The Student Room Group

What was the main reason Japan lost WW2?

Could they ever have won after Midway?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
They lost because two of their major cities got blown up by the US. Can't really do much after that.
Reply 2
Hirohito was deluded and believed that mainland Japan would be impregnable to US air attack.
For some reason Japan thought it'd be a really good idea to attack pearl harbour unprovoked? Not sure what led them to this conclusion but that's a crazy emperor for you! This really riled the USA up which began an burgeoning hatred of the Japanese for the American armed forces...

Then on 8th May 1945, VE Day happened (war was won in Europe) but Japan's emperor Hirohito was not prepared to back down, surrender was considered the total giving up of ones honour (and many generals committed seppuku when Japan surrendered because they were so ashamed!). As such he continued the war...

This war against the Japanese was won by America by dropping the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki... Then Japan finally surrendered on VJ Day: 15th August 1945, for fear that if they continued the war America would continue to drop atom bombs on their other major cities.






Posted from TSR Mobile
You might want to consider the basic balance of power between the two combatants, rather than focus on the end of the war as suggested above. The atom bombs determined the form of the end of the war; they did not determine the result.

One way of doing this would be to ask yourself whether Japan could have won even if Midway had not happened.
Original post by Dylann
They lost because two of their major cities got blown up by the US. Can't really do much after that.

They lost way before that mate. The atom bombs were completely unnecessary.
Reply 6
I can think of 2 reasons
Reply 7
Japan could have never won WWII. Even Admiral Yamamoto did not believe Japan could ever win.

They were banking on the hope that they could sieze large portions of their neighbours like Malayia, China and Korea for their natural resources and America would not have the stomach to send a lot of soldiers to die for these places that were thousands of miles from the American mainland and most Americans had never heard of.

America's industrial capacity to produce weapons would always be greater than Japan's and they basically got steam rolled into submission. The Atom bombs were not really needed but they were a way for the Japanese to surrender without having to lose all face.
Reply 8
Original post by Maker
Japan could have never won WWII. Even Admiral Yamamoto did not believe Japan could ever win.

They were banking on the hope that they could sieze large portions of their neighbours like Malayia, China and Korea for their natural resources and America would not have the stomach to send a lot of soldiers to die for these places that were thousands of miles from the American mainland and most Americans had never heard of.

America's industrial capacity to produce weapons would always be greater than Japan's and they basically got steam rolled into submission. The Atom bombs were not really needed but they were a way for the Japanese to surrender without having to lose all face.

I thought the atom bombs were more about saving allied lives.
Original post by Clip
Hirohito was deluded and believed that mainland Japan would be impregnable to US air attack.


Yes, and his arrogance cost the lives of uncountable innocent Japanese.
Original post by Lionheart96
They lost way before that mate. The atom bombs were completely unnecessary.


That's debatable. Most scholars have agreed that the alternative would have been a ground invasion, which while having the same result in the end (probably), would have prolonged the war and resulted in more casualties. The atom bombs, while a terrible war crime, probably did save numerous lives.
their top secret codes were broken by the Americans:

http://io9.com/how-the-u-s-cracked-japans-purple-encryption-machine-458385664

curiously these secret messages included information about plans for Pearl Harbor.
Original post by felamaslen
That's debatable. Most scholars have agreed that the alternative would have been a ground invasion, which while having the same result in the end (probably), would have prolonged the war and resulted in more casualties. The atom bombs, while a terrible war crime, probably did save numerous lives.

The Japanese had already pretty much lost, America dropped the bombs to assert its dominance in the world. The bombs killed hundreds of thousands it didn't save them.
Original post by Paulska_
For some reason Japan thought it'd be a really good idea to attack pearl harbour unprovoked?


It was about the same time they were planning taking Hong Kong (a British colony) and soon after the Philippines (the American colony). Japan probably saw all colonial powers as the same thing.

And, America had been aiding China in all sorts of ways, so I wouldn't say it's entirely unprovoked.
Original post by Lionheart96
The Japanese had already pretty much lost, America dropped the bombs to assert its dominance in the world. The bombs killed hundreds of thousands it didn't save them.


That's a minority view. Most agree that Japan surrendered as a result of the atomic bombs, and had they not been dropped, even more people would have died.
Original post by Maker
Japan could have never won WWII. Even Admiral Yamamoto did not believe Japan could ever win.

They were banking on the hope that they could sieze large portions of their neighbours like Malayia, China and Korea for their natural resources and America would not have the stomach to send a lot of soldiers to die for these places that were thousands of miles from the American mainland and most Americans had never heard of.

America's industrial capacity to produce weapons would always be greater than Japan's and they basically got steam rolled into submission. The Atom bombs were not really needed but they were a way for the Japanese to surrender without having to lose all face.


They could have won had they not drained out all their resources and taken out China pieces of pieces.
Original post by felamaslen
That's a minority view. Most agree that Japan surrendered as a result of the atomic bombs, and had they not been dropped, even more people would have died.

however there is no proof to your claim, it is mere speculation.
Reply 17
Original post by Lionheart96
The Japanese had already pretty much lost, America dropped the bombs to assert its dominance in the world. The bombs killed hundreds of thousands it didn't save them.


This is a view based wholly in anti-Americanism.

My view is that I don't care. The Japanese were ready to fight to the last drop of blood on every island, which would have cost untold lives to retake. The only way was to shock the mainland into surrender.

It was unlimited war. There was no such thing as innocent. It was anything goes. They got destroyed because they started a war of conquest and slavery, which huge numbers of Japanese were happy to go along with.
Original post by Clip
This is a view based wholly in anti-Americanism.

My view is that I don't care. The Japanese were ready to fight to the last drop of blood on every island, which would have cost untold lives to retake. The only way was to shock the mainland into surrender.

It was unlimited war. There was no such thing as innocent. It was anything goes. They got destroyed because they started a war of conquest and slavery, which huge numbers of Japanese were happy to go along with.


So would it be justifiable if someone nukes an american city or two? America start wars based on conquest and to simply make money, the american people are happy to go along with it, so we should nuke them too. 'anything goes'
Original post by Lionheart96
however there is no proof to your claim, it is mere speculation.


In order to be a useful historian, you have to speculate to some extent. You have to ask questions such as "how likely is it that Japan would have surrendered as quickly as it did, given its penchant for suicidal behaviour?".

Quick Reply