A great untold story of World War II is the story of how Emperor Hirohito’s sentiments gradually swung away from the military and toward hope for peace.
Hirohito was never a great friend of the military. But during the 1920’s and 30’s, as Japan’s relations with the West deteriorated and his generals laid at his feet victory after victory, what could he say?
The beginning of Hirohito’s alienation may have come with the battle of Khalkhin Gol (May – September 1939). That was the first war Japan had ever lost. It was successfully papered over, and Japan obtained a surprisingly lenient settlement from the USSR (which had other fish to fry). It appears that the Emperor was fully on board with the military’s plan to turn its attention westward into the Pacific.
Somehow — and this is the untold story — somehow during the succeeding years, Emperor Hirohito gradually lost faith in the military. Beginning with Midway, Hirohito’s generals and admirals laid at his feet defeat after crushing defeat. His generals promised him a “decisive battle.” Then, when they lost the “decisive battle,” they proposed another “decisive battle.” And another, and another. The Phillipines, Iwo Jima, Saipan, Okinawa — each “decisive battle” announced by the army led to another decisive defeat.
It is clear from what happened during the critical days of August 9th to 15th, 1945, that by that time Emperor Hirohito had completely lost faith in his generals. He openly accused them of having lied to him. And when push came to shove on August 14th, he forced them to approve surrender.
It appears to me that that decision had probably been incubating in the Emperor’s mind for a long time, probably for years. That slow incubation is, I think, one of the great untold stories of World War II.