of success. The only way left for all the Japanese is to sacrifice their lives and do everything possible to undermine the morale of the enemy.”
Mass self-sacrifice
In fact, the government called on its subjects to commit an act of mass self-sacrifice. True, the population did not react to such a prospect. In some places it was still possible to meet pockets of fierce resistance, but on the whole, the samurai spirit had long outlived its usefulness. And as historians note, all that the Japanese learned in the forty-fifth year was to surrender en masse.
At that time, Japan was expecting two attacks: the Allied (China, England, United States of America) attack on Kyushu and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed only because the conditions in the country turned out to be critical.
The emperor to the last advocated the continuation of the war. After all, for the Japanese to surrender was an unheard-of shame. Prior to this, the country had not lost a single war and for almost half a millennium had not known foreign invasions of its own territory. But it turned out to be completely ruined, which is why the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed.
Attack
On August 6, 1945, fulfilling the threat stated in the Potsdam Declaration, America dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, the same fate befell the city of Nagasaki, which was the largest naval base in the country.
The country has not yet had time to recover from such a large-scale tragedy, as on August 8, 1945, the authorities of the Soviet Union declare war on Japan and on August 9 it begins to conduct hostilities. Thus, the Manchurian offensive Soviet army. In fact, the military-economic base of Japan on the Asian continent was completely eliminated.
Destruction of communications
At the first stage of the battles, Soviet aviation aimed at military installations, communication centers, communications of the border zones of the Pacific Fleet. Communications that connected Korea and Manchuria with Japan were cut, and the enemy's naval base was seriously damaged.
On August 18, the Soviet army was already approaching the industrial and administrative centers of Manchuria, they were trying to prevent the enemy from destroying material values. On August 19, in the Land of the Rising Sun, they realized that they could not see victory as their own ears, they began to surrender en masse. Japan was forced to capitulate. On August 2, 1945, the World War completely and finally ended when the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed.
Instrument of Surrender
September, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, this is where Japan's Unconditional Surrender Act was signed. On behalf of their states, the document was signed by:
- Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu.
- Chief of Staff Yoshijiro Umezu.
- American army general
- Lieutenant General of the Soviet Union Kuzma Derevianko.
- Admiral of the British Flotilla Bruce Fraser.
In addition to them, during the signing of the act, representatives of China, France, Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand were present.
It can be said that the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed in the city of Kure. This was the last region, after the bombing of which the Japanese government decided to surrender. Some time later, a battleship appeared in Tokyo Bay.
The essence of the document
According to the resolutions approved in the document, Japan fully accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The sovereignty of the country was limited to the islands of Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and other smaller islands of the Japanese archipelago. The islands of Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashir were ceded to the Soviet Union.
Japan was to cease all hostilities, release prisoners of war and other foreign soldiers imprisoned during the war, and preserve civilian and military property without damage. Also, Japanese officials had to obey the decrees of the Supreme Command of the Allied States.
In order to be able to monitor the implementation of the terms of the Surrender Act, the USSR, the USA and Great Britain decided to create the Far Eastern Commission and the Allied Council.
The meaning of war
So ended one of the history of mankind. Japanese generals were convicted of military offenses. On May 3, 1946, a military tribunal began its work in Tokyo, which tried those responsible for preparing the Second World War. Those who wanted to seize foreign lands at the cost of death and enslavement appeared before the people's court.
The battles of World War II claimed about 65 million human lives. The biggest losses were suffered by the Soviet Union, which took the brunt. Signed in 1945, the Act of Japan's unconditional surrender can be called a document that sums up the results of a protracted, bloody and senseless battle.
The result of these battles was the expansion of the borders of the USSR. Fascist ideology was condemned, war criminals were punished, and the United Nations was created. A pact was signed on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and a ban on their creation.
Influence Western Europe decreased markedly, the United States managed to maintain and strengthen its position in the international economic market, and the victory of the USSR over fascism gave the country the opportunity to maintain independence and follow the chosen path of life. But this was all achieved at too high a price.
The surrender of the Japanese Empire marked the end of World War II, in particular the Pacific War and the Soviet-Japanese War.
