Did Japan surrender in WW2 because of the atomic bombs or the Soviet Union entering the war?

by Suspicious_Role5912

I see two conflicting arguments on this topic.

One claims that that the Japanese surrendered because of the bombs, as broadcasted by Emperor Hirohito.

The other claims that Japanese scientists hypothesized that America only had 1 or 2 more bombs and the leaders decided they would be fine only losing a couple more cities. They really surrender because of the Soviet Union but only said the atomic bombs because it was less embarrassing.

ParallelPain

Did Japan surrender in WW2 because of the atomic bombs or the Soviet Union entering the war?

Most likely both, though Nagasaki likely played a minor part in it.

Please see our FAQ Section on the atomic bomb with answers by Dr. Alex Wellerstein (/u/restricteddata) and others.