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How much earlier could the war have ended if the allies didnt demand unconditional surrender? What would be the minimum conditions of the axis powers?

I think that stating that they only accept unconditional surrender only made sure that Germany and Japan would fight to the bitter end and not giving up earlier. OTOH I see very few positives that this policy brought in the end - allowing at least the hope for some terms would have made the axis powers give up earlier.

IMO Japan would have surrendered at least months earlier if they got a guarantee that Hirohito retains his throne. As this happened OTL anyway it seems to me a huge waste of lives that the western allies couldnt agree to this. However Im no WWII expert so im very curious what more knowledgable people here think on this? IF they surrender earlier the USA can decide the fate of not only Japan but the whole of Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kurils, Taiwan and Manchuria - as the soviets never declared war on Japan. However im not sure that they wouldnt try something anyway. So how do you think Eastern Asia would turn out with an earlier Japanese surrender (and no atomic bomb dropped)?

In Germany i see Hitler as completly crazy at this point who would refuse to surrender. However with the hope of some terms the drive to remove him would be even stronger than OTL. IMO the germans, if they successfully removed Hitler would do everything in their might to surrender to the western powers, however I have no idea of the exact demands. Maybe they would want to limit the soviet occupation and ensure the continued existence of germany?
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