On August 10, 1945, Japan officially announced its readiness to accept the Potsdam terms of surrender with a reservation regarding the preservation of the structure of imperial power in the country. On August 11, 1945, the US rejected the Japanese amendment, insisting on the formula of the Potsdam Conference. As a result, on August 14, 1945, Japan officially accepted the terms of surrender and informed the Allies about it.
The official signing ceremony for the Japanese Surrender Act took place on September 2, 1945 at 09:02 Tokyo time aboard the American battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Signatories of the act: Empire of Japan - Shigemitsu Mamoru, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Umezu Yoshijiro, Chief of the General Staff, Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies, US Army General Douglas MacArthur. Also, the act was signed by representatives of the United States - Admiral of the Fleet Chester Nimitz, Great Britain - Admiral Bruce Fraser, USSR - Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko, "Free France" - General Jean Philippe Leclerc of the Republic of China - General First Class Xu Yongchang, Canada - Colonel Lawrence Cosgrave, Australia - General Thomas Blamy, New Zealand - Air Vice-Marshal Leonard Isitt, Netherlands - Lieutenant Admiral Emil Helfrich.
1. We, acting on the orders and in the name of the Emperor, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff, hereby accept the terms of the Declaration issued on July 26 at Potsdam by the Heads of Government of the United States, China and Great Britain, to which the USSR subsequently acceded, which four powers will later known as the Allied Powers.
2. We hereby declare the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Imperial Japanese General Staff, all Japanese military forces and all military forces under Japanese control, no matter where they are located.
3. We hereby order all Japanese troops, wherever located, and the Japanese people to cease hostilities immediately, to preserve and prevent damage to all ships, aircraft and military and civilian property, and to comply with all demands that may be made by the Supreme Commander the Allied Powers or by organs of the Japanese government on its instructions.
4. We hereby order the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately issue orders to the commanders of all Japanese troops and troops under Japanese control, wherever located, to surrender unconditionally in person, and also to secure the unconditional surrender of all troops under their command.
5. All civil, military and naval officials must obey and carry out all instructions, orders and directives which the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers deems necessary for the implementation of this surrender and which may be issued by him or by his authority; we direct all these officials to remain at their posts and continue to carry out their non-combat duties, unless they are relieved of them by special decree issued by or under the authority of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers.
6. We hereby undertake that the Japanese Government and its successors will honestly carry out the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, issue such orders and take such actions as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or any other representative appointed by the Allied Powers, in order to implement this declaration, requires.
7. We hereby direct the Imperial Japanese Government and the Imperial Japanese General Staff to immediately release all Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control and ensure their protection, maintenance and care, and their immediate delivery to the designated places.
The atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are crimes against humanity. To justify these atrocities, huge information efforts are being made today. On the next anniversary of this crime, the following “postulates” can be read in abundance on the Russian Internet and the media. Like, an atomic strike, of course, is not a good thing, but it helped save the lives of American soldiers. They even call the figure - 100,000. You can guess where these numbers came from - about the same number of Japanese died in the fiery whirlwinds of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
But on this information soldiers, standing guard over the interests of the United States, are not appeased. They lie further - it turns out that the dropping of atomic bombs helped save ... the lives of the Japanese. They would have died more if the real “final” landing of the US army on Japanese territory had begun. But that's not all. The Japanese should be grateful to the States - after all, it turns out that they ... saved them from communism. The logic here is cannibalistic. Following it, the prisoners of Auschwitz should have been grateful to their jailers that they killed them and thus saved them from communism.
But the lies don't end there. Conscientious and independent bloggers write with a blue eye that the US atomic attack on Japan helped save ... the lives of Soviet soldiers. Although the blow of the Soviet army on the Kwantung army occurred after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the liberation of the Kuriles and Sakhalin took place after that. And the Japanese resistance was broken not by atomic strikes, orders to surrender or fear, but by the military skill of the commanders and the soldierly prowess of the Russian soldiers.
The atomic strike did nothing to end the war. Japan surrendered because the USSR entered the war. There was no point in fighting any further. The last hope of Tokyo collapsed - that Stalin would act as a kind of mediator for the conclusion of acceptable peace terms between Japan and the USA and Great Britain.
This is the article of the leading expert on Japan in our country, Professor Anatoly Arkadyevich Koshkin.
