Not exactly, Roy. The Soviets were not inclined to listen to the
Japanese either. To cite another quote: “More important, since June 8
Ambassador Sato in Moscow had been retelling Togo it was unimaginable
that the Soviets would ever help Japan.” Even after the bombing of
Hiroshima and the entry of the Soviet Union into the war, Hirohito and
some of his war leadership sought ways around Potsdam. They wanted to
avoid an occupation, keep the emperor as god, and handle their own war
criminals.
It seems, though, that this will come down to a similar debate
as exists now on North Korea’s nuclear weapons. The Bush administration
takes the blame for not negotiating with Kim Jong Il’s regime even
though Kim has found more ways to end six-party talks and nobody
believes Kim will live up to any agreement. I guess we could say that
there are other ways to deal with North Korea, but how many would truly
offer a solution?
I pose the question here: What would you have accepted short of unconditional surrender by Japan?
