Japan’s surrender in 1945 ended the worst and most destructive war that the world had even known. Since the end of World War II, a countless number of historians have studied and written chronicles on the Japanese’s decision to surrender and what motivated them to do so. This argument derives from the factors of whether the atomic bombings, the Soviet Union’s entrance into the war in the Pacific and the influence of how Japan’s government helped motivate the country’s decision to surrender. Post-World War II historian Robert J. C. Butow’s 1954 book Japan’s Decision to Surrender originated the discussion on the topic of what motivated the country to surrender. Butow’s thesis states that while the atomic bombings and the Soviet Union’s declaration
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Feis became one of the first historians to advance the trajectory and thought on Butow’s original arguments on the Japanese surrender. Much of Feis’ arguments on the topic have come from his analysis as an aid to the Secretaries of War, as well as, the examination of papers and primary source documents about the surrender. With Feis’ investigation through a political and militaristic understanding, Butow’s assessments and claims that several Japanese officials helped convince the emperor to choose to surrender influenced him greatly. Feis argues that with the examining of the relationships between the issues of unconditional surrender and the use of the atomic bombs he states that the observer will realize the importance t the two together had on influencing Japan’s decision to surrender. In agreement with Butow’s thesis, Feis analytically focuses on three points of how the United States could have persuaded Japan to surrender. Feis complements Butow’s argument by stating that while the United States could end the war through the forced submission of Japan with warfare. Continuing on this point, the author asserts that even with the combination of the Soviet Union’s entry into the war and the atomic bombs, the outcome would have still led to the internal struggle for Japan due to the “spirit of defiance” that many of its military leaders still
Feis became one of the first historians to advance the trajectory and thought on Butow’s original arguments on the Japanese surrender. Much of Feis’ arguments on the topic have come from his analysis as an aid to the Secretaries of War, as well as, the examination of papers and primary source documents about the surrender. With Feis’ investigation through a political and militaristic understanding, Butow’s assessments and claims that several Japanese officials helped convince the emperor to choose to surrender influenced him greatly. Feis argues that with the examining of the relationships between the issues of unconditional surrender and the use of the atomic bombs he states that the observer will realize the importance t the two together had on influencing Japan’s decision to surrender. In agreement with Butow’s thesis, Feis analytically focuses on three points of how the United States could have persuaded Japan to surrender. Feis complements Butow’s argument by stating that while the United States could end the war through the forced submission of Japan with warfare. Continuing on this point, the author asserts that even with the combination of the Soviet Union’s entry into the war and the atomic bombs, the outcome would have still led to the internal struggle for Japan due to the “spirit of defiance” that many of its military leaders still