Preparing for the first strike
For the first time in the world, an atomic strike on living people - children, women and the elderly was entrusted to the 509th air group of the 20th Air Army, relocated in January 1945 to Cuba, where in deep secrecy the crews practiced bombing, including using radar guidance.
The commander of the air group was twenty-nine-year-old Air Force Colonel Paul Tibbets, who was repeatedly awarded for successful air battles with the German Luftwaffe. The colonel began to prepare his group for a special task in the summer of 1944, when the atomic bomb was not yet ready. He himself made up the team of the 393rd bomber squadron, which was to drop the "product". The 509th air group was supplied and equipped "to the highest standard." From various parts of the US Air Force, 14 B-29 bombers of the latest modification were withdrawn and sent to this air group.
Although the island of Guam was better equipped, the American command and personally Admiral Chester Nimitz chose Tinian Island, also located in the Mariana Ridge, as the base from which the B-29 with nuclear cargo was supposed to fly. This island is located 150 km closer to Japan than Guam, it had a perfectly flat coral area for use as a runway and was convenient for landing large bombers from the sea.
The components of the atomic bomb were delivered to the harbor of Tinian on July 26, 1945 by the cruiser Indianapolis. Washington was informed that the bomb would be assembled and ready for use by August 1st. Then, on August 4, seven crews were briefed, prepared for the unusual task. The pilots were shown a film about the atomic bomb test at Alamagordo. Particular attention was paid to the need to leave the bombing site as soon as possible after the explosion, so as not to fall into the rising radioactive cloud.
The next day, the order was given to drop a black-and-orange bomb filled with uranium-235, dubbed "The Kid", on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The order was to be obeyed by the crew of the B-29, under the command of Colonel Tibbets, who named the bomber carrying the deadly atomic device after his mother, Enola Gay.
The aircraft was escorted by two more B-29s. One was a technical board, on which three scientists flew to be present during the experiment and ejection of measuring instruments with a parachute. Another plane with cameramen on board was intended for filming historical event the world's entry into the era of nuclear weapons.
Explosion on August 6
On the night of August 6, after taking off from the Tinian airfield, American bombers headed northwest towards Japan. At 7.30 am, the Japanese coast appeared on the horizon. The weather was favorable - the bright sun shone, rare clouds glided across the sky, visibility was excellent. When approaching the city, the crews examined its quarters and the Hiroshima feudal castle, which stood out for its architecture. The release of the "Baby" to the center of Hiroshima was supposed to take place at 8.15 Japanese time. And so it happened - the delay was only 17 seconds. In the United States, the date of the first military use of atomic weapons is different - 19:15 on August 5, 1945.
The bomb was detonated at an altitude of 580 meters. It was believed that it was as a result of an air explosion of an atomic bomb that the maximum damage would be inflicted on the city and the population. At the same time, the Americans did not give any warning about an atomic strike. On the other hand, the air-raid signal had been sounded only fifteen minutes before the explosion. However, seeing only one plane in the sky at first and not expecting a massive bombardment, few people hurried to the bomb shelter. This greatly increased the number of victims.
Determining the number of dead, among whom there were many incinerated and wounded, was difficult due to the uncertainty of the population of Hiroshima at the time of the explosion. The figures vary from 255 thousand to 350 thousand people. This is due to the large migration of urban residents who fled from the bombing in the villages. According to data published by the Ministry of the Interior of Japan on September 6, 1945, 70,000 dead and 130,000 wounded became victims of the atomic explosion.
According to American data, 64 thousand people were killed and 72 thousand people were injured. This did not take into account those who died from the consequences of the atomic bombing over the next few months, there were from 50 to 60 thousand. It is believed that in total, up to 1950, about 200 thousand inhabitants of Hiroshima died from radiation and other diseases caused by the explosion. The surviving "hibakusha", as the irradiated Japanese and their descendants in the second and third generations were called in Japan, almost all became disabled due to the disease.
On September 2, 1945, the Japanese Empire surrendered unconditionally. The hotbed of war in the Asia-Pacific region was extinguished. World War II is over. Russia-USSR, despite all the intrigues of obvious enemies and "partners", has confidently entered the phase of restoration of the Empire. Thanks to the wise and resolute policy of Joseph Stalin and his associates, Russia successfully restored its military-strategic and economic positions in the European (Western) and Far Eastern strategic directions.
