On September 2, 1945, Japan's surrender was signed aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II.
From the USSR, this most important historical document was signed by Lieutenant General Kuzma Nikolaevich Derevyanko, the Soviet representative at the headquarters of the Allied Forces Commander-in-Chief on pacific ocean General MacArthur.
Many are still interested in why this right was granted not to one of the famous marshals, but to a little-known general, of whom there were about six thousand in the Soviet Army in 1945. After all, from the side of the allies on board the Missouri there were "stars" of the first magnitude, led by the five-star General MacArthur (at that time there were only four of them in the US Army).
From the Americans, the triumphant Midway and Leyte Admiral Nimitz accepted the surrender, from the British - the commander of the fleet of the empire in the Pacific Ocean, Admiral Fraser, from the French - the famous General Leclerc, from the Chinese - the head of the operations department of the headquarters of Chiang Kai-shek, General Su Yongchang.
It seemed that the presence of the commander-in-chief was more appropriate in this company. Soviet troops on the Far East Marshal Vasilevsky or one of the commanders of the fronts that had just defeated the Kwantung Army - Malinovsky, Meretskov or Purkaev. But instead of them, Derevyanko was on board the Missouri, who had recently held the relatively modest position of chief of staff of the 4th Guards Army.
On this occasion, some liberal historians even came up with a hypothesis according to which, by sending only a lieutenant general to sign the act, Stalin wanted to belittle the significance of the war in the Pacific, in which the Americans played the leading role. Here, the surrender of Germany was accepted by the most famous Soviet commander Zhukov, and for Japan one of the staff officers, who somehow attracted the attention of the “bloody tyrant on the Kremlin throne,” fit.
In fact, everything was not so, and the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to choose a Soviet representative to participate in the final episode of the Second World War was based on completely different motives ...
By that time, relations between the Soviet Union and the allies in anti-Hitler coalition seriously worsened. Having got rid of a common enemy, our yesterday's partners began to prepare for a clash with the USSR. This was clearly confirmed by the Potsdam Conference, during which Stalin had to deal with the inveterate Russophobe Truman.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Pacific, General MacArthur, also did not hide his anti-Soviet views. Moscow was also well aware of the American commander's passion for theatrical gestures: what was the value of one of his recent shows called MacArthur Liberates the Philippines. The Kremlin was sure that something similar would happen aboard the Missouri.
"Pacific Napoleon" did not deceive expectations, turning the surrender of the Japanese into a real performance with himself in the lead role. MacArthur arranged for a ceremony table to be set up on the upper deck to provide convenience for the press and the public, which the battleship's sailors made up, gave a short speech for the story ("We are gathered here ... to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace can be restored ...") and arranged a whole show from the procedure for signing the act.
Inviting generals Percival and Waynright released by him from Japanese captivity as assistants, MacArthur signed in syllables, constantly changing pens. Used writing supplies, he immediately handed out as souvenirs. The audience roared with delight.
Stalin, knowing about this weakness of MacArthur, sensibly judged that the participation of any of Soviet marshals in this circus can lead to conflict, which in these conditions was completely unnecessary. Therefore, the representative of the Soviet Union at the benefit of the Americans was not a military leader, but a diplomat.
But the employees of the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs were not suitable for this role, among the allied generals they would have looked like black sheep. So, it was necessary to find a military man with diplomatic experience, and a sufficiently high rank.
In addition, it was impossible to miss a unique chance to look at the process of the beginning of the occupation of Japan by the Americans, so to speak, from the inside. Again, such an opportunity might not present itself. Therefore, a person was needed who spoke English and Japanese, who could not only speak, but watch, listen, memorize and analyze. Moreover, such qualities should not be obvious to the allies.
Kuzma Nikolaevich Derevyanko was perfect for this role. A brave warrior with an open and honest Russian face, in a fairly high rank, but not belonging to the cream of the military elite of the USSR. Therefore, the allies could not have a more or less detailed dossier on him and he had to be perceived as who he seemed to be.
The calculation turned out to be correct. They treated the general friendly, but they didn’t take him under close guardianship and they didn’t drag him around parties with the participation of top officials - the figure was not of that scale. His strange requests, for example, for permission to visit the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which under other conditions might have aroused suspicion, were treated quite condescendingly: if he wants, let him go. What interesting things can be seen there by the former chief of staff of the army, who atomic bomb can't know anything...
Meanwhile, if the Americans could look into the personal file of the forty-year-old general, they would react differently. After all, the biography of the son of a stonemason from the Little Russian village of Kosenivka near Uman was not typical for an army general.
