JAPAN'S WAR #14

JAPAN'S  WAR  #14

1945  -  JULY  -  POTSDAM:  A  VILLA  IN  THE  SUBERB  OF  BERLIN;  THE  ALLIE  LEADERS  MEET  TO  DISCUSS  HOW  TO  END  THE  WAR  IN  THE  PACIFIC.  THEY  OFFER  JAPAN  A  CHOICE:  EITHER  UNCONDITIONAL  SURRENDER  OR  UTTER  DESTRUCTION.

11  DAYS  LATER  WITH  NO  ANSWER  FROM  THE  JAPANESE  THE  AMERICANS  DROP  ATOM  BOMBS  ON  HIROSHIMA  AND  NAGASAKI.

10  YEAR  OLD  MAGI:  "THERE  WAS  A  TERRIFIC  GUST  OF  WIND  AND  A NOISE  LIKE  THUNDER.  THE  BIGGEST  THING  THAT  EVER  WAS,  UGLY  AND  BEAUTIFUL.  THIS  WAS  LIKE  A  PILLAR  OF  FIRE;  I  THOUGHT  AN  AIRPLANE  HAD  CRASHED  INTO  THE  SUN."

NAGASAKI

ON  THE  DAY  BEFORE  THE  BOMB,  DOCTOR  NAGI  SAID  GOODBYE  TO  HIS  WIFE  AND  WENT  TO  WORK  AS  USUAL:  "THREE  DAYS  LATER  I  MANAGED  TO  RETURN  HOME.  I  FOUND  HER  AT  ONCE,  A  BLACK  LUMP  IN  THE  REMAINS  OF  THE  KITCHEN,  JUST  HER  PELVIS  AND  OTHER  BONES,  SCORCHED  BY  THE  FIRE.  SHE  WAS  STILL  WARM.  I  PICK  UP  MY  WIFE  AND  PUT  HER  IN  A  BUCKET  AND  I  CARRIED  HER  TO  THE  CEMETERY."

OVER  200,000  PEOPLE  HAVE  BEEN  KILLED  INSTANTLY,  MANY  THOUSANDS  MORE  WILL  DIE  IN  THE  MONTHS  AND  YEARS  TO  COME.

A  16  YEAR  OLD  WRITES  IN  HIS  DIARY:  "WAS  THE  ARMY  COMPLETELY  UNAWARE  THAT  THE  ENEMY  HAD  A  WEAPON  LIKE  THIS?  IT  WAS  STUPID  TO  HOPE  THAT  WE  COULD  POSSIBLY  WIN  THIS WAR  WITH  BAMBOO  SPEARS.  OUR  WILL  TO  FIGHT  IS  MELTING  AWAY."

SIX  DAYS  AFTER  THE  BOMBING  OF  NAGASAKI  THERE  IS  A  SPECIAL  ANNOUNCEMENT  ON  THE  RADIO.  JAPAN'S  DIVINE  RULER  EMPEROR  HIROHETO  WILL  SPEAK  TO  HIS  PEOPLE.

"TO  OUR  GOOD  AND  LOYAL  SUBJECTS.  AFTER  PONDERING  DEEPLY  WE  HAVE  DECIDED  TO  EFFECT  A  SETTLEMENT  BY  EXHORTING  TO  AN  EXTRA-ORDINARY  MEASURE."

FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME  THE  JAPANESE  PEOPLE  HERE  THE  VOICE  OF  THEIR  LIVING  GOD,  WITHOUT  ONCE  MENTIONING  THE  WORD  "SURRENDER"  -  HE  ANNOUNCES  THE  END  OF  THE  WAR:  "IF  WE  CONTINUE  TO  FIGHT  IT  WILL  NOT  ONLY  RESULT  IN  THE  ULTIMATE  OBLITERATION  OF  THE  JAPANESE  NATION,  BUT  IT  WOULD  ALSO  LEAD  TO  THE  TOTAL  EXTINCTION  OF  THE  HUMAN  CIVILIZATION.  SO  WE  HAD  DECIDED  TO  PAVE  THE  WAY  FOR  A  GRAND  PEACE,  BY  ENDURING  THE  UN-ENDURABLE."

THE  BOY  MAKIMOTO:  "AFTER  WE  HAD  LISTENED  TO  THE  EMPEROR,  NO  ONE  SPOKE  ABOUT  THE  ENDING  OF  THE  WAR.  EVERYONE  IS  HEART-BROKEN,  WORN  OUT.  YES,  THERE  IS  RELIEF  IN  KNOWING  WE  WOULD  HAVE  NO  MORE  BOMBS;  BUT  WHAT  WAS  LEFT  FOR  US?  FAMILIES  WITHOUT  HOMES,  CHILDREN  WITHOUT  PARENTS.  WHAT  WOULD  HAPPEN  TO  OUR  BELOVED  COUNTRY,  CONQUERED  NOW  BY  WHITE  MEN  FROM  THE  WEST?"
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TO  BE  CONTINUED