Immediately after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Japan (on the city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945), an exchange of messages was begun between the Japanese and the Allied governments, ultimately resulting in Japan's unconditional surrender. Since the Allied governments did not have diplomatic relations with Japan, the Swiss government acted as an intermediary to receive and transmit the messages between the parties. Below are the messages that were exchanged, from August 10 to August 14, between U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes and the Japanese government, with Swiss Charge d'Affaires Max Grassli acting as the intermediary. The series of messages began with a letter from the Swiss Charge d'Affaires to the U. S. Secretary of State, on August 10:
AUGUST 10, 1945
The Honorable
JAMES F. BYRNES
Secretary of State
Sir:
I have the honor to inform you that the Japanese Minister to Switzerland, upon instructions received from his Government, has requested the Swiss Political Department to advise the Government of the United States of America of the following:
"In obedience to the gracious command of His Majesty the Emperor who, ever anxious to enhance the cause of world peace, desires earnestly to bring about a speedy termination of hostilities with a view to saving mankind from the calamities to be imposed upon them by further continuation of the war, the Japanese Government several weeks ago asked the Soviet Government, with which neutral relations then prevailed, to render good offices in restoring peace vis-ā-vis the enemy powers. Unfortunately, these efforts in the interest of peace having failed, the Japanese Government in conformity with the august wish of His Majesty to restore the general peace and, desiring to put an end to the untold sufferings entailed by war as quickly as possible, have decided upon the following.
"The Japanese Government are ready to accept the terms enumerated in the joint declaration which was issued at Potsdam on July 26th, 1945, by the heads of the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, and China, and later subscribed by the Soviet Government, with the understanding that the said declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign Ruler.
"The Japanese Government sincerely hope that this understanding is warranted and desire keenly that an explicit indication to that effect will be speedily forthcoming."
In transmitting the above message the Japanese Minister added that his Government begs the Government of the United States to forward its answer through the intermediary of Switzerland. Similar requests are being transmitted to the Governments of Great Britain and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics through the intermediary of Sweden, as well as to the Government of China through the intermediary of Switzerland. The Chinese Minister at Berne has already been informed of the foregoing through the channel of the Swiss Political Department.
Please be assured that I am at your disposal at any time to accept and forward to my Government the reply of the Government of the United States.
GRÄSSLI
Charge d'Affaires ad interim
of Switzerland
AUGUST 11, 1945
Mr. MAX GRÄSSLI
Charge d'Affaires ad interim of
Switzerland
Sir:
I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note of August 10, and in reply to inform you that the President of the United States has directed me to send to you for transmission by your Government to the Japanese Government the following message on behalf of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and China:
"With regard to the Japanese Government's message accepting the terms of the Potsdam proclamation, but containing the statement, 'with the understanding that the said declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a sovereign ruler,' our position is as follows:
"From the moment of surrender the authority of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to rule the state shall be subject to the Supreme Commander of the Allied powers who will take such steps as he deems proper to effectuate the surrender terms.
"The Emperor will be required to authorize and ensure the signature by the Government of Japan and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters of the surrender terms necessary to carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration, and shall issue his commands to all the Japanese military, naval and air authorities and to all the forces under their control wherever located to cease active operations and to surrender their arms, and to issue such other orders as the Supreme Commander may require to give effect to the surrender terms.
"Immediately upon the surrender the Japanese Government shall transport prisoners of war and civilian internees to places of safety, as directed, where they can quickly be placed aboard Allied transports.
"The ultimate form of government of Japan shall, in accordance with the Potsdam Declaration, be established by the freely expressed will of the Japanese people.
"The armed forces of the Allied Powers will remain in Japan until the purposes set forth in the Potsdam Declaration are achieved."
JAMES F. BYRNES
Secretary of State
AUGUST 14, 1945
The Honorable
JAMES F. BYRNES
Secretary of State
Sir:
I have the honor to refer to your note of August 11, in which you requested me to transmit to my Government the reply of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and China to the message from the Japanese Government which was communicated in my note of August 10.
At 20.10 today (Swiss Time) the Japanese Minister to Switzerland conveyed the following written statement to the Swiss Government for transmission to the four Allied governments:
"Communication of the Japanese Government of August 14, 1945, addressed to the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China:
"With reference to the Japanese Government's note of August 10 regarding their acceptance of the provisions of the Potsdam declaration and the reply of the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China sent by American Secretary of State Byrnes under the date of August 11, the Japanese Government have the honor to communicate to the Governments of the four powers as follows:
"1. His Majesty the Emperor has issued an Imperial rescript regarding Japan's acceptance of the provisions of the Potsdam declaration.
