Some facts on dropping the two bombs

[zipplewrath]

7. A particular point

Fact 5...best case Japan was divided in half at the high command about surrender.

Fact 6... Even after Nagasaki, and the Emperor's speech, a Major attempted a coup, to continue fighting.

In this modern age of communication, I think it is especially hard for people to understand communications, especially between Japan and the US. There was no CNN. There was no internet. There were no satellites. Communications took alot of time and between warring parties went throug intermediaries. The fog of war was especially thick. At any given time there are simlutaneous bits of information all present at the same time.

1) Facts you believe to be true that are
2) Facts that you believe to be true that are false
3) Facts that you believe to be false that are false
4) Facts that you believe to be false that are true
5) Facts that are unknown to you that are true

We can sit here now and read alot about what was "known" and not known. But especially for things about which there was no follow through action, it isn't clear what was known AND BELIEVED, and what was believed but not true. People tend to correct their memories after the fact. Information that was believed but false is often lost to history. And in this fog, two people working together still tend not to believe the same set of facts.

During wars there are frequent reports that one side or another is ready to surrender/negotiate. The time delay between when these reports are received, and when they become understood to be true can be weeks. And until two sides ACTUALLY show up at a table, it isn't known, even to history, if both sides were truly ready, or merely trying to manipulate their opponent or their own populations.