Japan's civilians were irrelevant to the equation, Sae. On Saipan and Okinawa many killed themselves rather than surrender. They were just as nuts as the soldiers. What had to be broken was the will of the military leadership ( there was no civilian government) to resist and that was easier said than done. Do you know that after the atomic bombings and after the Emperor had decided to surrender there was an attempted military coup on the palace grounds by the Imperial Guards led by a few fanatical officers? They wanted to rescue the emperor from the "evil men" who advised him to surrender. The coup failed and the leaders killed themselves but the fact that it happened at all tells you all you need to know about the Japanese mind-set in 1945. The populace was already blasted by incendiary bombings and a submarine blockade. In July, 1945 American carrier groups danced around the home islands with impunity. The war was lost....but it was not over.
The Germans, in contrast, were far more pragmatic than the Japanese. But surrender in European warfare was accepted.
The Germans, in contrast, were far more pragmatic than the Japanese. But surrender in European warfare was accepted.