"2. His Majesty the Emperor is prepared to authorize and ensure the signature by his Government and the Imperial General Headquarters of the necessary terms for carrying out the provisions of the Potsdam declaration. His Majesty is also prepared to issue his commands to all the military, naval, and air authorities of Japan and all the forces under their control wherever located to cease active operations, to surrender arms and to issue such other orders as may be required by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces for the execution of the above-mentioned terms."
GRÄSSLI
Charge d'Affaires ad interim
of Switzerland
AUGUST 14, 1945
Mr. MAX GRÄSSLI
Charge d'Affaires ad interim of
Switzerland
Sir:
With reference to your communication of today's date, transmitting the reply of the Japanese Government to the communication which I sent through you to the Japanese Government on August 11, on behalf of the Governments of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which I regard as full acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and of my statement of
"You are to proceed as follows:
"(1) Direct prompt cessation of hostilities by Japanese forces, informing the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers of the effective date and hour of such cessation.
"(2) Send emissaries at once to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers with information of the disposition of the Japanese forces and commanders, and fully empowered to make any arrangements directed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers to enable him and his accompanying forces to arrive at the place designated by him to receive the formal surrender.
"(3) For the purpose of receiving such surrender and carrying it into effect, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur has been designated as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, and he will notify the Japanese Government of the time, place and other details of the formal surrender."
JAMES F. BYRNES
Secretary of State
Washington. August 14, 1945
I have received this afternoon a message from the Japanese Government in reply to the message forwarded to that Government by the Secretary of State on August 11. I deem this reply a full acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration which specifies the unconditional surrender of Japan. In the reply there is no qualification.
Arrangements are now being made for the formal signing of surrender terms at the earliest possible moment.
General Douglas MacArthur has been appointed the Supreme Allied Commander to receive the Japanese surrender. Great Britain, Russia, and China will be represented by high-ranking officers.
Meantime, the Allied armed forces have been ordered to suspend offensive action.
The proclamation of VJ-Day must wait upon the formal signing of the surrender terms by Japan.
Following is the Japanese Government's message accepting our terms:
"Communication of the Japanese Government August 14, 1945, addressed to the Governments the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China:
"With reference to the Japanese Government's note of August 10 regarding their acceptance of the provisions of the Potsdam declaration and the reply of the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China sent by American Secretary of State Byrnes under the date of August 11, the Japanese Government have the honor to communicate to the Governments of the four powers as follows:
"1. His Majesty the Emperor has issued an Imperial rescript regarding Japan's acceptance of the provisions of the Potsdam declaration.
"2. His Majesty the Emperor is prepared to authorize and ensure the signature by his Government and the Imperial General Headquarters of the necessary terms for carrying out the provisions of the Potsdam declaration. His Majesty is also prepared to issue his commands to all the military, naval, and air authorities of Japan and all the forces under their control wherever located to cease active operations, to surrender arms and to issue such other orders as may be required by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces for the execution of the above-mentioned terms."
Although the Allies would not allow mention of any special treatment for the Emperor, Hirohito, in the surrender terms, he was actually never imprisoned or put on trial after the war, and was allowed to remain as a figurehead in the post-war Japanese government. It was the official position of the U. S. government that the Japanese military actually ran the country during the war and that, although Emperor Hirohito appeared to have had decision making powers, he and other factions of the Japanese government, as well as the Japanese people themselves, were actually led and coerced by the military. Some people disputed this and thought that the Emperor had a more active role in the war, but U. S. General Douglas MacArthur, who oversaw the occupation of Japan, felt strongly that the Emperor should retain the throne and serve as a symbol of continuity for post-war Japan.
The Emperor may not have played much of a role in the running of the war, but he had a great deal to do with its ending. Even after the dropping of 2 atomic bombs, the Japanese military wanted to continue fighting, but the Emperor insisted that the surrender terms be accepted. After much initial resistance, the military finally bowed to the Emperor's wishes.
For the rest of his life, Emperor Hirohito led an active public life, performing ceremonial duties and acting as a goodwill ambassador for Japan throughout the world. When he died in 1989, at the age of 87, his funeral was attended by dignitaries from all over the world, including U. S. President George H. W. Bush.
