Were the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki dropped after Japan offered a conditional surrender?
Not a rumor. It’s true. Japan conveyed offers of conditional surrender before the atomic bombs were dropped. However the Allies wanted unconditional surrender – the terms laid out by the Potsdam Conference. The reason why Japan wanted conditional surrender is because they viewed unconditional surrender as an outcome that would render them powerless to defend their emperor and the imperial family in post-war. President Truman failed to convey to the Japanese that unconditional surrender would not result in the execution of the emperor nor members of the imperial family. Had Truman conveyed the true meaning of the Potsdam Conference, Japan may have accepted the unconditional surrender, and no atomic bombs would’ve been needed. This is what General Douglas MacArthur wanted Truman to do – convey the message to Japan that the imperial family would be saved from trial. Japan had lost the war, and they knew that. The Japanese military only fought on to protect the emperor. MacArthur knew this