While still a cadet of the Kharkov school of red foremen, young Kuzma Derevyanko independently learned to speak and write in Japanese. Why did he need to study one of the most complex languages in the world, history is silent, but so remarkable fact attracted the attention of the commanders. Apparently, it seemed to someone not rational to keep a talented nugget in combat positions, and he was sent to study at a special department of the Frunze Military Academy, where he, in addition to Japanese, mastered English.
After graduating from the academy, Derevianko served in military intelligence. He was instructed to organize the uninterrupted transit from the Soviet Union to China of caravans with weapons that were necessary for the war with the Japanese. The mission was top secret - a leak of information threatened Moscow with a serious complication of relations with Tokyo, which were far from cloudless anyway.
For the successful completion of this task, Captain Derevianko was awarded the order Lenin, which for that time was an extraordinary event. Apparently, this seemed unfair to someone, and soon the party commission of the Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army took up the freshly baked order bearer. Derevianko was accused of having links with "enemies of the people" - shortly before that, two of his uncles and brother were arrested and convicted.
The debunkers of "bloody Stalinism" argue that in the late 1930s, even less reason was enough to part not only with the party card, but also with life. The fate of Derevyanko completely refutes this liberal theorem. After several months of proceedings, he was only reprimanded. But the obstinate intelligence officer achieved a review of the case. The reprimand was removed by the decision of a higher authority - the Party Committee of the People's Commissariat of the Ministry of Defense.
During Finnish war Major Derevyanko was the chief of staff of the Separate Special Ski Brigade, he repeatedly participated in reconnaissance and sabotage raids behind enemy lines. At the beginning of 1941, he carried out a secret mission in East Prussia, probably related to obtaining data on the preparations of the Germans for a war with the USSR.
Colonel Derevyanko met the attack of the Nazis in the position of head of the intelligence department of the headquarters of the North-Western Front. In mid-August 1941, he led a raid behind German lines, during which about two thousand Red Army soldiers were released from a concentration camp near Staraya Russa.
In May 1942, Derevyanko was appointed chief of staff of the 53rd Army with the simultaneous assignment of the rank of major general to him. Participated in the battle of Kursk, the battle for the Dnieper, the capture of Budapest and Vienna. For the successful development of operations, he was awarded a full set of "military" orders - Bogdan Khmelnitsky, Suvorov and Kutuzov. After the victory, for some time he participated in the work of the Allied Council for Austria.
Stalin instructed such a person to represent our country at a ceremony in Tokyo Bay. It is clear that this choice was by no means accidental.
During a month-long business trip to Japan, Derevyanko performed not only and not so much representative functions. So, he visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki several times, literally climbing the scorched ruins with a camera in his hands. Upon his return to Moscow, the general was received by Stalin. Derevyanko gave a detailed report on the situation in Japan, the state of its army and naval forces, and the mood of the population. His report and photographs on the results of the atomic bombings were especially carefully considered. The general's activities were fully approved, for the successful completion of the assignment he was awarded the second Order of Lenin.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, whose language he had studied since his youth, Derevyanko spent four more years as a Soviet representative in the Union Council for Japan. Despite the opposition of the Americans, the general consistently defended the positions of our power, regularly making statements and memorandums on issues sensitive to Soviet interests.
It was Derevyanko's persistence that made it possible for MacArthur to sign a directive instructing the Japanese government to "cease the exercise or attempt to exercise state or administrative power" on all islands north of Hokkaido. This implied Tokyo's complete abandonment of the Kuril Islands, both northern and southern. Although this was exactly what was envisaged by the decisions of the Potsdam Conference, the Americans, in the conditions of the flaring Cold War, were not averse to playing this issue.
Derevianko returned from Japan seriously ill due to radiation exposure received in the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He developed cancer. The general died at the end of 1954, shortly after his fiftieth birthday, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. The obituary, together with Minister of Defense Bulganin, was signed by marshals Zhukov, Konev, Vasilevsky, Malinovsky ...
In May 2007, the “square” authorities suddenly remembered that General Derevyanko was from near Uman, and by decree of President Yushchenko, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Now have Kyiv rulers, known for their paradoxical assessments of historical events, there are grounds for statements that Ukraine defeated Japan.
However, if Kuzma Nikolaevich suddenly found out that he was in the same company with Shukhevych and Bandera, he would certainly have refused his heroic title. The orders of Lenin, Suvorov, Kutuzov and Bogdan Khmelnitsky were dearer to him.
