The scary thing is that even with the atomic bombing, the massive firebombings previous to those, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria the war still could have been prolonged. The Japanese militarists denied what had struck Hiroshima was even an atomic bomb. The Japanese cabinet remained split over surrender and the Emperor had to break the deadlock. A group of field officers organized a coup to halt the surrender and seized the Imperial Palace during the night of August 14-15 1945. The coup ultimately failed, however when War Minister Anami refused to participate. He chose to commit suicide instead.
Despite the Emperor's radio broadcast of the Imperial Rescript ending the war senior officers overseas refused to comply at first. The Emperor had to issue a second Rescript to finally bring Japanese commanders in the field to finally lay down their arms. Some still refused to comply and chose suicide. So, hard as it is to believe, even with the horrible tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan's surrender was still a close run thing.
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--Mobilis in Mobili--
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