At the same time, it should be noted that Japan, like Germany, was not the real instigator of the world war. They performed the role of figures in the Great Game, where the prize is the entire planet. The real instigators of the world massacre were not punished. Although it was the masters of the United States and Great Britain who unleashed world war. The Anglo-Saxons nurtured Hitler and the Eternal Reich project. The dreams of the “possessed Fuhrer” about the New World Order and the dominance of the “chosen” caste over the rest of the “subhumans” were just a repetition of the English racial theory and social Darwinism. Britain has been building the New World Order for a long time, where the metropolis and colonies, dominions existed, it was the Anglo-Saxons who created the world's first concentration camps, and not the Germans.
London and Washington sponsored the revival of German military power and gave her almost all of Europe, including France. For Hitler to lead crusade to the East” and crushed the Russian (Soviet) civilization, which carried the beginnings of a different, just world order, challenging the shadow masters of the Western world.
The Anglo-Saxons pitted the Russians and the Germans for the second time in order to destroy the two great powers, whose strategic alliance could establish peace and prosperity in Europe and a large part of the world for a long time. At the same time, an elite fight took place within the Western world itself. The Anglo-Saxon elite dealt a powerful blow to the old Germanic-Roman elite, seizing a leading position in Western civilization. The consequences for Europe were dire. The Anglo-Saxons still control Europe, sacrificing its interests. The European nations are condemned, they must assimilate, become part of the "global Babylon".
However, not all the global plans of the owners of the Western project were realized. The Soviet Union not only was not destroyed and withstood the most difficult battle with the united forces of Europe, but also became a superpower that thwarted the plans to establish the "Eternal Reich" (New World Order). Soviet civilization for several decades became a beacon of Goodness and Justice for mankind, an example of a different path of development. The Stalinist society of service and creation was an example of a society of the future that can save humanity from the impasse of a consumer society that leads people to degradation and planetary catastrophe.
Chief of the General Staff, General Umezu Yoshijiro signs the Japanese Surrender Act. Behind him is Japanese Foreign Minister Shigemitsu Mamoru, who has already signed the Act.
General Douglas MacArthur signing the Japanese surrender
Lieutenant General K. N. Derevyanko, on behalf of the USSR, signs the Japanese Surrender Act aboard the American battleship Missouri
Japanese surrender
The crushing offensive of the Soviet Army, which led to the defeat and surrender of the Kwantung Army ( ; ; ), dramatically changed the military-political situation in the Far East. All plans of the Japanese military-political leadership to drag out the war collapsed. The Japanese government was afraid of the invasion of Soviet troops on the Japanese islands and a radical change in the political system.
The strike of Soviet troops from the north and the threat of a consistent invasion of Soviet troops through the narrow straits into the Kuriles and Hokkaido was considered more significant than the landing of Americans on the Japanese islands proper after they crossed by sea from Okinawa, Guam and the Philippines. American landing they hoped to drown thousands of suicide bombers in the blood, and in the worst case scenario, retreat to Manchuria. The blow of the Soviet Army deprived the Japanese elite of this hope. Moreover, the rapid advance of the Soviet troops deprived Japan of bacteriological stocks. Japan has lost the opportunity to strike back at the enemy, to use weapons of mass destruction.
At a meeting of the Supreme Military Council on August 9, 1945, the head of the Japanese government, Suzuki, stated: "The entry into the war of the Soviet Union this morning puts us completely in a hopeless situation and makes it impossible to continue the war." At this meeting, the conditions under which Japan agreed to accept the Potsdam Declaration were discussed. The Japanese elite was practically unanimous in the opinion that it was necessary to preserve the imperial power at all costs. Suzuki and other "peace advocates" believed that in order to preserve imperial power and prevent a revolution, it was necessary to capitulate immediately. Representatives of the military party continued to insist on the continuation of the war.
