Carol C (and LH) -

The early "peace proposals" from Japan consisted essentially of "you don't fight us and we won't kill you and we'll keep everything we captured." Around the Leyte Gulf / Phillipines campaign (second one, not the first...) these changed to "let's call it a draw." After Leyte Gulf, as Little Hawk said, they became far more serious and entered into negotaions through the Russians along the lines of "well, OK - you don't attack us and we'll talk about what we'll give back."

In a war of conquest, negotiating a peace deal without breaking the absolute will and ability of the agressor to do so again will merely set the stage for another round of wars and violence. In that case, a lightning strike victory (eg., the franco-prussian war) will set up another round of war within a generation. Beating and bleeding the agressor into absolute submission teaches a social lesson that becomes deeply embedded into society itself and takes generations to overcome to the point where launching military activity is worth considering. Until then, any thought of military aggression brings back the spectre of the "last time."

That is why the terms had to be "unconditional". And "unconditional" was unacceptable to Japan.

The difference between a civil war/revolution/war of independence and a war of conquest is that usually the group attempting to break away will be content with that alone - which is why the Confederate States did not need to aggressively invade the Northern states to win the war. Essentially like Vietnam or the Anglo-Irish war - Make it impossible for the other side to govern, and you will eventually win if you can hold out long enough.

On a personal note, my father's unit was training for the invasion of Japan at the time the bombs were dropped. The war planners had it slated to land in Japan on D-Day. Based on the plans, within a week, it was expected to be "removed from the order of battle". "Removed from the order of battle" is the fancy way of saying "shot to pieces" based on the experience of previous invasions.

Pete