After the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan, many Japanese statesmen realized that the political and strategic situation in the Far East had changed radically and it was pointless to continue the war.
On the morning of August 9, an emergency meeting of the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War was held. Opening it, Prime Minister Suzuki declared: "I have come to the conclusion that the only possible alternative is to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and cease hostilities" (888) .
Supporters of the continuation of the war, Minister of War Anami, Chief of the General Staff of the Army Umezu and Chief of the Naval General Staff Toyoda insisted on accepting the Potsdam Declaration only on the condition that the Allied Powers fulfill four obligations: maintaining the imperial system of state power, punishing war criminals by the Japanese themselves, granting Japan the right independent disarmament and prevention of its occupation by the Allies, and if the occupation is inevitable, then it should be short, carried out by small forces and not affect Tokyo (889) .
The leaders of Japan wanted to get out of the war with the least political and moral damage. They didn't care about human losses. They knew that a well-trained and still powerful military, a properly processed population, would fight to the end. The armed forces, according to Anami and Toyoda, are able to inflict great damage on the enemy when he invades the metropolis. In other words, Japan, in their opinion, was not yet in a position to accept a declaration without setting any conditions. Anami even declared that the active army would not obey the order to demobilize and would not agree to lay down their arms (890) . The opinions of the participants in the meeting of the Supreme Council were divided, and no decision was made.
At 2 pm on August 9, 1945, an emergency meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers (891) opened. It was attended by 15 people, of which 10 were civilians. Thus, the balance of power was not in favor of the military, who were in favor of continuing the war. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Togo announced the text of the Potsdam Declaration and proposed to accept it, stipulating only one condition: the preservation of imperial power in the country.
Anami opposed. He again stated that if the countries that signed the Potsdam Declaration accepted all the conditions, the Japanese would continue the war. Five Cabinet members abstained from the vote. The Minister of the Navy, the Ministers of Justice, Agriculture, Armaments and Communications, Education, and the Minister without Portfolio supported Togo's proposal. The seven-hour meeting did not reveal a unanimous opinion.
At Suzuki's request, Emperor Hirohito convened the Supreme War Direction Council. At the beginning of the meeting, Suzuki read out a draft response to the demands of the declaration prepared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Togo. After listening to the points of view of those present, the emperor declared that the Japanese leadership had no chance of success, and ordered the adoption of the draft of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (892) .
On the morning of August 10, the Japanese government announced through neutral countries - Sweden and Switzerland, that it agreed to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration if "the allies agree not to include in it a clause depriving the emperor of sovereign rights" (893) . The statement said: “The Japanese Government is ready to accept the terms of the Declaration of July 26 of this year, to which the Soviet Government has also joined. The Japanese Government understands that this Declaration does not contain requirements that would infringe on the Emperor's prerogatives as the sovereign ruler of Japan. The Japanese Government asks for specific notice on this matter” (894) .
In the response of the governments of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and China dated August 11, the Allies reaffirmed their demand for unconditional surrender and drew the attention of the Japanese government to the provision of the Potsdam Declaration, which provided that, from the moment of surrender, the authority of the emperor and the Japanese government in relation to the government of the state would be subordinate to the Supreme Commander of the Forces of the Allied Powers, who would take such steps as he saw fit to implement the terms of surrender.
The Emperor would be asked, the reply said, to authorize and secure the signing by the government and the high command of the terms of surrender necessary to carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration. In this regard, he will have to give orders to all military, naval and air authorities and all armed forces under their control, wherever they are located, to stop hostilities, surrender their weapons and comply with the instructions of the supreme commander aimed at implementing the terms of surrender. Japan's form of government will be established by the freely expressed will of the Japanese people in accordance with the Potsdam Declaration. The armed forces of the Allied Powers will remain in Japan until "until the objectives set out in the Potsdam Declaration have been achieved" (895) .
The response of the governments of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and China again caused disputes and disagreements in the Japanese government. The Minister of War, on his own initiative, addressed an appeal to all generals, officers and soldiers of the army, urging them to continue decisive holy war, fight to the last drop of blood (896) .
The Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces in China Okamura and the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Forces in the South Seas Tirauchi, having learned about the intention of the government and the headquarters to accept the Potsdam Declaration, sent telegrams to the Minister of War and the Chief of the General Staff, in which they also expressed disagreement with the decision on the need for surrender and proved the possibility of continuing the war . Okamura wrote that “the entry into the war of the Soviet Union undoubtedly further worsened the position of the empire. However ... despite the successful offensive of the enemy and the difficulties inside the country, the entire army is ready to die with honor in battle, but to achieve the goals of the war this autumn ”(897) . In a similar spirit, the telegram sent to Tirauti to the Minister of War was composed.
