After the first bomb, there was still hesitance in Japan’s high command about surrendering. After the second, a group of officers tried to coup the Japanese government to stop it from surrendering in response to the bombs.

So much emphasis is put on the fanatical atrocities of the Nazis that the fanatical atrocities of the Japanese are often overlooked in popular history. It wasn’t a matter like fascist Italy, where they were ready to give up as soon as they lost.