On August 10, 1945, the Supreme Military Council adopted the text of a statement to the Allied Powers proposed by Premier Suzuki and Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo. The text of the statement was supported by Emperor Hirohito: “The Japanese Government is ready to accept the terms of the Declaration of July 26 of this year, to which the Soviet Government has also joined. The Japanese Government understands that this Declaration does not contain requirements that would infringe on the Emperor's prerogatives as the sovereign ruler of Japan. The Japanese Government requests specific notice on this matter." On August 11, the governments of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and China transmitted a response. It stated that the power of the emperor and the government of Japan from the moment of surrender would be subordinate to the supreme commander of the allied powers; the emperor must ensure that Japan signs the terms of surrender; the form of government in Japan will ultimately, in accordance with the Potsdam Declaration, be established by the freely expressed will of the people; the armed forces of the Allied Powers will remain in Japan until the goals set out in the Potsdam Declaration are achieved.
Meanwhile, disputes continued among the Japanese elite. And in Manchuria there were fierce battles. The military insisted on continuing the fight. On August 10, Army Minister Koretic Anami's address to the troops was published, emphasizing the need to "bring the holy war to the end." The same appeal was published on 11 August. Tokyo Radio on August 12 broadcast a message that the army and navy, "carrying out the highest order commanding the defense of the homeland and the highest person of the emperor, everywhere went over to active hostilities against the allies."
However, no orders could change reality: the Kwantung Army was defeated, and it became pointless to continue resistance. Under pressure from the emperor and the "peace party", the military were forced to reconcile. On August 14, at a joint meeting of the Supreme Military Council and the government, in the presence of the emperor, a decision was made on the unconditional surrender of Japan. In the emperor's decree on the acceptance by Japan of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, the main place was given to the preservation of the "national state system."
On the night of August 15, supporters of the continuation of the war rebelled and occupied the imperial palace. They did not encroach on the life of the emperor, but wanted to change the government. However, by the morning of August 15, the rebellion was crushed. On August 15, the population of Japan for the first time in their country heard the speech of the emperor on the radio (recorded) about unconditional surrender. On this day and later, many soldiers committed samurai suicide - seppuku. So, on August 15, the Minister of the Army Koretika Anami committed suicide.
This is a characteristic feature of Japan - high level discipline and responsibility among the elite, which continued the traditions of the military class (samurai). Considering themselves guilty for the defeat and misfortune of their homeland, many Japanese chose to commit suicide.
The USSR and the Western powers differed in their assessment of the Japanese government's announcement of surrender. The United States and Great Britain considered that on August 14-15 there were last days war. August 14, 1945 became the "day of victory over Japan." By this point, Japan had indeed ceased hostilities against the US-British armed forces. However, hostilities still continued on the territory of Manchuria, Central China, Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. There, the Japanese resisted in a number of places until the end of August, and only the offensive of the Soviet troops forced them to lay down their arms.
When it became known that the Empire of Japan was ready to capitulate, the question arose of appointing the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers in the Far East. His functions were to include acceptance of the general surrender of the Japanese armed forces. On August 12, the American government proposed General D. MacArthur for this position. Moscow agreed with this proposal and appointed Lieutenant General K. N. Derevyanko as the representative of the USSR to the Supreme Commander of the Allied armies.
On August 15, the Americans announced the draft "General Order No. 1", which indicated the areas for accepting the surrender of the Japanese troops of each of the allied powers. The order provided that the Japanese would surrender to the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Forces in the Far East in Northeast China, in the northern part of Korea (north of the 38th parallel) and in South Sakhalin. The surrender of Japanese troops in southern Korea (south of the 38th parallel) was to be accepted by the Americans. The American command refused to conduct a landing operation in South Korea in order to interact with the Soviet troops. The Americans preferred to land troops in Korea only after the end of the war, when there was no longer any risk.
Moscow as a whole did not object to the general content of General Order No. 1, but made several amendments. The Soviet government proposed to include in the area of surrender of Japanese forces to the Soviet troops all the Kuril Islands, which, under the agreement at Yalta, passed to the Soviet Union and the northern part of the island of Hokkaido. The Americans did not raise serious objections about the Kuriles, since the issue of them was resolved on Yalta Conference. However, the Americans still tried to negate the decision of the Crimean Conference. On August 18, 1945, the day the Kuril operation began, Moscow received a message from American President Truman, which stated that the United States wanted to obtain the rights to create an air base on one of the Kuril Islands, presumably in the central part, for military and commercial purposes. Moscow decisively rejected these claims.