The morning meeting of August 13 of the members of the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War, as well as the afternoon meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, took place in anticipation of news from the front. On August 14, at 10 o'clock, the emperor convened a joint meeting of the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War and the Cabinet of Ministers. Once again, the military representatives suggested making reservations in terms of surrender or continuing the war. But the majority voted for the adoption of a decision on unconditional surrender, which was approved by the emperor (898). A statement was made on his behalf: “... I ordered the adoption of the Potsdam Declaration. My opinion has not changed... I command everyone to join me... Accept the terms immediately. So that the people may know about my decision, I order the urgent preparation of an imperial rescript on this issue ”(899) .
On the same day, the US government received a message through the Swiss government informing the four powers that Japan had issued a rescript from the emperor accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, readiness to authorize and ensure the signing of the relevant document and give orders "to cease hostilities and surrender weapons, and also give such other orders as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Armed Forces may require in order to carry out the above conditions” (900) .
Following the announcement of the acceptance of the terms of surrender, the Japanese government conveyed wishes to the four powers: “a) inform the Japanese side in advance about the introduction of the fleets and armies of the allied powers into the waters and into the territory of Japan, since the Japanese side must conduct appropriate preparations for this; b) to reduce to a minimum the number of points in Japanese territory subject to occupation, as determined by the Allied Powers; when choosing these points, exclude Tokyo and reduce to a minimum the number of troops that will be located in the points of occupation ”(901) . Other wishes were put forward: to carry out disarmament in stages and by the Japanese themselves; leave cold weapons to servicemen; not to use prisoners of war for forced labor; provide units located in remote areas with additional time to implement the cessation of hostilities; remove the wounded and sick Japanese from the remote islands of the Pacific Ocean as quickly as possible.
Upon learning that the emperor had taped an appeal to the people, in which he announced the acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and the cessation of the war by Japan, a group of fanatical officers led by Major K. Hatanaka ("young tigers" from the department of the military ministry and the capital's military institutions) , on the night of August 15, decided to disrupt the adoption of the declaration and lead Japan along the path of continuing the war. They set their task to eliminate the “supporters of peace” from the political arena, to persuade the armed forces to disobedience, and so that the emperor’s decision did not receive publicity, to remove the text with the recording of the speech before it was broadcast.
The commander of the 1st Guards Division, which guarded the imperial palace and without which it was impossible to carry out the putsch, did not want to participate in it and was killed. Having given the orders they needed on his behalf, the putschists entered the palace, attacked the residences of Prime Minister Suzuki, the Lord Privy Seal K. Kido, the chairman of the Privy Council K. Hiranuma, and also the Tokyo radio station. However, they could not find the wanted persons, as well as the tapes with the speech recording. Other parts of the Tokyo garrison did not support the conspirators. Even many former supporters of the "young tigers", not wanting to go against the decision of the emperor and not believing in the success of the putsch, refused to take part in it.
The hastily organized coup was liquidated in the first hours. His instigators were not tried. They were simply given the opportunity, according to the samurai custom, to make hara-kiri.
On August 15, a rescript from Emperor Hirohito was broadcast on the radio accepting the terms of surrender. “We ordered our government,” said Hirohito, “to convey to the governments of the United States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union a message that our empire has accepted the terms of their joint declaration” (902) .
Characteristically, both at the time of the publication of the imperial rescript and in the post-war years, Japanese official propaganda emphasized the "special role of the emperor" in the events of August 9-15, 1945. capitulations were either not mentioned at all, or were considered secondary reasons.
In the difficult days for the Japanese militarists after August 9, some of the country's top military and political figures, realizing the imminence of the collapse of their policy and the inevitability of retribution, resorted to suicide. On August 11, former Prime Minister Tojo, the first of Japan's main war criminals, unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide with a shot from a revolver. On August 15, Minister of War Anami, Vice Admiral T. Opisi, creator of the Kamikaze Corps, Commander-in-Chief of the 1st United Army Field Marshal Sugiyama, commanders of the 10th, 11th and 12th fronts, one of the former commanders of the Kwantung Army, General S. Honjo, committed suicide. , as well as other generals and ministers of the Suzuki cabinet (903) .
