We Didn't Surrender – The War Just Ended

During the 20 days between the Potsdam Declaration demanding unconditional surrender and the end of the war on August 15, 1945, the emperor and his advisors struggled with how to stop the war and maintain Japan's dignity. Throughout this time the bombing of Japanese cities continued unabated. Oita felt the blasts until August 11. During those two weeks of bureaucratic dithering, an estimated 380,000 Japanese died. One Oita historian writes, “Had they [the Japanese leaders] accepted the Potsdam Declaration to begin with, this could have been avoided. It is a 20-day tragedy.” ¹