several members of the German high-command understood that the war was turning against them, they attempted to assassinate Hitler. They believed that the Allied policy of unconditional surrender meant that there would never be a negotiated peace while Hitler was still in power. Whether the Allies would have negotiated with other members of the Nazi command is unclear. At any rate, the plot failed, and the war raged on until Germany's fighting capabilities were completely destroyed.

American leadership understood that the Japanese would never accept the notion of total and complete surrender unless it was made clear to them that they had no other option. Japan had never lost a war in its history, and few believed that they would accept defeat this time. The plan involved an invasion of Japan by American and Soviet forces. Considering that the Japanese made it clear that they would fight on to the bitter end, it was clear that Allied casualties would be very high if the invasion were to take place. After the successful testing of the atomic bomb, American command believed that this new weapon could be an effective way to force the Japanese to accept unconditional surrender in the face of total annihilation.