On August 15, the Suzuki cabinet fell. All day and night, bonfires burned near many government offices: archives, correspondence and other documents that could discredit the ruling elite were urgently burned.
Under the circumstances, political and military leaders began to push for the unilateral occupation of Japan by American troops in order to "counter the threat of the communist revolution and help preserve the imperial system" (904) .
On August 15 hostilities between the Anglo-American and Japanese armed forces ceased. However, on the territory of Northeast China, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, Japanese troops continued to resist the Soviet Armed Forces. Parts of the Kwantung Army did not receive an order to cease hostilities, so the Soviet troops in the Far East were also not given an order to cease hostilities. Only on August 19 did the first meeting of Marshal A. M. Vasilevsky with the Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army Khata take place, at which the parties agreed on the procedure for surrender. From the same day, the Japanese troops began to lay down their arms in front of the Soviet Armed Forces. The disarmament of the groups located in Northeast China and North Korea continued until the end of the month. At the same time, the operation in South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands was completed.
With the receipt of data on the acceptance by Japan on August 14, 1945 of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, the American side developed a draft "General Order No. 1 (for the army and navy)" on the acceptance of the surrender of the Japanese armed forces. The draft order was approved by US President Truman and communicated to the allies on August 15. It defined zones in which each of the allied powers accepted the surrender of Japanese troops.
The Soviet government, in a reply dated August 16, stated that it basically did not object to the content of the order, but proposed to amend it: to include in the area of surrender to the Soviet troops all the Kuril Islands, which, by agreement of the three powers in the Crimea, were transferred to the Soviet Union, and the northern half of the island Hokkaido (905) . The US government was unable to raise any objections regarding the Kuril Islands. With regard to Hokkaido, Truman replied that Japanese armed forces on all the islands of Japan proper were surrendering to General MacArthur and he "would use symbolic (underlined by us. - Ed.) allied armed forces, which, of course, will also include the Soviet armed forces” (906) .
The US government essentially rejected the allied control in post-war Japan, provided for by the Potsdam Declaration, embarked on the path of refusal to cooperate with the Soviet Union and took a number of actions that clearly contradicted the existing allied agreements. Thus, in President Truman's reply to the Soviet government on August 18, a demand was put forward to use one of the Kuril Islands as a US air base, and this demand was not even motivated. The Soviet government rejected this solicitation, pointing out that the Kuril Islands, according to the Crimean agreement, should become the possession of the Soviet Union and that it did not understand "in view of what circumstances such a demand could arise." The answer of the Soviet government explained that if the US had in mind the landing of American commercial aircraft, then the USSR was ready to allocate an airfield, provided that the US allocates the same in the Aleutian Islands for the landing of Soviet aircraft (907) .
All preparatory work to organize the official signing of the act of surrender was carried out by MacArthur's headquarters in Manila. MacArthur at this time was appointed Allied Supreme Commander; he was entrusted with the acceptance of the surrender and its implementation. Upon assuming this position, MacArthur on 19 August forbade the signing of any instruments of surrender in other theaters of war before he had signed them himself. He also forbade the reoccupation of the territories occupied by the Japanese until the signing of the act of surrender in Tokyo (908). On August 19, a Japanese delegation headed by the Deputy Chief of the General Staff arrived in Manila ground forces General T. Kawabe. It included 7 representatives of the army, 6 - navy and 2 - ministries of foreign affairs. They were notified of the dates and the areas where the first occupation troops would land. Concerning japanese army was supposed to leave the Atsugi airfield by the end of the day on August 24, the areas of Tokyo Bay and Sagami Bay - by August 25, the Kanon base and southern part Kyushu islands - by 12 o'clock on August 30 (909).
Kawabe and the senior representative of the fleet, Admiral I. Yokoyama, requested that the landing of the occupying troops be delayed for ten days, motivating this request by the need to take precautions to avoid undesirable incidents. The request of the Japanese delegation was granted, although for a shorter period. The landing of the first divisions of the occupying troops was delayed for three days, until August 26, and the landing of the main forces until August 28 (910).
On August 20, the Japanese representatives in Manila were handed the Instrument of Surrender agreed upon by the Allied Powers. The first paragraph of the act stated that Japan accepts "the terms of the declaration published on July 26 in Potsdam by the heads of government of the United States, China and Great Britain, to which the USSR subsequently joined" (911) .
