The Surrender of Japan
Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
4.7 • 12.9K Ratings
🗓️ 12 August 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On the morning of August 15th, 1945, Emperor Hirohito's voice crackled over Japanese airwaves to announce the unthinkable - the surrender of Japan. Today we delve into the complex story behind that surrender, examining Japan's fierce military code, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.
We're joined by Dr. Evan Mawdsley, historian of the Second World War, to unpack the final days of the Pacific War and explore what might have happened if Japan had not surrendered.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Tim Arstall.
Join Dan and the team for a special LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday, 12th September 2025!
To celebrate 10 years of the podcast, Dan is putting on a special show of signature storytelling, never-before-heard anecdotes from his often stranger-than-fiction career, as well as answering the burning questions you've always wanted to ask!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, |
| 0:00.5 | folks, Dan Snow here. |
| 0:01.6 | I am throwing a party to celebrate 10 years of Dan Snow's history hit. |
| 0:06.1 | I'd love for you to be there. |
| 0:07.5 | Join me for a very special live recording of the podcast in London, |
| 0:10.4 | in England on the 12th of September to celebrate the 10 years. |
| 0:14.1 | You can find out more about it and get tickets with the link in the show notes. |
| 0:17.6 | Look forward to seeing you there. |
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| 1:00.0 | On the morning of August the 15th, 1945, 80 years ago, a voice crackled for the first time over the Japanese airwaves. |
| 1:15.8 | Families gathered round the wireless had never heard this voice before. |
| 1:22.3 | Only a sliver of imperial subjects had done. |
| 1:25.1 | But it was one that belonged to someone that every single one of them |
| 1:29.2 | knew. It was the voice of Emperor Hirohito. He was announcing something unthinkable, the surrender |
... |
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