This article examines the military context in which both the American and Japanese leaders operated at the end of World War II. It highlights the responsibility of Japan's leaders in prolonging the war and Emperor Hirohito's role in each step that led to Japan's surrender. The article discusses the origins of the demand for unconditional surrender and the effect of the Potsdam declaration on the Japanese leadership. It details the internal struggles among different factions in the Japanese government and military that delayed the surrender even after the first atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima. The article is well documented with extensive footnotes and presents an excellent view of the Japanese struggle concerning surrender.