Truman and Japan's Surrender (Atomic Diplomacy)

Atomic diplomacy is a term used to refer to the practice of using the threat of nuclear weapons to influence international and political decisions. Atomic diplomacy was an important factor in the surrender of Japan during the Second World War. President Harry Truman, with the assistance of US Secretary of State James Byrnes, used the threat of nuclear weapons to pressure Japan into accepting an unconditional surrender. Japan had already accepted the Potsdam Proclamation, which called for an immediate and unconditional surrender, but the Emperor still needed to sign off on it. Truman and Byrnes threatened to use the recently developed atomic bomb if Japan did not agree. This threat proved to be successful and the Japanese ultimately surrendered on August 15th, 1945. Atomic diplomacy allowed President Truman to ensure the surrender of Japan without resorting to a costly and potentially deadly invasion of the Japanese mainland.