As for the question of Hokkaido, Washington rejected the Soviet proposal and insisted that Japanese troops on all four islands of Japan proper (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) surrender to the Americans. At the same time, the United States did not formally deny the USSR the right to temporarily occupy Japan. "General MacArthur," the American President reported, "will use symbolic Allied military forces, which will of course include Soviet military forces, to temporarily occupy such part of Japan proper as he deems necessary to occupy in order to implement our Allied terms of surrender." But in fact, the United States staked on unilateral control in Japan. On August 16, Truman spoke at a conference in Washington and declared that Japan would not be divided into occupation zones, like Germany, that all Japanese territory would be under the control of the Americans.
In fact, the United States abandoned allied control in post-war Japan, provided for by the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, 1945. Washington was not going to let Japan out of its sphere of influence. Japan before the Second World War was under the great influence of Britain and the United States, now the Americans wanted to restore their positions. The interests of American capital were also taken into account.
After August 14, the USA repeatedly tried to put pressure on the USSR in order to stop the offensive of Soviet troops against the Japanese. The Americans wanted to limit the zone of Soviet influence. If Russian troops had not occupied South Sakhalin, the Kuriles and North Korea, then American forces could appear there. On August 15, MacArthur gave the Soviet Headquarters a directive to stop offensive operations in the Far East, although the Soviet troops were not subordinate to the Allied command. The Allies were then forced to admit their "mistake". Like, they passed the directive not for “execution”, but for “information”. It is clear that such a position of the United States did not contribute to the strengthening of friendship between the allies. It became clear that the world was heading for a new clash - now between former allies. The United States tried to stop the further spread of the zone of Soviet influence with quite severe pressure.
This US policy was in the hands of the Japanese elite. The Japanese, like the Germans before, hoped to the last that a major conflict would occur between the allies, up to an armed clash. Although the Japanese, like the Germans before, miscalculated. At this point, the US was banking on Kuomintang China. The Anglo-Saxons first used Japan, provoking her to start hostilities in the Pacific Ocean, to aggression against China and the USSR. True, the Japanese dodged and, having received tough military lessons, did not attack the USSR. But in general, the Japanese elite lost, drawn into the war with the United States and Britain. The weight classes were too different. The Anglo-Saxons used Japan, and in 1945 it was time to put her under full control, until the military occupation, which persists to the present day. Japan became first a practically open colony of the United States, and then a semi-colony, a dependent satellite.
All the preparatory work for organizing the official Act of Surrender was carried out at MacArthur's headquarters in Manila. On August 19, 1945, representatives of the Japanese headquarters arrived here, headed by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Imperial Japanese Army, Lieutenant General Torashiro Kawabe. Characteristically, the Japanese sent their delegation to the Philippines only when they were finally convinced that the Kwantung Army had been defeated.
On the day the Japanese delegation arrived at MacArthur's headquarters there, a "denunciation" from the Japanese government was received by radio from Tokyo about the Soviet troops, who had begun an operation in the Kuriles. The Russians were accused of violating the "ban on hostilities" allegedly in place after 14 August. It was a provocation. The Japanese wanted the allied command to intervene in the actions of the Soviet troops. On August 20, MacArthur stated: "I sincerely hope that, pending the formal signing of the surrender, a truce will prevail on all fronts and that a surrender without the shedding of blood can be effected." That is, it was a hint that Moscow was to blame for the “shedding of blood”. However, the Soviet command was not going to stop the fighting before the Japanese ceased resistance and laid down their arms in Manchuria, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuriles.
The Japanese representatives in Manila were handed the Instrument of Surrender agreed upon by the Allied countries. On August 26, General MacArthur notified the Japanese headquarters that the American fleet had begun moving towards Tokyo Bay. The American armada included about 400 ships, and 1300 aircraft, which were based on aircraft carriers. On August 28, an advanced American force landed at Atsugi Airfield, near Tokyo. On August 30, a mass landing of American troops began in the area of the Japanese capital and in other regions of the country. On the same day, MacArthur arrived and took control of the Tokyo radio station and set up an information bureau.
