It was the Allies’ demand for unconditional surrender that would have prolonged the war in the way depicted, had the bombs not been dropped. The Japanese wanted Hirohito to remain as emperor, and the allies did not honor this request until after the bombs had been dropped. Had they agreed earlier, Japan might have been willing to surrender without the dropping of bombs. At most, it would have only required a demolition of a purely military target, and untold thousands of innocent civilians would not have perished.