The act provided for the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Japan itself and those under its control, regardless of their location. In a special clause, it was stipulated that the Japanese troops immediately cease hostilities and undertake to preserve and prevent damage to ships, aircraft, military and civilian property. The General Staff was instructed to immediately issue an order to the commanders of Japanese troops, as well as troops under Japanese control, to ensure unconditional surrender, the immediate release of prisoners of war and interned civilians of the Allied Powers, ensuring their protection, maintenance and care, as well as their immediate delivery to the indicated places. Issues regarding the occupation of Japan by the allied armies and the procedure for signing the act of Japan's unconditional surrender were also discussed.
On September 2, 1945, a signing ceremony took place aboard the US battleship Missouri, which entered Tokyo Bay.
MacArthur conducted the ceremony in such a way as to give the impression that Japan had been crushed almost by the United States alone. In an effort to emphasize that the victory sums up almost a century of US policy in the Pacific, the Americans removed from the museum and delivered to the Missouri the flag with which in 1854 Commodore M. Perry "discovered" Japan, that is, forced her under the muzzles of guns to sign unequal contract. The flag, placed in a glass showcase, was placed in a conspicuous place.
A large table was placed on the upper deck of the battleship, at which representatives of the delegations of the USA, Great Britain, the USSR, France, China, Australia, Canada, Holland, New Zealand sat, and numerous correspondents were present. The Japanese delegation included Foreign Minister Shigemitsu, representing the government, and General Umezu, the imperial headquarters.
The Japanese delegation was delivered to the battleship on the American destroyer Lansdowne at 08:55. Before reaching the table, the Japanese representatives stopped - the "minutes of shame" had come. For five minutes, the Japanese delegation stood under the stern gaze of the representatives of the allied countries who were present on the ship.
At 09:04, after a short speech by MacArthur, Shigemitsu and Umezu signed an act of unconditional surrender. Then it was signed by representatives of the allied powers: on behalf of all the allied nations - Supreme Commander General D. MacArthur, on behalf of the United States of America - Admiral C. Nimitz, China - Kuomintang General Su Yong-chan, Great Britain - Admiral B. Fraser, Soviet Union - General Derevyanko Kuzmich Nikolaevich, Australia - General T. Blamey, France - General J. Leclerc, Holland - Admiral K. Halfrich, New Zealand - Air Vice-Marshal L. Isit, Canada - Colonel N. Moore-Cosgrave.
The ceremony of signing the act of unconditional surrender lasted 20 minutes. Having received copies of the document of surrender, the Japanese delegation departed from the Missouri (912).
Following this, representatives of the allied command began to accept the surrender of Japanese troops in various areas of the Pacific Ocean, China, South-East Asia. This procedure dragged on for several months.
The act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed on September 2, 1945, but the country's leadership took a very long time to reach this decision. In the Potsdam Declaration, terms of surrender were put forward, but the emperor formally refused the proposed ultimatum. True, Japan still had to accept all the conditions of surrender, putting a bullet in the course of hostilities.
preliminary stage
The act of unconditional surrender of Japan was not signed immediately. First, on July 26, 1945, China, England and the United States of America submitted for general consideration the demand for the surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration. The main idea of the declaration was as follows: if the country refuses to accept the proposed conditions, then it will face "quick and complete destruction." Two days later, the Emperor of the Land of the Rising Sun responded to the declaration with a categorical refusal.
Despite the fact that Japan suffered heavy losses, its fleet completely ceased to function (which is a terrifying tragedy for an island state that is completely dependent on the supply of raw materials), and the likelihood of an invasion of American and Soviet troops into the country was extremely high, "Military Newspaper" Japanese imperial command made strange conclusions: “We are not able to lead the war without the hope of success. The only way left for all the Japanese is to sacrifice their lives and do everything possible to undermine the morale of the enemy.”
Mass self-sacrifice
In fact, the government called on its subjects to commit an act of mass self-sacrifice. True, the population did not react to such a prospect. In some places it was still possible to meet pockets of fierce resistance, but on the whole, the samurai spirit had long outlived its usefulness. And as historians note, all that the Japanese learned in the forty-fifth year was to surrender en masse.
At that time, Japan was expecting two attacks: the Allied (China, England, United States of America) attack on Kyushu and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. The act of unconditional surrender of Japan was signed only because the conditions in the country turned out to be critical.
The emperor to the last advocated the continuation of the war. After all, for the Japanese to surrender was an unheard-of shame. Prior to this, the country had not lost a single war and for almost half a millennium had not known foreign invasions of its own territory. But she turned out to be completely ruined, which is why the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed.
