Emperor Hirohito (Showa) and Empress Nagako

[BeatrixFan]

Well firstly, Hirohito gave the order for a chemical weapon attack at Changde. These weapons had been pre-tested on British and Dutch PoWs at Kai Islands and the tests were authorized by the Emperor. I can't link you but you can either search the Australian National Archives or go through the war crimes papers which will show that Hirohito authorized most of the war crimes that took place. For example, the massacres of the Chinese in Singapore. Hirohito was of course, granted immunity from prosecution by the Allies but in reality, he should have probably been hanged along with his Generals because they were following his orders.

[susan alicia]

Douglas MacArthur

The americans punished him by humiliating him with this picture with MacArthur. Hanging him would have a wrong effect on the Japanese. It is strange for us to imagine how much he was revered by the Japanese in those days.

[BeatrixFan]

Oh I know and I'm sure hanging Hirohito would have led to riots but then who'd just won the war? I can't help but think that dropping those bombs was a display of control and that the Japanese wouldn't have reacted violently to the hanging of the Emperor with that threat hanging over them. I know to many British PoWs the Imperial Family getting off scot free still hurts - the protests when Emperor Akihito visited Britain for a start. Alot of people still feel that the real culprits were never punished.