For the first time in the history of Japan, its territory was occupied by foreign troops. She had never had to capitulate before. On September 2, 1945, the ceremony of signing the Act of Surrender took place in Tokyo Bay aboard the American battleship Missouri. On behalf of the Japanese government, the Act was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamoru Shigemitsu, and on behalf of the Imperial Headquarters, the Chief of the General Staff, General Yoshijiro Umezu, signed it. On behalf of all allied nations, the Act was signed by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies, General of the US Army Douglas MacArthur, from the USA by Admiral Chester Nimitz, from the USSR by Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko, from China by General Xu Yongchang, from Britain by Admiral Bruce Fraser. Representatives of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Holland and France also put their signatures.
Under the Act of Surrender, Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and announced the unconditional surrender of all armed forces, both its own and those under its control. All Japanese troops and population were ordered to immediately stop hostilities, to save ships, aircraft, military and civilian property; the Japanese government and the General Staff were instructed to immediately release all allied prisoners of war and interned civilians; the power of the emperor and the government was subordinate to the supreme allied command, which must take measures to implement the terms of surrender.
Japan finally stopped resistance. The occupation of the Japanese islands by American troops began with the participation of British forces (mostly Australians). By September 2, 1945, the surrender of the Japanese troops, which opposed the Soviet Army, was completed. At the same time, the remnants of Japanese forces in the Philippines capitulated. The disarmament and capture of other Japanese groups dragged on. On September 5, the British landed in Singapore. On September 12, the Act of Surrender of the Japanese Armed Forces in Southeast Asia was signed in Singapore. On September 14, the same ceremony was held in Malaya, on September 15 - in New Guinea and North Borneo. On September 16, British troops entered Xianggang (Hong Kong).
The capitulation of Japanese troops in Central and North China proceeded with great difficulty. The offensive of the Soviet troops in Manchuria created favorable opportunities for the liberation of the remaining regions of China from the invaders. However, Chiang Kai-shek's regime stuck to its line. The Kuomintang now considered the main enemy not the Japanese, but the Chinese Communists. Chiang Kai-shek made a deal with the Japanese, giving them the "duty of maintaining order." Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Forces were successfully advancing in the regions of North, Central and South China. Within two months, from August 11 to October 10, 1945, the 8th and New 4th People's Armies destroyed, wounded and captured more than 230 thousand soldiers of Japanese and puppet troops. The people's troops liberated large territories and dozens of cities.
However, Chiang Kai-shek continued to stick to his line and tried to forbid accepting the surrender of the enemy. The transfer of Kuomintang troops on American planes and ships to Shanghai, Nanjing and Tanjing was organized under the pretext of disarming the Japanese troops, although these cities had already been blockaded by popular forces. The Kuomintang were transferred to increase pressure on the people's armies of China. At the same time, Japanese troops participated in hostilities on the side of the Kuomintang for several months. The signing of the capitulation on October 9 in Nanjing by the Japanese troops was of a formal nature. The Japanese were not disarmed and until 1946 they fought as mercenaries against the people's forces. Volunteer detachments were formed from Japanese soldiers to fight the communists and used to protect railways. And three months after the surrender of Japan, tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers did not lay down their arms and fought on the side of the Kuomintang. The Japanese commander-in-chief in China, General Teiji Okamura, was still sitting at his headquarters in Nanjing and was now subordinate to the Kuomintang government.
Modern Japan should remember the lesson of September 2, 1945. The Japanese should be aware that the Anglo-Saxons pitted them in 1904-1905. with Russia, and then set Japan against Russia (USSR) and China for decades. That it was the United States that subjected the Yamato race to an atomic bomb and turned Japan into its semi-colony. That only friendship and a strategic alliance along the Moscow-Tokyo line can ensure a period of long-term prosperity and security in the Asia-Pacific region. The Japanese people do not need to repeat the old mistakes in the 21st century. The enmity between the Russians and the Japanese only plays into the hands of the owners of the Western project. There are no fundamental contradictions between Russian and Japanese civilization, and they are doomed to creation by history itself. In the long run, the Moscow-Tokyo-Beijing axis could bring peace and prosperity to much of the Eastern Hemisphere for centuries to come. The union of the three great civilizations will help keep the world from chaos and catastrophe, to which the masters of the West are pushing humanity.
ctrl Enter
Noticed osh s bku Highlight text and click Ctrl+Enter
