'The enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb'
It's the anniversary of one of the most famous speeches in history, Emperor Hirohito's broadcast to the nation on 15 May 1945, heralding the end of World War 2.
I was thinking only yesterday how difficult it must be to deliver a speech as the losing leader in a war. The context I was contemplating was the current Ukraine war, and the unlikelihood of Putin standing before the world as the defeated general.
The below speech is the most famous example of an unconditional surrender. It is Emperor Hirohito, speaking in a national broadcast, which was all the more unfathomable to the Japanese population of the time for the fact that he had never spoken to the nation before. They didn’t know his voice, he had an almost godlike hold over the population he had mobilised for his expansionist war, and he spoke in this speech in an archaic form of Japanese, that would have enhanced that sense of other-worldliness.
But the words conveyed a bitter truth. Japan was surrendering. Hirohito had no choice. If he didn’t surrender, Japan and the Japanese people would no longer exist.
Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.
Such being the case, how are we to save the millions of our subjects, or to atone ourselves before the hallowed spirits of our imperial ancestors? This is the reason why we have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the joint declaration of the powers.
The speech was delivered 77 years ago today. The issues have also been front of mind with the release of Oppenheimer.
You can track down the transcript as English translation on the Speakola website or paid subscribers can read it here:
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