Diary shows Tojo resisted surrender till end

Associated Press ^ | August 12, 2008 | MARI YAMAGUCHI

[Free ThinkerNY]

TOKYO - Japanese World War II leader Hideki Tojo wanted to keep fighting even after U.S. atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, accusing surrender proponents of being "frightened," a newly released diary reveals.

Excerpts from the approximately 20 pages written by Tojo in the final days of the war and held by the National Archives of Japan were published for the first time in several newspapers Tuesday.

"The notes show Tojo kept his died-in-the-wool militarist mentality until the very end," said Kazufumi Takayama, the archives curator, who confirmed the accuracy of the published excerpts. "They are extremely valuable."

[A_Former_Democrat]

They should’ve dropped a third bomb on his ass then asked if he wanted to surrender.

[TASMANIANRED]

The world would be a radically different place had not the Japanese bombed Pearl.

[ClearCase_guy]

Two cities vaporized, and Tojo still wanted to fight. If we hadn't destroyed those cities, think how many Japanese leaders would have pushed for a fight to the end.

I have always considered the bombing of Horoshima and Nagasaki to be among the greatest humanitarian events of the 20th century. Probably saved a million lives.

[abb]

I agree.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Not to mention the deterrent effect of seeing—s believing devastation. Here it is, 60 years later and not another incident.

[sinanju]

I remember as a teen flipping through bound volumes of “Stars and Stripes: Pacific” from the era and reading the story of the team sent to arrest Tojo. He tried to shoot himself in the heart because he didn’t want to mess up his profile. He missed and was tried and went to the noose.

The Imperial Japanese had two full weeks between Hirohito’s announcement of surrender and the landing of Occupation Forces to destroy documents and evidence.

[Ragnar54]

More importantly, American lives were saved.

[ClearCase_guy]

I bet more Japanese lives were saved by the atomic bombs, but yeah, many Americans were saved too.

[Cousin Eddie]

“accusing surrender proponents of being “frightened,”

Let’s see...two vaporized cities...something that was incomprehensible in those days.

“Your right, Tojo. I’m frightened. And your point is.......?”

[elcid1970]

It is said that Tojo was hanged at dawn on a crisp fall day. One American MP observed,

“Hmm...there’s a little nip in the air this morning!”

;^)

[Vigilanteman]

Tojo was an incredibly selfish b*st*rd who had little regard for his own people. Some years ago, I toured the atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima with my family. The bottom floor of that museum is a rotating exhibit. When we were there, the exhibit told about how the government was training even school children to fight to the last person. It clearly showed this type of fanaticism as one of the factors which drove the Americans to drop the big one. The traveling exhibit made just as big an impression on me at the upper floor permanent exhibit about the effects of the bomb. I was deeply impressed that the Hiroshima Peace Museum made a decent effort to show the events which led up to the bomb in a reasonably balanced manner.

[Vigilanteman]

That’s so baaaaaaaaaaad. But for the record, Tojo was hanged on December 23, the 15th birthday of the present emperor.

[atomic conspiracy]

For the sake of clarity it should be noted that Tojo was out of power and living in seclusion by the time of the atomic bombings. He had been forced to resign as prime minister after the fall of Saipan in July 1944. One may speculate though that he hoped to redeem himself and return to power leading a last-ditch national suicide stand against the allies.

[Repeal The 17th]

“The world would be a radically different place had not the Japanese bombed Pearl.”
- - -
And ironically they went to war with us over our oil.

[coconutt2000]

I tend to view the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as one of our nation’s greatest regrettable necessities. But since the end of the war and the reconstruction of Japan, we have managed to make a friend and ally out of Japan that is by and large far more loyal than our long time allies in Western Europe.

From enemy to partner to ally in under 100 years. Talk about progress.

[Popman]

I have always considered the bombing of Horoshima and Nagasaki to be among the greatest humanitarian events of the 20th century.

Wow, I just imagined a DU or KOS lurker reading your posts and their heads exploding.

BTW, I completely agree with you

[TASMANIANRED]

yup.

[mkjessup]

All the more reason for us to hang the sonuvabitch, back in the day when actions (like Pearl Harbor) had consequences (like Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the hangman’s noose).

[elcid1970]

Didn’t the butcher Tojo attempt to escape the hangman’s noose by shooting himself with the Colt .32 automatic that had once belonged to General Jonathan Wainwright, who had been forced to surrender to the Japs at Corregidor?

Tojo shot himself in the head, and missed, little mass-murdering Nip b@stard.