Attack
On August 6, 1945, fulfilling the threat stated in the Potsdam Declaration, America dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, the same fate befell the city of Nagasaki, which was the largest naval base in the country.
The country has not yet had time to recover from such a large-scale tragedy, as on August 8, 1945, the authorities of the Soviet Union declare war on Japan and on August 9 it begins to conduct hostilities. Thus, the Manchurian offensive Soviet army. In fact, the military-economic base of Japan on the Asian continent was completely eliminated.
Destruction of communications
At the first stage of the battles, Soviet aviation aimed at military facilities, communication centers, communications of border zones Pacific Fleet. Communications that connected Korea and Manchuria with Japan were cut, and the enemy's naval base was seriously damaged.
August 18 Soviet army already approaching the production and administrative centers of Manchuria, they tried to prevent the enemy from destroying material values. On August 19, in the Land of the Rising Sun, they realized that they could not see victory as their own ears, they began to surrender en masse. Japan was forced to capitulate. August 2, 1945 completely and finally ended World War when the Japanese Unconditional Surrender Act was signed.
Instrument of Surrender
September, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri, this is where Japan's Unconditional Surrender Act was signed. On behalf of their states, the document was signed by:
- Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu.
- Chief of Staff Yoshijiro Umezu.
- American army general
- Lieutenant General of the Soviet Union Kuzma Derevianko.
- Admiral of the British Flotilla Bruce Fraser.
In addition to them, during the signing of the act, representatives of China, France, Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand were present.
It can be said that the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan was signed in the city of Kure. This was the last region, after the bombing of which the Japanese government decided to surrender. Some time later, a battleship appeared in Tokyo Bay.
The essence of the document
According to the resolutions approved in the document, Japan fully accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The sovereignty of the country was limited to the islands of Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and other smaller islands of the Japanese archipelago. The islands of Habomai, Shikotan, Kunashir were ceded to the Soviet Union.
Japan was to cease all hostilities, release prisoners of war and other foreign soldiers imprisoned during the war, and preserve civilian and military property without damage. Also, Japanese officials had to obey the decrees of the Supreme Command of the Allied States.
In order to be able to monitor the implementation of the terms of the Surrender Act, the USSR, the USA and Great Britain decided to create the Far Eastern Commission and the Allied Council.
The meaning of war
So ended one of the history of mankind. Japanese generals were convicted of military offenses. On May 3, 1946, a military tribunal began its work in Tokyo, which tried those responsible for preparing the Second World War. Those who wanted to seize foreign lands at the cost of death and enslavement appeared before the people's court.
The battles of World War II claimed about 65 million human lives. The biggest losses were suffered by the Soviet Union, which took the brunt. Signed in 1945, the Act of Japan's unconditional surrender can be called a document that sums up the results of a protracted, bloody and senseless battle.
The result of these battles was the expansion of the borders of the USSR. Fascist ideology was condemned, war criminals were punished, and the United Nations was created. A pact was signed on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and a ban on their creation.
The influence of Western Europe declined markedly, the United States managed to maintain and strengthen its position in the international economic market, and the victory of the USSR over fascism gave the country the opportunity to maintain independence and follow the chosen path of life. But this was all achieved at too high a price.
The surrender of the Japanese Empire marked the end of World War II, in particular the Pacific War and the Soviet-Japanese War.
On August 10, 1945, Japan officially announced its readiness to accept the Potsdam terms of surrender with a reservation regarding the preservation of the structure of imperial power in the country. On August 11, 1945, the US rejected the Japanese amendment, insisting on the formula of the Potsdam Conference. As a result, on August 14, 1945, Japan officially accepted the terms of surrender and informed the Allies about it.
The official signing ceremony for the Japanese Surrender Act took place on September 2, 1945 at 09:02 Tokyo time aboard the American battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Signatories of the act: Empire of Japan - Shigemitsu Mamoru, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Umezu Yoshijiro, Chief of the General Staff, Supreme Commander of the Allied Armies, US Army General Douglas MacArthur. Also, the act was signed by representatives of the United States - Admiral of the Fleet Chester Nimitz, Great Britain - Admiral Bruce Fraser, USSR - Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko, "Free France" - General Jean Philippe Leclerc of the Republic of China - General First Class Xu Yongchang, Canada - Colonel Lawrence Cosgrave, Australia - General Thomas Blamy, New Zealand - Air Vice-Marshal Leonard Isitt, Netherlands - Lieutenant Admiral Emil Helfrich.
1. We, acting on the orders and in the name of the Emperor, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff, hereby accept the terms of the Declaration issued on July 26 at Potsdam by the Heads of Government of the United States, China and Great Britain, to which the USSR subsequently acceded, which four Powers will later known as the Allied Powers.
2. We hereby declare the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Imperial Japanese General Staff, all Japanese military forces and all military forces under Japanese control, no matter where they are located.
3. We hereby order all Japanese troops, wherever located, and the Japanese people to cease hostilities immediately, to preserve and prevent damage to all ships, aircraft and military and civilian property, and to comply with all demands that may be made by the Supreme Commander the Allied Powers or by organs of the Japanese government on its instructions.
4. We hereby order the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately issue orders to the commanders of all Japanese troops and troops under Japanese control, wherever they may be, to surrender unconditionally in person, and also to secure the unconditional surrender of all troops under their command.
5. All civil, military and naval officials shall obey and carry out all instructions, orders and directives which the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers deems necessary for the implementation of this surrender and which may be issued by him or by his authority; we direct all these officials to remain at their posts and continue to carry out their non-combat duties, except when they are relieved of them by special decree issued by or under the authority of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers.
6. We hereby undertake that the Japanese Government and its successors will faithfully carry out the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, issue such orders and take such actions as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or any other representative appointed by the Allied Powers, in order to implement this declaration, requires.
7. We hereby direct the Imperial Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately release all Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control and ensure their protection, maintenance and care, and their immediate delivery to the designated places.
On September 2, 1945, the attention of the whole world was riveted on the events in Tokyo Bay. Japan's surrender was signed aboard the USS Missouri. This was preceded by a speech by General Douglas MacArthur. “Let blood and death remain in the past, and the world be based on faith and mutual understanding,” the military leader said. On the ship were representatives of the delegations of the USA, Great Britain, the USSR, France, China, Australia, Canada, Holland, New Zealand, and numerous journalists. The official part lasted 30 minutes.
Japanese Surrender Act
We, acting on the orders and in the name of the Emperor, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff, hereby accept the terms of the Declaration issued on July 26 in Potsdam by the Heads of the Governments of the United States, China and Great Britain, which was subsequently joined by the USSR, which four powers will hereafter be called Allied Powers.
We hereby declare the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Staff, all Japanese armed forces and all military forces under Japanese control, no matter where they are.
We hereby order all Japanese troops, wherever located, and the Japanese people to cease hostilities immediately, to preserve and prevent damage to all ships, aircraft and military and civilian property, and to comply with all demands that may be made by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or organs of the Japanese Government on its instructions.
We hereby order the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately issue orders to the commanders of all Japanese troops and troops under Japanese control, wherever located, to surrender unconditionally in person, and also to ensure the unconditional surrender of all troops under their command.
All civil, military and naval officials shall obey and carry out all instructions, orders and directives which the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers deems necessary for the implementation of this surrender and which may be issued by him or by his authority; we direct all these officials to remain at their posts and continue to carry out their non-combat duties, unless they are relieved of them by special decree issued by or under the authority of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers.
We hereby undertake that the Japanese Government and its successors will honestly comply with the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and give such orders and take such actions as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers or any other representative appointed by the Allied Powers shall require in order to implement this Declaration.
We hereby direct the Imperial Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Staff to immediately release all Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control and ensure their protection, maintenance and care, and their immediate delivery to the designated places.
The authority of the Emperor and the Government of Japan to govern the state shall be subject to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, who shall take such steps as he deems necessary to effectuate these terms of surrender.
Shigemitsu Mamoru
(Signature)
By order and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Government
Umezu Yoshijiro
(Signature)
Bonded at Tokyo Bay, Japan at 09:08 am, September 2nd, 1945, on behalf of the United States, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviets Socialist Republics and on behalf of other United Nations at war with Japan.
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Douglas MacArthur
(Signature)
United States Representative
Chester Nimitz
(Signature)
Representative of the Republic of China
Xu Yongchang
(Signature)
Representative of the United Kingdom
Bruce Frazier
(Signature)
USSR representative
Kuzma Derevianko
(Signature)
Representative Australian Union
C. A. Blamey
(Signature)
Representative of the Dominion of Canada
Moore Cosgrove
(Signature)
Representative of the Provisional Government of the French Republic
Jacques Leclerc de Hautecloc
(Signature)
Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
K. E. Helfreikh
(Signature)
Representative of the Dominion of New Zealand
Leonard M. Issitt
(Signature)